September 17, 2024

Stride Funding, Now Clasp, Closes More Than $10 Million Oversubscribed Venture Round Led by Crosslink Capital

Clasp aims to innovatively tackle workforce shortages, student debt, and talent retention

BOSTONSept. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Stride Funding, now rebranded as Clasp, has closed an oversubscribed venture round of more than $10 million led by $4.6 billion venture firm Crosslink Capital, bringing its total funding to over $30 million. Other new strategic investors include SHRM and individuals like Marc Weill whose family is known for their contributions to leading healthcare institutions.

Clasp’s retention-driven recruitment platform addresses talent shortages by helping employers recruit and retain critical talent in hard-to-hire fields, with a focus on reducing student debt and fostering long-term commitments between employers and employees. The rebrand reflects Clasp’s evolving mission to solve recruitment and retention challenges through a forward-looking approach that benefits both sides of the employment equation.

Supporting more than 10,000 individuals on its platform, Clasp is currently focused on the healthcare industry with partnerships with healthcare systems ranging from academic, pediatric, home health, optometry, and veterinary organizations. Clasp also works with one of the largest semiconductor companies and has plans to expand into other hard-to-hire industries as the company grows.

According to the American Hospital Association, by 2026, the U.S. will need to hire an additional 3.2 million new healthcare workers to meet growing demand and support patients. Clasp’s innovative model addresses this issue by forming strong, lasting bonds between employers and employees. Clasp widens candidate pools across a national network of universities and training programs, matching current students with healthcare institutions that commit to repaying their student loans across a multi-year work commitment. Read rest here