645 Ventures led the Series A alongside prior leads FirstMark Capital and Fika Ventures

Clerq, the next-generation payments platform for high-ticket transactions, today announced that it has secured $21 million in capital to power the future of payments. The funding includes a $12 million Series A round led by 645 Ventures, with participation from existing investors FirstMark Capital, Fika Ventures, Commerce Ventures, and Dash Fund. The Series A also included new strategic participation from Friedkin and Yossi Levi, founder of Car Dealership Guy.

Clerq has experienced rapid growth and intense demand for its payments platform in high-ticket industries that have historically been underserved by card-first incumbents. The company is revolutionizing the checkout experience in these verticals, replacing outdated manual payment methods like checks and wires with fast and easy account-to-account payments. Over the 12 months prior to this funding, Clerq achieved 6x revenue growth, highlighting the significant demand for its solution in the market.

Over the past decade, high-ticket verticals have been left behind by the digitization that has occurred within card-centric payment infrastructure. These verticals – which represent a multi-trillion dollar swath of the U.S. economy – continue to rely on clunky, legacy payment methods. While lower cost than card, these payment options expose merchants to unnecessary risk and create significant friction for customers.

Clerq is filling that gap by providing a modern solution that drives conversion – without forcing customers to bear hefty card surcharges or requiring merchants to sacrifice margins and take on payment risk. The platform already processes hundreds of millions of dollars in payment volume for Fortune 500 retailers, major online marketplaces, and other leading enterprises within automotive, powersports, home & office and other high-ticket verticals.

“Clerq has helped our dealerships provide a smooth, modern checkout experience for our customers, avoiding clunky payment methods like checks, without incurring expensive card fees,” said Josh Holm, Chief Financial Officer of Friedkin Automotive. “The company’s solution is unique in the market, and we jumped at the opportunity to join the funding round.”

The Series A will support Clerq’s continued investment in expanding product capabilities and addressing additional verticals – strengthening the company’s position as a driving force behind the adoption of account-to-account payments in the U.S.

“At 645, we invest in founders who have purity of motivation and deep insights into their customers and markets,” said Nnamdi Okike, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of 645 Ventures. “While many companies aim to introduce new payment methods into existing industries, often unsuccessfully, Truett and Ben developed a deep understanding of the payment challenges of automotive dealerships and developed a product that has been a game-changer for both dealers and their end customers. We’re excited to partner with them as they scale this platform within the automotive industry and into new industries, driving meaningful account share and creating significant value for their customers.”

About Clerq

Clerq is a financial technology startup based in New York City. The company’s next generation payments platform delivers a seamless checkout experience for high-ticket transactions. Leveraging modern bank rails, the platform offers the conversion and UX benefits of cards with risk and money movement infrastructure purpose-built for large purchases. Clerq replaces outdated manual payment methods like cash, checks and wires and expensive card surcharges with a smooth, integrated solution that helps merchants convert more customers without sacrificing margins. Learn more at clerq.io.

About 645 Ventures

645 Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that partners with exceptional founders building iconic companies. The firm invests at the Seed and Series A stages and supports founders through its proprietary software platform Voyager and deep Connected Network. 645 Ventures manages over $550M in AUM across five funds. Learn more at www.645ventures.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251023539414/en/