PropelAuth
PropelAuth is a Redwood City-based authentication platform purpose-built for B2B SaaS companies, offering multi-tenant organization management, RBAC, enterprise SSO/SAML/SCIM, API key auth, and MCP authentication for AI-native customers, sold via transparent per-MAU subscriptions and a 'Free till Funded' freemium tier.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersRedwood City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What PropelAuth does
PropelAuth, Inc. is a Redwood City, California-based authentication platform purpose-built exclusively for B2B SaaS companies. Founded in 2021, the company graduated from Y Combinator's Winter 2022 cohort and closed a $2.59M seed round in July 2022 led by Tiger Global with participation from 8-Bit Capital, Soma Capital, Y Combinator, Flex Capital, Crosstimbers Capital Group, and Forward Deployed VC. The product centers on multi-tenant authentication as a first-class concept, treating organizations, roles, and permissions as core data models rather than retrofitting them into consumer-oriented auth.
The platform ships in two deployment models: PropelAuth Cloud, a fully managed authentication service with hosted UIs, organization management, RBAC, MFA, SAML/OIDC SSO, SCIM provisioning, user impersonation with audit trails, and API key authentication; and PropelAuth BYO (Bring-Your-Own), a self-hosted option for adding advanced auth features without migrating from existing infrastructure. Idiomatic client libraries cover React, Next.js, FastAPI, Flask, .NET, Spring Boot, Remix, Axum, Go, Laravel, Node, Python, Ruby, Java, Rust, C#, and PHP, and the platform has expanded into AI-native authentication via an MCP Authentication module supporting OAuth 2.1 flows, dynamic client registration, and token revocation for AI clients such as Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini. PropelAuth is SOC2 Type 2 certified, supports annual third-party penetration testing, can sign GDPR DPAs, and now supports Ping Identity for regulated industries.
Commercially, PropelAuth operates a transparent subscription model priced at $150/month for 10,000 users with unlimited organizations and SAML/OIDC connections on all paid plans, undercutting Auth0 ($240/month for 1,000 users) on a per-MAU basis. A 'Free till Funded' freemium tier targets early-stage startups, with enterprise customers (Salesforce, Brilliant Earth, Anglera — the latter accessed by seven Fortune 500 companies including a Fortune 15) engaged through a sales-assisted demo motion alongside a product-led growth self-serve funnel. Customer logos span AI/SaaS (Letter AI, Tennr, Hubble, Octomind, Clueso, graph8, RunBear, Anglera, Vector), fintech (Stably, Mercoa, Kintsugi), compliance (Safetykit), healthcare/integration (Metriport), SaaS management (ShiftControl), FinOps (Wiv.ai), and sustainability (CarbonHQ, Own Your Beliefs, CarbonBright).
PropelAuth firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PropelAuth
- Legal name
- PropelAuth, Inc.
- Website
- https://propelauth.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- PropelAuth is a Redwood City-based authentication platform purpose-built for B2B SaaS companies, offering multi-tenant organization management, RBAC, enterprise SSO/SAML/SCIM, API key auth, and MCP authentication for AI-native customers, sold via transparent per-MAU subscriptions and a 'Free till Funded' freemium tier.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PropelAuth industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Identity and Access Management Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Single Sign-On (SSO) & Federation (SAML/OIDC, Identity Providers) (HDAEAJAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Single Sign-On (SSO) & Federation (BPAMAEAF), Directory Services & Identity Stores (LDAP/AD, Cloud Directory) (HDAEAJAA), Directory Services & Identity Data Platforms (BPAMAEAG), Customer Permissioning & Consent Management (OAuth, scopes, revocation) (FSAGACAC)
Keywords
Where PropelAuth is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Redwood City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
PropelAuth business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription - Cloud: Fully managed cloud authentication solution with pricing based on MAUs (monthly active users). Base price includes included MAUs with straightforward, transparent pricing. No extra charges for active organizations, collaborators, or SAML connections.
- Bring-Your-Own (BYO) - Self-Hosted: Self-hosted solution for adding advanced auth features without migration from existing infrastructure. Add-on features and capabilities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | $150/month for 10,000 users with unlimited orgs and SAML connections |
| Freemium | Monthly | Free tier for early-stage startups |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
PropelAuth product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PropelAuth provides a full-service B2B authentication platform delivered either as a fully managed cloud service or a self-hosted "Bring-Your-Own" (BYO) deployment. The product bundles multi-tenant organization management, role-based access control, enterprise SSO (SAML/OIDC), SCIM provisioning, user impersonation with audit trails, API key authentication, and MCP server authentication (OAuth 2.1) for AI-native companies into a single integrated offering. Idiomatic client libraries are provided for major backend and frontend frameworks, and the platform is SOC2 Type 2 certified.
Product overview
PropelAuth is a B2B-only authentication platform providing two deployment options: Cloud (fully managed) and BYO (Bring Your Own/self-hosted). The product suite includes core authentication modules for signup/login, organization management, enterprise readiness (SSO/SAML/SCIM), user impersonation, user insights, and API key authentication. PropelAuth also offers specialized MCP Authentication for AI-native companies and idiomatic client libraries/SDKs for multiple frameworks. The platform is designed exclusively for B2B SaaS companies, offering multi-tenancy, RBAC, and enterprise features out of the box.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PropelAuth Cloud A fully managed authentication solution providing everything B2B companies need from pre-launch to enterprise scale, including hosted UIs, organization management, RBAC, MFA, SSO/SAML, SCIM, and user management. Priced per monthly active user with transparent flat pricing and unlimited organizations and SAML connections on all paid plans. Target customers are B2B SaaS companies ranging from early-stage startups to enterprise organizations.
- PropelAuth BYO (Bring Your Own) A self-hosted authentication solution that adds advanced auth features to existing infrastructure without requiring migration. Supports Cognito migration and SCIM provisioning for existing setups, and is intended for organizations that need to keep authentication within their own cloud or VPC. Priced as a subscription add-on. Target customers are mid-market and enterprise organizations with existing infrastructure and compliance constraints.
- MCP Authentication First-class Model Context Protocol (MCP) server authentication with OAuth 2.1 flows, dynamic client registration, custom scopes, and token revocation. Enables AI-native companies to securely onboard both humans and AI agents (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini) to their products. Includes organization-level permissions via MCP Organization Scopes and an MCP Server for migrating from Clerk and Auth0. Target customers are AI-native companies and B2B SaaS platforms exposing tools to AI assistants.
Quantifiable outcome
- Scaled to 1,500 organizations in 4 months without authentication issues
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use PropelAuth
Customer profileNamed customers28 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
PropelAuth technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration16 records
AI capability2 records
Feature8 records
PropelAuth partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- HubSpotsupportingIntegration partnership allowing automatic user sync from PropelAuth auth layer to HubSpot CRM. Connects authentication and user management data with customer relationship management.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
PropelAuth competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Auth0 (Okta): Acquired by Okta for $6.5B, Auth0 is the dominant B2B authentication platform with extensive SSO, OIDC, SCIM, MFA, and RBAC capabilities. PropelAuth explicitly positions against Auth0 on price and B2B focus, and lists Auth0 in its comparison pages.
- Firebase Authentication: Google-backed authentication service tightly integrated with Firebase and Google Cloud, supporting SSO, phone, password, and federated identity. Represents the bundled hyperscaler alternative for early-stage B2B SaaS buyers.
- AWS Cognito: Hyperscaler-managed identity service from AWS offering user pools, identity pools, and SSO for B2B and B2C apps. Cited as a competitive alternative in PropelAuth's BYO self-hosted migration flow, representing the bundled-incumbent threat.
Direct peers
- Descope: Drag-and-drop authentication and user management for B2B and B2C apps, with SSO, MFA, passwordless, and federation. Competes in the same modern developer-auth category as PropelAuth, including AI/agent use cases.
- Frontegg: Self-served user management platform for B2B SaaS with multi-tenancy, SSO, RBAC, MFA, and audit logs. Directly comparable on B2B-only positioning, org-first architecture, and pricing model.
- WorkOS: Enterprise-ready authentication platform purpose-built for B2B SaaS with enterprise SSO (SAML/OIDC), SCIM, directory sync, and audit logs. Closest direct competitor to PropelAuth in the B2B-only positioning and multi-tenant org model.
- Clerk: Developer-first authentication and user management platform targeting B2B and B2C SaaS, with strong React/Next.js SDKs, organizations, SSO, and a free tier. PropelAuth directly compares itself to Clerk on pricing and B2B specialization.
- Stytch: Developer-focused authentication and identity platform offering SSO, MFA, organizations, passwordless, and B2B auth primitives. Targets similar B2B SaaS developer buyer and overlaps heavily on SSO and org management.
Emerging players
- Supabase Auth: Open-source authentication layer of the Supabase backend platform with Row-Level Security, OAuth, and SSO. Comparable developer-led PLG motion and targets overlapping startup-to-mid-market SaaS customers.
- Magic (Magic Labs): Passwordless and wallet-based authentication SDK targeting Web3 and modern SaaS apps. Comparable developer-first, drop-in auth positioning though focused more on passwordless/web3 than enterprise SSO.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PropelAuth social profiles
Digital presencePropelAuth compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
PropelAuth financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PropelAuth leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
PropelAuth funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PropelAuth 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 PropelAuth
What does PropelAuth do?
PropelAuth provides a full-service B2B authentication platform delivered either as a fully managed cloud service or a self-hosted "Bring-Your-Own" (BYO) deployment. The product bundles multi-tenant organization management, role-based access control, enterprise SSO (SAML/OIDC), SCIM provisioning, user impersonation with audit trails, API key authentication, and MCP server authentication (OAuth 2.1) for AI-native companies into a single integrated offering. Idiomatic client libraries are provided for major backend and frontend frameworks, and the platform is SOC2 Type 2 certified.
Is PropelAuth a public or private company?
PropelAuth is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was PropelAuth founded?
PropelAuth was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is PropelAuth based?
PropelAuth is headquartered in Redwood City, United States, in the North America region.
How does PropelAuth make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Subscription - Cloud is the primary driver. The others are bring-Your-Own (BYO) - Self-Hosted.
Who are PropelAuth's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Auth0 (Okta), Firebase Authentication and AWS Cognito. Direct peers are Descope, Frontegg, WorkOS, Clerk and Stytch. Emerging players are Supabase Auth and Magic (Magic Labs).
Does PropelAuth have an API?
Yes. PropelAuth provides a REST API with client libraries for authentication and user management. Features include backend and frontend libraries, API key validation, OAuth 2.1 flows, dynamic client registration, custom scopes, and token revocation. Supports user management, organization management, RBAC, and impersonation. Developer documentation is at docs.propelauth.com.
What industry is PropelAuth in?
PropelAuth's product category is Identity and Access Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEAJAB, Single Sign-On (SSO) & Federation (SAML/OIDC, Identity Providers), with a secondary code of BPAMAEAF, Single Sign-On (SSO) & Federation. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.