Clerky was founded in 2012 and is used by over 10,000 YC-backed and venture-funded startups for their legal formation and fundraising documentation. The company was founded by lawyers from Cooley LLP and Wilson Sonsini — the two dominant Silicon Valley law firms for startup transactions — and the platform reflects deep expertise in the specific legal documentation that venture-backed startups need. The core product is Delaware C-Corp formation with standard Silicon Valley startup documents. Clerky generates the complete package of standard startup legal documents — certificate of incorporation, bylaws, board consent, stock purchase agreements, restricted stock agreements with standard 4-year vesting and 1-year cliff, and IP assignment agreements. These documents follow the standard templates used by top-tier Silicon Valley law firms, which matters when institutional investors and their lawyers review them during due diligence. Non-standard documents create negotiation friction and legal fees that standard documents avoid. The pricing is structured in two tiers. The basic formation package at $149 covers Delaware C-Corp formation and EIN. The comprehensive startup package at $599 covers formation plus the full set of post-incorporation documents — common stock issuance, stock option plan (83(b) election instructions), SAFE note templates, and advisor agreement templates. For a company planning to raise a seed round, the $599 package provides the complete legal foundation. For comparison, a startup law firm would charge $3,000-8,000 for equivalent document preparation. Clerky’s differentiation from Stripe Atlas and LegalZoom is document quality and YC-ecosystem credibility. Clerky documents are reviewed and maintained by attorneys who understand exactly what YC, Sequoia, and Andreessen Horowitz’s lawyers expect to see. This credibility is specifically valued by startups planning to go through Y Combinator or raise from top-tier VCs, where document quality and consistency reduces due diligence friction. Clerky does not provide attorney-client relationship or legal advice — it is a document preparation service. For complex or non-standard situations, Clerky’s documents serve as a starting point that a startup attorney can customize. Clerky is the right formation service for founders building venture-backed startups who want YC-standard legal documents at document preparation prices rather than law firm rates.
Clerky
Stripe Atlas adds $50,000+ in startup ecosystem credits and native Stripe integration alongside formation — better value for startups that will use Stripe payments heavily
Filing Specs
- Filing Time: 1-2 weeks
- YC-standard legal documents reviewed by attorneys from Cooley and Wilson Sonsini — the templates top VCs expect
- $599 comprehensive package covers full startup legal foundation — equivalent to $3,000-8,000 in law firm preparation fees
- Used by 10,000+ YC-backed startups — credibility with institutional investors and their due diligence teams
- No attorney-client relationship — document preparation only; complex or non-standard situations need a startup attorney
- Delaware C-Corp focused — not the right service for LLC formation or non-startup use cases
- $599 is higher than pure formation services — value depends on needing the full document package, not just formation
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Frequently Asked Questions
The $599 Startup Package includes: Delaware C-Corp formation, EIN application, post-incorporation board consent, common stock issuance to founders with standard 4-year vesting and 1-year cliff, proprietary information and invention assignment agreements (IP assignment), stock option plan, 83(b) election instructions, SAFE note templates, and advisor agreement templates. This is the complete set of documents needed before a pre-seed or seed round.
Clerky was founded by startup attorneys from Cooley LLP and Wilson Sonsini — the two dominant Silicon Valley law firms for venture transactions. The platform generates documents following the exact templates these firms use, which means when YC partners, VC investors, or their lawyers review Clerky-generated documents during due diligence, they see familiar, standard documents without unexpected variations that require additional legal work.
No. Clerky is a document preparation service, not a law firm. It does not provide an attorney-client relationship or legal advice. The platform generates standard documents based on your inputs. For situations that deviate from the standard startup structure — complex cap tables, non-standard vesting, international co-founders with complex tax situations — consulting a startup attorney directly is advisable.
Clerky at $599 focuses on document quality — YC-standard legal documents reviewed by attorneys from top startup law firms. Stripe Atlas at $500 adds $50,000+ in partner ecosystem credits (AWS, Google Cloud, Notion, Gusto) and native Stripe payment integration alongside formation. For startups prioritizing legal document quality and YC-ecosystem credibility, Clerky. For startups that will use Stripe payments heavily and want ecosystem credits, Atlas.
No. Clerky handles formation and the initial documentation package but does not include ongoing registered agent service. After formation, a registered agent must be appointed — Clerky provides guidance on selecting a third-party registered agent. Annual Delaware franchise tax filing and state annual reports are also the company's responsibility and not handled by Clerky.
Advertiser Disclosure: Pricing verified April 2026 from Clerky's official pricing page.. We may receive compensation for clicks or purchases on this site.