Clear

Clear, initially launched as ClearTax in 2011, has evolved from an online tax compliance platform into a comprehensive financial technology provider. The company was founded by Archit Gupta, who now serves as CEO, along with co-founders Srivatsan Chari and Ankit Solanki. Gupta, an alumnus of IIT Guwahati and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, leveraged his Silicon Valley experience to address the complexities of India's tax system. The initial platform for filing income tax returns quickly gained traction, and within 11 days of launch, it had over 1,000 users.

In June 2021, the company rebranded from ClearTax to Clear to reflect its expanded scope of services beyond taxation. Today, Clear operates as a full-stack financial services firm offering a suite of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) products for individuals, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and large corporations. Its business model is centered on providing software solutions that automate and simplify financial processes. The company generates revenue through its diverse offerings that touch upon various aspects of finance. For businesses, Clear provides solutions for GST compliance, e-invoicing, accounts payable automation, vendor risk management, and tax compliance. One of its key products, ClearOne, is an invoicing and compliance solution designed for SMEs. For individuals, the company offers services for tax filing and wealth management.

The firm's product lineup includes ClearGST, ClearE-Invoicing, and ClearOne for businesses, as well as ClearPro for tax experts and Black for individuals. Through its AI-based Clear Max ITC solution, the company helps businesses optimize their input tax credit. Clear's platform integrates with major enterprise ERP systems, offering what it calls the Clear Finance Cloud, which connects both upstream and downstream financial processes. This ecosystem provides real-time data insights and analytics through dashboards and reporting tools, enabling better financial visibility and data-driven decision-making for CFOs and entrepreneurs. The company caters to over five million individual taxpayers and more than 2,000 corporations in India. Clear was incubated in Y-Combinator and has received funding from notable investors including Sequoia Capital, SAIF Partners, and Peter Thiel's Founders Fund.

Keywords: financial technology, tax compliance, SaaS, GST solutions, e-invoicing, wealth management, business compliance, invoice automation, financial services, Archit Gupta, SME finance, corporate finance solutions, ClearTax, input tax credit optimization, financial reporting, ERP integration, Y-Combinator, venture capital, accounts payable automation, vendor management