What Clasp.com does

Clasp is a Boston-based, venture-backed fintech that operates a Loan-Linked Hiring platform connecting U.S. healthcare employers with clinical students before graduation and tying employer-funded student loan repayment to multi-year employment tenure — a model the company describes as "ROTC for healthcare." Founded in 2018 as Stride Funding and rebranded to Clasp in October 2024, the platform serves the dual problem of 3 million open U.S. clinical roles and roughly $1.7 trillion in outstanding student loan debt by letting healthcare employers (hospitals, health systems, optometry, veterinary, and skilled-nursing groups) commit to candidates up to two years pre-graduation and pay down their student loans over 2–6 year employment terms. Named customers include Boston Children's Hospital, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Northwestern Medicine, Novant Health, OhioHealth, Wellstar, VCA Animal Hospitals, MyEyeDr., Warby Parker, Confluent Health, Rochester Regional Health, UMass Memorial, Bergen New Bridge, and Lionstone Healthcare, among 25+ disclosed enterprise logos.

The platform combines an employer-student matching marketplace with loan-servicing integrations: students sync eligible federal or private loans (across 100+ servicers), and Clasp routes employer-funded monthly payments directly to those servicers after hire, tracking multi-year employment commitments. Loans are originated through Utah-chartered FinWise Bank (Member FDIC) and serviced by Launch Servicing, providing Clasp access to up to $100M in no-cosigner education loan funding capacity. Supporting modules include Clasp Pathways and Clasp Finance (school-facing products), the Clasp Attract Program (extending benefits to external students), and the School Deserts Index (a proprietary national data tool mapping clinical training gaps). The platform is delivered via a web-based student application portal (portal.clasp.com) and per-employer microsites, with no public developer API.

Clasp's revenue mechanics combine enterprise subscription/contract revenue from healthcare employers for access to the retention-driven recruitment platform and ROI analytics, with transaction-related economics from originated student loans through FinWise Bank and outcomes-based tuition financing for higher-education institutions. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; employer-funded loan repayment offers to students range from $10,000 to $180,000 over 2–6 years, while student participation is free with no clawback. Distribution is U.S.-only and enterprise-led, with inside sales supported by HubSpot meeting schedulers, content marketing (blog, webinars, conferences such as UPCEA, MASFAA, NACAC, P3.EDU, SACUBO, SHRM), TEDx appearances by the CEO, and channel partnerships with 1,140+ schools and programs. As of March 2026, Clasp had ~60 employees, $50M in cumulative venture funding (including a $20M Series B co-led by Crosslink Capital and Digitalis Ventures), and was expanding across the Midwest, Southeast, and beyond.

Name

Clasp.com

Legal name

Clasp Group, Inc.

Website

https://clasp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Clasp is a Boston-based fintech that operates a Loan-Linked Hiring platform connecting U.S. healthcare employers (hospitals, health systems, optometry, and veterinary groups) with clinical students pre-graduation, tying employer-funded student loan repayment to multi-year employment tenure. The company serves enterprise healthcare buyers across 25+ named health systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Healthcare Workforce Platform

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Support Services & Case Management (Coaching, Wraparound) (EDAAAOAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Student Success, Advising & Case Management (Retention) Platforms (EDAFAMAH)

Keywords

• Loan-linked hiring
• Healthcare workforce platform
• Student loan repayment
• Clinical talent recruitment
• Employer education benefits

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Employer sponsorship / Loan-Linked Hiring platform fees: B2B revenue from healthcare employers (hospitals, health systems, eye care and vet groups) who pay for the Clasp retention-driven recruitment platform, including access to pre-graduation talent pipelines, customized program design, and ROI analytics. Employers also fund the loan repayment that flows to students via the platform (up to $180K per clinician for some roles).
2. Student loan origination & servicing (via FinWise Bank): Up to $100M in no-cosigner education loan funding originated through partner bank FinWise Bank for students pursuing high-impact healthcare careers; Clasp captures economic value from originating and facilitating repayment of these loans.
3. Tuition financing programs (Custom Tuition Financing for schools): Outcomes-based, student-centric tuition financing offered to higher-education institutions (the 'Finance' product at /finance), with prior Stride Funding-era partnership with FairPlay for inclusive financing programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Clasp operates a retention-driven recruitment platform that connects healthcare employers with clinical students up to two years before graduation and ties employer-funded student loan repayment installments to multi-year employment tenure—a model the company describes as 'ROTC for healthcare.' The platform combines an employer-student matching marketplace with fintech loan-servicing infrastructure that syncs 100+ federal and private student loan servicers via partner bank FinWise Bank, replacing industry-standard sign-on bonuses with structured monthly loan repayment that delivers up to 75% retention increases in pilot roles.

Product overview

Clasp operates a single unified Loan-Linked Hiring platform with role- and stakeholder-specific sub-products layered on top of it. The core Clasp Loan-Linked Hiring Platform serves healthcare employers, with employer-specific sponsorship programs (e.g., Wellstar CAA, Boston Children's Nuclear Medicine Tech, HealthRIGHT 360 Therapist, EHS Med Lab Science, Rochester Regional Health CRNA) delivered through the Clasp Student Portal. Clasp Pathways and Clasp Finance are the two schools-facing modules of the platform — Pathways for employer-sponsored loan repayment programs and Finance for custom, outcomes-based tuition financing. The Attract Program is a Clasp sub-product that extends these benefits to external students beyond a single employer's employee base, and the LIFT Program is a co-branded partnership program with Confluent Health serving PT/OT/SLP clinicians. The School Deserts Index is Clasp's proprietary data tool and research resource that complements the platform by mapping U.S. clinical training program gaps. Together these offerings form an end-to-end retention-driven recruitment infrastructure connecting employers, schools, and students through employer-funded student loan repayment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clasp Loan-Linked Hiring Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 75% increase in retention (based on sample of 500 skilled-trade employees in Clasp's servicing portfolio data)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers30 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship employer partner, major employer partner, flagship employer partner (first-in-state), core infrastructure partner, operational partner, strategic product partner, high-impact regulatory partnership, channel / university partner, employer partner and employer partner (launching).

• Rochester Regional Healthflagship employer partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 March 2026Nine-hospital integrated health system serving Western New York, Finger Lakes region, and St. Lawrence County. Launched record-setting Clasp student loan repayment commitments (up to $180K for CRNAs, $30K Rad Techs, $25K Surg Techs) targeting anesthesia, perioperative care, and medical imaging shortages in rural and mid-sized markets.
• Lionstone Healthcaremajor employer partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2026Long-term care and assisted living provider across Ohio and beyond; partnered with Clasp to create funded clinical career pathways (STNA→LPN→RN, non-clinical→STNA) with employer-backed student loan repayment of up to $20K over 3 years for nurses. 43 employees applied within 2 months of late-2025 launch.
• Confluent Healthflagship employer partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2025National leader in musculoskeletal care; partnered with Clasp to launch the LIFT (Loan Incentive for Therapists) Program for PTs, OTs, and SLPs and the Confluent Health Scholars Program (up to $129K tuition sponsorship + loan repayment). First launch states: Kansas, Missouri, New York, Arizona, Florida, California, Montana.
• Bergen New Bridge Medical Centerflagship employer partner (first-in-state)Strategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 20251,070-bed safety-net hospital in Paramus, NJ (clinical affiliate of Rutgers). First hospital in New Jersey to launch Clasp's loan repayment program for nursing students (up to $25K over 3 years). Saw 3x more applicants than available seats in first four months, prompting expansion.
• FinWise Bankcore infrastructure partnerOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerUtah-chartered bank, Member FDIC; issues the education loans that flow through Clasp's platform and powers the up-to-$100M no-cosigner education loan funding capacity. Clasp's Terms of Use and homepage disclose that loans are issued by FinWise Bank and serviced through Launch Servicing.
• Launch Servicingoperational partnerTechnology or IntegrationLoan servicing provider handling borrower questions and payments for FinWise Bank-issued loans (clasp.launchservicing.com, 833-514-1834).
• FairPlaystrategic product partnerTechnology or IntegrationPartnered with Clasp (then Stride Funding) in October 2024 to offer inclusive financing programs to borrowers, supporting Clasp's Custom Tuition Financing product for schools.
• U.S. Department of Education — AHEAD Committeehigh-impact regulatory partnershipOthersClasp's COO David Kafafian served as the primary negotiator for employers and the business community on the AHEAD Committee, which defined rules for the Workforce Pell program and accountability measures under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).
• Moravian Universitychannel / university partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerClasp officially partnered with Moravian University to connect healthcare graduates with employer-funded student loan repayment and jobs through Clasp's platform.
• Wellstar Health Systemmajor employer partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerLargest and most integrated healthcare system in Georgia. Operates Clasp-powered Anesthesiology Assistant (SAA) program offering up to $90,000 in student loan repayment over 48 months at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital and Wellstar MCG - Augusta. Also participated as webinar partner in Clasp's 2026 talent-pipeline event.
• HealthRIGHT 360major employer partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-based, integrated primary medical, mental health, substance use disorder, and re-entry services provider. Operates Clasp-powered student loan repayment programs for Clinical Therapy students (up to $20K over 2 years), RNs, and LVN/LPN candidates across Northern and Southern California.
• Episcopal Health Services (EHS)major employer partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-based health system on the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, NY (anchored by St. John's Episcopal Hospital). Operates Clasp-powered programs for Med Lab Scientists (up to $35K over 3 years) and Social Workers.
• Boston Children's Hospitalflagship employer partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerTop-ranked U.S. pediatric hospital. Operates Clasp-powered BCH Nuclear Medicine Tech program (up to $37,500 over 2 years) and BCH Rad Tech program. Listed among Top U.S. health systems that committed $101.2M+ in student loan repayment through Clasp.
• UMass Memorial Healthmajor employer partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentral Massachusetts health system; operates Clasp-powered CRNA program offering up to $180,000 in student loan repayment to Nurse Anesthetist candidates.
• Trinity Health (Saint Alphonsus)major employer partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic health system; operates Clasp-powered programs for Radiologic Technologists and CT Technologists based in Boise, Idaho.
• Kootenai Healthemployer partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerIdaho-based health system in Kootenai County; operates Clasp-powered Radiologic Technologist student loan repayment program.
• Arkansas Children'semployer partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerArkansas pediatric health system; operates Clasp-powered Radiologic Technologist student loan repayment program.
• Lovelace Health Systememployer partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Mexico-based health system in Albuquerque; operates Clasp-powered RN student loan repayment program.
• Parkview Healthemployer partner (launching)Strategic or Co-development PartnerIndiana and Ohio-based health system; Clasp-powered RN program in early access / launching.
• University of Iowa Health Careemployer partner (launching)Strategic or Co-development PartnerIowa-based academic health system; Clasp-powered RN program in early access / launching.
• Fresenius Medical Careemployer partner (launching)Strategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal dialysis services provider; Clasp-powered RN program launching across IN, KS, MA, MD, MI, MN, NC, NE, NJ, OH, OR, SC, TX, WA, WI.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• Edly: Income Share Agreement (ISA) platform for higher education financing. Comparable to Clasp's Custom Tuition Financing offering for schools, with similar outcomes-based student financing economics.
• Incredible Health: Healthcare-focused talent marketplace connecting nurses and allied health clinicians with employers. Comparable to Clasp as a healthcare-specific workforce solution, but operates as a job-matching marketplace rather than a loan-linked retention platform.
• Vivian Health: Healthcare staffing marketplace for nurses and allied health professionals. Targets the same healthcare workforce shortage problem as Clasp but through a staffing/agency model rather than employer-funded loan repayment.
• Nomad Health: Online marketplace for travel nursing and allied health staffing. Comparable to Clasp as a digital healthcare workforce platform, though focused on travel/contract roles rather than retention-driven loan-linked hiring.

Direct peers

• Tuition.io: Direct competitor in the employer student loan repayment benefit space. Tuition.io enables employers to make tax-free contributions toward employees' student loan debt, overlapping with Clasp's employer-funded repayment flow, though Clasp differentiates with a pre-graduation, tenure-tied loan-linked hiring model.
• GradFin: Employer student loan repayment benefit platform that partners with HR and benefits teams to help companies contribute to employees' student loans. Closely comparable to Clasp's employer-facing platform fee stream, with a similar B2B HR buyer.
• Splash Financial: Student loan refinancing and employer benefit platform that helps employees refinance and repay loans. Adjacent to Clasp's loan origination through FinWise Bank and its employer-funded repayment feature, with overlap on the financial-infrastructure layer.
• Goodly: Employer student loan repayment benefit provider targeting small and mid-sized employers. Directly comparable to Clasp on the core 'employer pays down student loans' mechanic, though Goodly is a pure benefits tool without Clasp's pre-graduation matching and loan-origination infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• SoFi: Large incumbent student loan refinancing and personal finance platform with an employer student loan repayment benefit offering. Comparable to Clasp at the refinancing and employer-benefit layer, but operates at a vastly different scale and without Clasp's pre-graduation matching and tenure-tied repayment design.

Others

• Stride (Stride Funding legacy): Predecessor brand to Clasp. The company was known as Stride Funding until its 2024 rebrand; the two are now one entity, but historical Stride Funding positioning is comparable as a prior peer/legacy identity in outcomes-based education financing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StrideFunding
• Facebookfacebook.com/stridefunding
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stridefunding
• Instagraminstagram.com/clasp_official
• TikToktiktok.com/@onedayyoumay

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors17 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clasp.com