Clerky
Startup legal paperwork done right — the formation stack behind YC companies
4.7Pay per useBest for Ensuring portfolio and prospective companies have clean, standard paperwork
Formation SAFEs Startup Legal
Overview
Clerky, built by startup attorneys, handles the legal paperwork of company formation and early operations: Delaware incorporation, post-incorporation setup, SAFEs and convertible notes, board consents, and hiring documents, all on standardized, attorney-vetted templates. It is the formation platform used by a large share of Y Combinator companies, and investors point founders to it to keep early paperwork clean for later diligence.
Key features
- Delaware incorporation with standard startup-grade documents
- SAFE and convertible note financing paperwork
- Board consents, equity grants, and hiring documents
- Attorney-built templates aligned with market standards
- Clean document records that survive later financing diligence
Pros
- Documents diligence-ready by default — fewer cleanup costs at Series A
- Trusted default across the YC and startup-lawyer ecosystem
- Far cheaper than bespoke counsel for standardized paperwork
Cons
- US/Delaware-centric; not for international structures
- Founder-facing — the fund's role is pointing companies to it, not using it directly