Clay Hits $3B Valuation in Series C Funding
Sales Automation Startup Reaches Major Milestone
Clay, the AI-powered sales automation platform, has achieved a $3 billion valuation in its latest Series C funding round. Investment firm CapitalG led the financing, according to three sources familiar with the deal. This valuation marks a significant jump from the company’s previous $1.5 billion valuation just last month.
Rapid Growth and Employee Liquidity Options
The funding comes on the heels of Clay’s recent employee stock tender offer, where Sequoia Capital invested up to $20 million to allow employees to sell shares at the $1.5 billion valuation. Founder and CEO Kareem Amin has stated the company plans to offer annual liquidity opportunities, meaning employees who participated in the earlier round may have future chances to sell at potentially higher valuations.
Clay’s AI-Driven Evolution
Founded in 2017, Clay found its niche by pivoting to AI-powered sales enablement tools. The platform helps sales teams and marketers automate their outreach strategies, including:
- Intelligent prospect discovery
- Contact data enrichment
- Personalized email creation
Enterprise Adoption and Competitive Landscape
Clay now serves thousands of customers, from tech giants like OpenAI and HubSpot to smaller consulting firms. The company competes in the crowded sales tech space against established players like ZoomInfo and Apollo.io, as well as newer entrants such as Unify and Common Room.
The Series C round continues to build on Clay’s momentum, with existing investors including Meritech Capital, Boldstart Ventures, and First Round Capital maintaining their support. This latest funding positions Clay as one of the most valuable AI-powered sales automation platforms in the market today.