Clarus R+D
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersColumbus, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
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.
Clarus R+D firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Clarus R+D industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Clarus R+D is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbus
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Clarus R+D business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free Eligibility Check - Preliminary assessment for R&D tax credit qualification |
| Other | Multi-year contract | SMB Tier - Full R&D tax credit claim service |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise Tier - Comprehensive R&D tax credit solution |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Clarus R+D product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Clarus R+D
Customer profileNamed customers26 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Clarus R+D technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability2 records
Feature5 records
Clarus R+D partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Clarus R+D competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Clarus R+D social profiles
Digital presenceClarus R+D compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Clarus R+D financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clarus R+D leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Clarus R+D funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Clarus R+D M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Clarus R+D
What does Clarus R+D do?
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.
Is Clarus R+D a public or private company?
Clarus R+D is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Clarus R+D founded?
Clarus R+D was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Clarus R+D based?
Clarus R+D is headquartered in Columbus, United States, in the North America region.
How does Clarus R+D make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. R&D Tax Credit Services are the primary driver. The others are ERTC Services and startup R&D Credit (Payroll Tax Offset).
Who are Clarus R+D's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Boast.AI, Incentify, Engineered Tax Services, Marathon Tax and Caltrox / Caltroix. Broad incumbents are KPMG R&D Tax Services, EY Tax Credit and Incentives Advisory, BDO Tax Credit Services and Cherry Bekaert (R&D Tax Credits practice). SourceFinancing is listed as an emerging player.
Does Clarus R+D have an API?
No public API is recorded for Clarus R+D.
What industry is Clarus R+D in?
Clarus R+D's product category is R&D Tax Credit Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHABAI, Transfer Pricing & International Tax Services, with a secondary code of HDAEAEAF, Professional Services Automation (PSA) & Services ERP. Its NAICS code is 5412 and its SIC code is 7372.