Clever
Clever is an identity and access management platform for K-12 education, providing SSO, automated rostering, and MFA to 110,000+ schools across 60+ countries and 1,250+ edtech application partners, used by 29.3 million students and teachers monthly.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Clever does
Clever is an identity and access management platform purpose-built for K-12 education, serving approximately 110,000 schools across 60+ countries and used by 29.3 million monthly active students and teachers. The platform provides single sign-on (SSO), automated student rostering from school information systems (SIS), multi-factor authentication, and identity management, connecting schools to a network of 1,250+ educational application partners including Google Classroom (exclusive rostering partner), McGraw Hill, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Canvas, and Schoology. Underlying technology includes a REST API (v3) supporting 100+ SIS systems, international MIS integrations, and open standards including 1EdTech OneRoster and OAuth 2.0, with proprietary innovations like Clever Badges (QR-code login) and Classroom MFA designed for K-12 environments without requiring cell phones.
Clever operates a two-sided, freemium business model. Core SSO, rostering, and portal access are provided free to schools, subsidized by application developer subscription fees for Secure Sync, LMS Connect, and SSO integration access, plus Clever Complete for unified partner integrations. Premium tiers (Protect Plus and Elevate) provide layered identity and access management, advanced analytics, custom-branded Guardian Portal, and priority support to districts with advanced security needs. Additional revenue comes from professional services including live training ($500/session), technical consulting ($1,200/engagement), and premium 24/7 support (from $4,000/year). Founded in 2012, Clever was acquired by Kahoot! for $500 million in 2023 and continues to operate as a product brand within Kahoot!'s portfolio, with recent product expansions including Clever Complete, AnySchool, and enhanced RBAC launched in October 2025.
Clever firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Clever
- Legal name
- Clever Inc.
- Website
- https://clever.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Clever is an identity and access management platform for K-12 education, providing SSO, automated rostering, and MFA to 110,000+ schools across 60+ countries and 1,250+ edtech application partners, used by 29.3 million students and teachers monthly.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Clever industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Education Identity Platform
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- School IT Infrastructure & Cybersecurity for K–12 (Network, Identity, SSO) (EDAJAMAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Parent/Student Portals, Communications & Consent Management (EDAFAEAK)
Keywords
Where Clever is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Clever business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Application Partner Subscriptions: Edtech application developers and curriculum publishers pay for access to Clever's rostering and SSO infrastructure. Over 1,250 application partners pay for Secure Sync, LMS Connect, and SSO integrations. This is the primary revenue driver that subsidizes free access for schools.
- Premium Tier Upgrades: Schools pay for Protect Plus (layered identity and access management), Elevate (enhanced security with priority support and consulting), and Premium Support tiers. Live training sessions and technical consulting engagements also generate revenue.
- Professional Services: Revenue from live training sessions ($500/session), technical consulting engagements ($1,200/engagement), and premium 24/7 support contracts (from $4,000/year).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free tier with core SSO, rostering, and portal access for schools |
| Subscription | Annual | Protect Plus - Layered identity and access management security |
| Subscription | Annual | Elevate - Enhanced security with priority support and expert guidance |
| Unit Pricing | Per session | Live Training - Virtual professional development with Clever experts |
| Unit Pricing | Per engagement | Technical Consulting - Hands-on implementation coaching |
| Subscription | Annual | Premium Support - 24/7 emergency support and dedicated service |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Clever product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Clever provides an identity and access management platform purpose-built for K-12 education, connecting school information systems to educational applications through automated rostering, single sign-on, badge-based authentication, and identity security modules. The core platform serves 110,000+ schools across 60+ countries, with 1,250+ edtech application developers paying subscription fees for integration access while schools receive free core SSO and rostering.
Product overview
Clever is an identity platform for education that provides a unified system for K-12 schools and application partners. The platform consists of core products including Secure Sync Rostering, Single Sign-On (SSO), Clever Badges, and Clever Portal for managing digital access. Add-on security modules include Clever IDM for automated identity management and password provisioning, Classroom MFA for multi-factor authentication, and Secure Password Management Suite. For application partners, Clever Complete offers a unified integration platform combining rostering, LMS Connect, and AnySchool capabilities. The platform is designed specifically for education with age-appropriate security features and is available globally through Clever Global with regional compliance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Clever Badges: A secure badge-based login system enabling instant, password-free device and application access for students using QR-code style badge scans.
- Clever IDM
- Classroom MFA
- Clever Secure Sync
- Clever Portal
- Clever Library
- Clever Complete
- Clever LMS Connect
- Clever Academy
Products and services
- Clever Platform Unified identity platform for education that connects K-12 schools to educational applications through automated rostering, single sign-on, and security services. Built for school administrators, IT staff, teachers, and edtech application developers.
- Secure Sync Rostering Automated rostering solution that connects school information systems to learning applications in real time, eliminating manual CSV processing and reducing data errors. Built for K-12 schools and edtech application developers.
- Clever Single Sign-On Single sign-on service allowing students, teachers, and staff to access all educational applications through one set of credentials with personalized portals showing only relevant resources.
- Clever Badges QR-code based authentication system that enables students to log in by scanning a badge, eliminating the need for young students to type passwords. Compatible with Chromebooks, iOS, Android, and Windows.
- Clever IDM (Identity Management) Identity management solution providing automated account provisioning, group membership management, and password management synced from SIS and HRIS data to Google Workspace, Active Directory, and Entra ID. Designed for K-12 IT administrators.
- Classroom MFA Multi-factor authentication solution built specifically for K-12 classrooms, using login pictures, 6-digit PINs, or Clever Badges as second factors. Protects Clever, Google, and Entra ID accounts without requiring cell phones.
- Clever Analytics Edtech engagement analytics providing dashboards tracking login frequency, active minutes per student, and application usage across thousands of resources. Available to schools at no charge.
- Clever Complete Unified integration platform for application partners combining Secure Sync Rostering, Clever LMS Connect, SSO, and AnySchool capabilities. Connects edtech applications to all school systems globally through one integration.
- Clever LMS Connect LMS integration enabling rostering, assignment creation, and gradebook sync with Canvas, Schoology, and Google Classroom for edtech application partners.
- Clever Library Application discovery and catalog service for teachers to find and instantly create rostered class accounts for free and freemium educational applications, organized by subject and grade level.
- Clever Global
Quantifiable outcome
- 77% of US K-12 schools use Clever
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Clever
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Clever technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration18 records
AI capability3 records
Feature8 records
Clever partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Google ClassroomflagshipClever is the exclusive rostering partner for Google Classroom. Automatically creates and manages classroom rosters at scale by syncing from any SIS. Available at no additional cost for districts using Google Workspace for Education Standard or Plus in US and Canada.
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH)corePartnership enables digital learning with HMH applications through Clever. Supports rostering for HMH Ed, ThinkCentral, MyHRW, and NWEA MAP Growth. Joint onboarding guides and support resources available.
- McGraw HillcoreExpanded partnership simplifies digital learning for students. Supports SSO and rostering for McGraw Hill products including migration of Achieve3000 and Actively Learn to McGraw Hill platform for 2025-26 school year.
- ProdigycoreProdigy and Clever partnership enables Secure Sync rostering and SSO. Prodigy provides free K-12 math and English practice. Scaled to 8,300+ districts in one year through partnership with Clever.
- Canva for EducationcoreCanva for Education integrated with Clever for rostering and SSO. Canva reached 1.7 million students in its first year with Clever partnership. K12 U.S. Education team uses Clever to expand reach.
- Khan AcademycoreKhan Academy uses Clever LMS Connect for rostering and SSO. Scaled integrations beyond US to reach 1.75M students in Brazil using Layers integration powered by Clever.
- Canvas (by Instructure)coreLMS integrated through Clever LMS Connect for gradebook and assignment syncs. Teachers and students can launch apps directly from Canvas assignments.
- Schoology (by PowerSchool)coreLMS integrated through Clever LMS Connect. Part of unified platform allowing single integration for multiple LMS systems.
- InnovateEDUminorFeatured at NEXT@Clever event. CEO Erin Mote advocates for secure and seamless data exchange across education systems.
- IDEA Public SchoolsminorFeatured at NEXT@Clever event. Director of Instructional Technology discusses overcoming technical barriers for teacher adoption.
- ArborcoreUK MIS system integrated with Clever for automated provisioning for edtech applications. Enables trusts to connect their Arbor instance for single dashboard management.
- GetechminorUK regional partner providing local Clever implementation and support for schools in their territory.
- C-LearningminorUK regional partner offering Clever solutions to schools in their market.
- WriggleminorUK regional partner for Clever Global, providing localized sales and implementation services.
- NetstrategyminorAustralia regional partner helping schools simplify digital learning through Clever implementation.
- CyberlinxminorAustralia/New Zealand regional partner for Clever Global with focus on cybersecurity and digital learning.
- FCC Cybersecurity Pilot ProgramflagshipClever's Identity and Access Management solutions are pre-approved and eligible for FCC funding under Category 3: Identity Protection and Authentication. Simplifies grant application process for schools.
- Project UnicornminorClever is a signatory and contributing member of Project Unicorn, committed to interoperability and open education data standards.
- IMS Global Learning ConsortiumminorClever is a contributing member, supporting open standards including 1EdTech OneRoster and OAuth 2.0 for seamless interoperability.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Clever competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ClassLink: ClassLink is the most direct competitor to Clever, offering K-12-focused single sign-on, rostering, and identity management that connects schools to educational applications. It competes head-to-head with Clever's Secure Sync and SSO offerings and is explicitly referenced as an alternative integration target in Clever's AnySchool flow.
- Identity Automation: Identity Automation provides identity and access management purpose-built for K-12 and higher education, including automated provisioning, SSO, and rostering. It competes most directly with Clever IDM and Classroom MFA in the premium identity/security tier.
Broad incumbents
- Microsoft (Entra ID / Education): Microsoft's Entra ID (formerly Azure Active Directory) underpins identity for many schools alongside Microsoft 365 Education. While not K-12-specialized, it competes at the infrastructure layer with Clever IDM and is integrated into Clever's provisioning and MFA flows.
- Google for Education: Google Workspace for Education and Google Classroom are deeply embedded in K-12. While Clever is the exclusive rostering partner for Google Classroom, Google represents both Clever's largest distribution channel and a latent platform risk if Google deepens native identity features.
- Okta: Okta is a broad enterprise identity platform used by some districts and many edtech vendors for SSO and identity governance. It overlaps with Clever's SSO and IDM capabilities but lacks Clever's K-12-specialized features such as Clever Badges and SIS-specific integrations.
Emerging players
- PowerSchool: PowerSchool is the leading K-12 SIS and now owns Schoology LMS, positioning it as an emerging identity-adjacent player. PowerSchool's SIS and LMS footprint overlaps with Clever's data layer and could evolve into a more direct identity competitor through bundled offerings.
- Instructure (Canvas): Instructure's Canvas LMS is one of Clever's LMS Connect integration partners today, but as the leading K-12 LMS it represents an emerging competitive vector if Canvas deepens native rostering, SSO, and identity features that bypass Clever.
- Securly: Securly is a K-12 student safety and cybersecurity vendor with overlapping identity, filtering, and monitoring capabilities. It competes with Clever's Classroom MFA and premium security modules in the district cybersecurity buying motion.
- Lightspeed Systems: Lightspeed Systems provides K-12 device management, filtering, and identity-aware security for schools. It overlaps with Clever's identity and access management stack in the broader K-12 cybersecurity category.
Others
- Khan Academy: Khan Academy is a major Clever application partner using LMS Connect for rostering and SSO, with notable international scale via Clever-powered integrations (e.g., 1.75M students in Brazil). It is comparable as a flagship downstream consumer of Clever's identity platform rather than a competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Clever social profiles
Digital presenceClever compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
Clever financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clever leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Clever funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors18 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Clever 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 Clever
What does Clever do?
Clever provides an identity and access management platform purpose-built for K-12 education, connecting school information systems to educational applications through automated rostering, single sign-on, badge-based authentication, and identity security modules. The core platform serves 110,000+ schools across 60+ countries, with 1,250+ edtech application developers paying subscription fees for integration access while schools receive free core SSO and rostering.
Is Clever a public or private company?
Clever is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Clever founded?
Clever was founded in 2012. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Clever based?
Clever is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Clever make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Application Partner Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are premium Tier Upgrades and professional Services.
Who are Clever's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ClassLink and Identity Automation. Broad incumbents are Microsoft (Entra ID / Education), Google for Education and Okta. Emerging players are PowerSchool, Instructure (Canvas), Securly and Lightspeed Systems. Khan Academy is listed as an others.
Does Clever have an API?
Yes. Clever offers a REST API (v3) that enables application developers to integrate with schools for rostering, single sign-on, and LMS connections. The API connects to all Student Information Systems (SISs), supports 1EdTech OneRoster®, and OAuth 2.0 authentication. Supports open standards for interoperability. Developer documentation available at dev.clever.com. Developer documentation is at dev.clever.com.
What industry is Clever in?
Clever's product category is K-12 Education Identity Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAMAM, School IT Infrastructure & Cybersecurity for K–12 (Network, Identity, SSO), with a secondary code of EDAFAEAK, Parent/Student Portals, Communications & Consent Management. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 7372.