We’re on a Mission to Help Founders Win: Andrew Curtis, CEO of Clearco

Clearco is a global financial technology company that provides non-dilutive capital to e-commerce businesses, allowing founders to scale without giving up equity. Founded by Michele Romanow and Andrew D’Souza, the company leverages data-driven insights to offer flexible financing options based on a business’s performance rather than traditional credit metrics. Focused on empowering entrepreneurs, Clearco enables fast access to capital through a revenue-sharing model, ensuring that repayment aligns with the growth and cash flow of the business. This innovative approach has made Clearco a vital resource for online businesses seeking to grow while maintaining control.

The company’s model operates on a unique basis that focuses on revenue-sharing agreements rather than requiring business owners to give up ownership stakes. Entrepreneurs repay the investment based on their future revenues, ensuring that repayment is directly aligned with their business performance. This creates a much more flexible arrangement compared to traditional loans or equity-based investments, where repayments are often fixed, regardless of how the business is performing. The flexibility inherent in this model allows founders to maintain control of their companies while still accessing the capital needed to grow.

Clearco offers funding based on data-driven decisions. Unlike traditional lenders, the company doesn’t rely on credit scores or personal guarantees to determine eligibility for funding. Instead, the decision is based on the business’s revenue, sales performance, and other key data points. This data-centric approach ensures that businesses with strong fundamentals can access the capital needed to scale, even if they don’t have the assets or personal financial history that traditional lenders require. By relying on data rather than personal creditworthiness, Clearco opens the door to a wider range of businesses, particularly in the e-commerce space, where traditional funding models may not always be suitable.

The application process is straightforward. Business owners simply connect their sales and marketing platforms to Clearco’s system, allowing the company to assess the health of the business. Once approved, the business can access capital quickly, often within days. The speed of the process is another aspect that sets Clearco apart. Traditional bank loans can take weeks or months to process, often leaving business owners in a bind when they need funds immediately. Clearco’s streamlined process provides much-needed liquidity in a short amount of time, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on growing their business rather than worrying about funding.

The company’s funding model is also scalable. As businesses grow and generate more revenue, they can access additional rounds of funding. This ensures that businesses can continue to grow without the constant worry of hitting a funding ceiling. Clearco’s ability to provide ongoing support allows businesses to manage cash flow more effectively and invest in the areas that will drive the most growth. Whether it’s scaling marketing efforts, launching new products, or expanding into new markets, the company provides the necessary capital to keep momentum going.

One of the most appealing aspects of Clearco’s model is its focus on empowering entrepreneurs to maintain control over their businesses. Many founders face the difficult decision of whether to seek venture capital funding, which often comes with significant strings attached. In exchange for capital, founders may have to give up a portion of ownership and control. Clearco offers a solution that allows founders to retain full control while still getting the capital they need to grow. This is particularly appealing for entrepreneurs who want to build long-term businesses without the pressure of outside investors dictating their decisions.

Clearco’s impact is particularly significant in the e-commerce industry, where businesses often face high upfront costs for inventory, marketing, and logistics. Access to capital can be the difference between success and failure for these companies. Many e-commerce businesses operate on thin margins and rely on fast growth to stay competitive. Clearco provides a way for these businesses to fuel that growth without the burden of traditional debt. The flexibility of the revenue-sharing model means that repayments are manageable even when the business experiences fluctuations in revenue, which is common in the fast-paced e-commerce world.

The company’s global reach has also expanded significantly in recent years. While Clearco initially focused on the North American market, it has since expanded to Europe, Australia, and other regions. This expansion allows the company to serve a broader range of businesses and tap into new markets that are ripe for growth. E-commerce is a global industry, and Clearco’s ability to provide funding to businesses around the world positions the company as a key player in the future of online retail. By offering a universal solution that transcends geographic boundaries, the company continues to grow its influence on a global scale.

Clearco has also partnered with a range of other companies and platforms to provide additional value to its customers. These partnerships include integrations with major e-commerce platforms, marketing tools, and financial services providers. By partnering with these companies, Clearco ensures that business owners have access to the resources they need to succeed beyond just funding. These partnerships help entrepreneurs optimize their operations, scale more effectively, and achieve better results. The company's holistic approach goes beyond providing capital; it focuses on ensuring that businesses have the tools and support necessary to thrive in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

One of the company’s most significant innovations is its focus on underrepresented founders. Historically, women and minority-owned businesses have faced greater barriers to accessing capital. Clearco is actively working to change that by ensuring that funding decisions are based on data, not bias. This approach has led to significant funding going to businesses that may have been overlooked by traditional investors. By providing funding to a more diverse range of founders, Clearco is helping to create a more equitable business environment where success is determined by the quality of the business, not the background of the founder.

Clearco has had a particularly strong impact on women entrepreneurs. Research shows that women receive a small fraction of venture capital funding compared to men, despite running highly successful businesses. Clearco’s focus on data-driven funding levels the playing field and ensures that female founders have the same opportunities to access capital as their male counterparts. The company has become a key player in addressing this gap and empowering women to scale their businesses on their terms. The company’s approach has been widely recognized for its role in driving change within the broader startup ecosystem.

As the e-commerce industry continues to evolve, Clearco remains well-positioned to meet the growing demand for flexible financing solutions. The company’s revenue-sharing model aligns directly with the needs of modern businesses that require agility and scalability. With traditional funding sources often lagging behind the pace of e-commerce growth, Clearco provides a much-needed alternative that allows businesses to thrive in today’s fast-paced market. The company’s ability to provide fast, flexible funding has made it a go-to resource for e-commerce businesses looking to scale without sacrificing control.

Clearco’s success also highlights the changing landscape of business financing. As more companies embrace digital-first strategies, the need for traditional brick-and-mortar financing models continues to diminish. Clearco represents a new way of thinking about capital and business growth, one that prioritizes flexibility, speed, and data-driven decision-making. This model is particularly well-suited to the needs of modern entrepreneurs who value control, transparency, and results. Clearco’s innovative approach has disrupted the traditional financing model and introduced a more dynamic way of supporting growing businesses.

The company’s rapid growth and global expansion have solidified its position as a leader in the alternative financing space. However, Clearco’s success is not just about providing capital; it’s about empowering entrepreneurs to make decisions that benefit their businesses in the long term. By removing the traditional barriers to financing, Clearco has opened the door for a new generation of business owners to achieve success on their own terms. The company’s impact extends beyond just the businesses it funds; it is helping to shape the future of entrepreneurship by offering a more inclusive and accessible path to growth.

Clearco’s ability to adapt to the changing needs of its customers has been a key factor in its continued success. The company is constantly innovating and refining its offerings to ensure that it meets the needs of today’s entrepreneurs. This commitment to continuous improvement has allowed Clearco to stay ahead of the curve and remain a trusted partner for businesses looking to scale. Whether through its expanding global reach, its partnerships with other platforms, or its focus on underrepresented founders, the company continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in the world of business financing.

Simply put, Clearco represents a new wave of innovation in the financing space, one that is built around the needs of modern entrepreneurs. By offering flexible, data-driven funding solutions, the company has transformed how businesses access the capital they need to grow. With a focus on empowerment, control, and flexibility, Clearco provides a viable alternative to traditional funding models that often come with significant trade-offs. As the company continues to expand its reach and impact, it remains a driving force in shaping the future of business financing for the better.

Andrew Curtis, CEO, Clearco

Almost a decade ago, Clearco was founded to make it easier for entrepreneurs to grow their business without giving up equity or pledging collateral. What began as the “20 Minute Term Sheet” has evolved into something much more revolutionary and sophisticated: growth capital to scale any ecommerce business.