PDFAITools
Clerky
AI legal automation platform for startup legal documents including incorporation, equity documents, and hiring paperwork.
What is Clerky?
Legal Automation for Startups
Clerky is a specialized legal automation platform designed specifically for technology startups. It streamlines the entire lifecycle of startup legal documents, from incorporation through fundraising rounds and employee hiring. Founded by lawyers who worked with top Silicon Valley startups, Clerky understands the specific legal needs of high-growth companies and has processed tens of thousands of legal transactions.
What Clerky Covers
The platform handles a comprehensive range of startup legal work including Delaware C-Corp incorporation, SAFE notes and convertible notes for fundraising, equity documents like stock option grants and cap table management, and hiring paperwork such as offer letters and confidential information agreements. Everything is templated, standardized, and reviewed by attorneys familiar with startup best practices.
- Delaware C-Corp incorporation
- SAFE and convertible note fundraising documents
- Stock option plans and grants (ISOs and NSOs)
- Employee and contractor offer letters and NDAs
- 409A valuation support
Who Uses Clerky
Clerky is trusted by Y Combinator alumni and thousands of VC-backed startups. It is particularly well suited for founders who want attorney-quality legal documents without paying per-hour legal fees for routine transactions. Investors and accelerators often recommend Clerky because its standardized documents reduce friction in due diligence.
Key Features
Form a Delaware C-Corp with all required documents generated and filed automatically.
Generate YC-standard SAFE notes and convertible notes for seed rounds in minutes.
Issue stock options, manage your cap table, and handle 83(b) elections seamlessly.
Create compliant offer letters, NDAs, and IP assignment agreements for every hire.
All documents are reviewed by startup lawyers and standardized for investor acceptance.
Who Uses Clerky?
Founders incorporate their Delaware C-Corp quickly and correctly before joining an accelerator.
Close SAFE agreements with multiple angel investors without paying thousands in legal fees.
Issue compliant employment agreements and option grants to the first engineering hires.
Ensure a clean legal record before a Series A by organizing all corporate documents.
Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Dramatically cheaper than traditional law firms for routine startup legal work
- Documents are standardized and accepted by major VCs and accelerators
- Purpose-built for startups, covering the exact documents founders need
- Guided workflows prevent common legal mistakes by first-time founders
- Trusted by Y Combinator companies and thousands of VC-backed startups
❌ Cons
- Limited to startup-specific documents — not a general legal platform
- Complex or non-standard deals still require a human attorney
- Primarily focused on Delaware C-Corps, limiting options for other structures
Clerky Pricing
Incorporation
- Delaware C-Corp formation
- All incorporation documents
- Bylaws and board resolutions
- State filing included
Ongoing Plan
- Fundraising documents
- Equity and option grants
- Hiring paperwork
- Unlimited document generation
Enterprise
- High-volume transactions
- Dedicated support
- Custom workflows
- Attorney consultation hours
Clerky earns a 4.7/5 rating from our editorial team. While it requires a paid subscription, the professional-grade capabilities deliver strong ROI for serious users. Standout strengths include dramatically cheaper than traditional law firms for routine startup legal work and documents are standardized and accepted by major vcs and accelerators.
Get Started with Clerky →