Clarus R+D

What Clarus R+D does

Clarus R+D is a US-based (Columbus, Ohio) software-and-services company, founded in 2016 and operating as a subsidiary of Arvo Technologies, that helps businesses claim federal and state Research & Development (R&D) tax credits under Section 41 by pairing a cloud-based SaaS platform with expert-led professional services. Its product surface is structured in three tiers: a free Eligibility Check tool offering preliminary qualification analysis and an estimated credit figure, an SMB tier delivering a completed IRS Form 6765, supporting documentation, live expert sessions, dedicated account management, and access to the company's AI-enabled qualification assist, and an Enterprise tier that adds a dedicated project manager, time surveys, project sampling, and Subject Matter Expert sign-offs. The underlying technology stack is a SOC-2 Type 2 certified cloud platform with expense import and integrations to accounting systems, prior-year data carry-forward, automated Form 6765 generation, and a natural-language qualification tool for assessing whether company activities qualify under R&D credit rules.

The company complements its R&D credit offering with Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) services covering 2020 and 2021 quarters, including a specialized Recovery Startup ERTC sub-product for newly formed businesses, and it leverages an external funding partner to accelerate ERTC refund receipt. It targets four horizontal customer segments — Startups (positioning the R&D credit as non-dilutive funding of up to $500K against payroll taxes), Growth Businesses seeking expansion capital, Enterprises requiring multi-project compliance documentation, and Tax Practitioners/CPAs integrating R&D credit services into their practices — with marketed client outcomes ranging from $160K+ for smaller e-signature customers to $4.8M for a large auto glass repair client. Its go-to-market blends product-led growth (free calculator, self-serve sign-up at app.claruscredits.com) with sales-led motion segmented by buyer type (Startup/Growth, Enterprise, Tax Practitioner), supported by content marketing, paid social, and a partner program. Revenue is generated primarily through professional-services engagements tied to SMB and Enterprise contracts on a multi-year basis, with ERTC work providing a complementary cyclical stream.

Name

Clarus R+D

Legal name

Clarus R+D

Website

https://clarusrd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Clarus R+D is a US-based software-and-services firm that helps startups, growth businesses, enterprises, and CPAs claim federal and state R&D tax credits, and also offers ERTC services, via a SOC-2 certified SaaS platform combined with expert professional support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

R&D Tax Credit Services

NAICS

Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (5412), Other Accounting Services (541219)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Transfer Pricing & International Tax Services (BPAHABAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Professional Services Automation (PSA) & Services ERP (HDAEAEAF)

Keywords

• R&D tax credits
• Tax credit services
• ERTC services
• Tax compliance software
• Payroll tax offset

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. R&D Tax Credit Services: Professional services and software platform for businesses to claim R&D tax credits. Revenue derived from service agreements for SMB and Enterprise tiers, including completed Form 6765, supporting documentation, live working sessions with experts, dedicated account managers, and project management services.
2. ERTC Services: Employee Retention Tax Credit claim processing and optimization services for businesses affected by COVID-19. Includes eligibility analysis, claim optimization, and compliance documentation for 2020 and 2021 quarters.
3. Startup R&D Credit (Payroll Tax Offset): Startups can claim up to $500,000 to offset payroll taxes. This is a non-dilutive funding opportunity for startups developing or improving processes or products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Clarus R+D helps U.S. businesses maximize R&D tax credits and Employee Retention Tax Credits (ERTC) by combining a proprietary cloud-based SaaS platform (app.claruscredits.com) with dedicated tax credit experts. The company delivers tiered services ranging from a free eligibility check to full-service SMB and Enterprise engagements that include Form 6765 preparation, audit-ready documentation, AI-enabled qualification tooling, and ongoing expert support.

Product overview

Clarus R+D offers a tiered software and service platform for tax credit recovery, combining technology with expert support. The core offering includes a free Eligibility Check tool, an SMB tier with AI-enabled qualification assistance, Form 6765 preparation, and documentation support, and an Enterprise tier adding project management, time surveys, and SME sign-offs. The platform also encompasses Employee Retention Tax Credit services including a specialized Recovery Startup ERTC for newly established businesses. The company serves startups, growth businesses, enterprises, and tax practitioners across industries from biotech to breweries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eligibility Check Free preliminary assessment tool that evaluates a business's potential eligibility for federal and state R&D tax credits, provides industry-specific qualifying activity examples, and generates an estimated credit value with a free consultation.
• SMB R&D Tax Credit Service Full-service R&D tax credit claim engagement for startups and growth businesses, including a completed Form 6765 ready for filing, supporting documentation, live working sessions with R&D tax credit experts, a dedicated account manager, and access to Clarus R+D's AI-enabled qualification tool, expense import integrations, and SOC-2 certified secure platform.
• Enterprise R&D Tax Credit Service Comprehensive R&D tax credit service tier for large organizations that includes all SMB capabilities plus a dedicated project manager, project importing and sampling, time surveys, and Subject Matter Expert assignment and sign-offs for complex, multi-project R&D portfolios.
• Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) Service that helps businesses recover funds through the Employee Retention Tax Credit under the CARES Act, analyzing eligibility for 2020 and 2021, optimizing claims, and providing formal tax opinions and compliance documentation.
• Recovery Startup ERTC Specialized ERTC engagement for recovery startups (businesses started after February 15, 2020 with less than $1 million in average annual gross receipts), offering up to $7,000 per employee in Q3 and Q4 2021, capped at $100,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• Startups can claim up to $500,000 to offset payroll taxes
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers26 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Boast.AI: Tech-enabled R&D tax credit platform serving startups and SMBs with AI-assisted qualification and Form 6765 generation. Most directly comparable competitor in product, target customer, and freemium-driven GTM motion.
• Incentify: AI-powered R&D tax credit software serving startups and SMBs with automated study generation. Competes head-to-head with Clarus R+D in the Startup/Growth segment on similar SaaS-plus-service positioning.
• Engineered Tax Services: Specialty tax credit services firm focused on R&D, energy, and cost-segregation credits, with proprietary software tooling. Competes on the same multi-channel basis serving SMBs through CPA partners.
• Marathon Tax: Specialized R&D tax credit consultancy combining software tooling with expert services for technology and life sciences SMBs. Direct overlap in technology stack approach and customer segments served.
• Caltrox / Caltroix: Specialist R&D tax credit services firm combining technology with consultative expertise for SMB and enterprise clients. Direct overlap in approach, customer verticals, and tiered service offerings.

Broad incumbents

• KPMG R&D Tax Services: Big 4 firm providing R&D tax credit services alongside broader advisory and audit. Represents scaled, well-capitalized competition, especially in the Enterprise segment Clarus R+D targets.
• EY Tax Credit and Incentives Advisory: Big 4 firm with a large credits-and-incentives practice covering federal and state R&D credits. Targets enterprise clients in the same segments Clarus R+D pursues, often with deeper relationships via audit engagements.
• BDO Tax Credit Services: Large accounting firm offering R&D tax credit studies as part of broader tax practice. Serves similar enterprise clients with bundled services, often displacing niche players like Clarus R+D where audit/attest work is involved.
• Cherry Bekaert (R&D Tax Credits practice): Top-25 accounting firm with dedicated R&D tax credit practice serving mid-market and enterprise. Competes in the Growth/Enterprise segment through CPA firm partnerships.

Emerging players

• SourceFinancing: Specialist firm offering R&D tax credit studies with non-dilutive financing for startups; intersects with Clarus R+D's startup payroll-tax-offset value proposition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/clarusrd
• Facebookfacebook.com/clarusrd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clarusrd

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors

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 Clarus R+D