Cleva
YC W24Lagos, NG · Founded 2023 · 30 employees · 6 known investors
Cleva provides USD accounts and virtual USD cards for receiving international payments, with features including ACH/wire transfers, currency conversion, rewards programs, and point redemptions. The platform serves freelancers, remote workers, and small businesses seeking to receive payments from global clients and employers.
Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (W24)
Cleva was founded in 2023 by Tolu Alabi, Philip Abel, and Philip Adama Abel.
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Tolu Alabiin𝕏Co-Founder & CEOTolu Alabi previously led product management at Stripe, where she worked on issuing and banking products, and at Amazon, where she managed initiatives across logistics and augmented reality. She holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a B.A. in Computer Science and Mathematics from Grinnell College.
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Philip AbelinCo-founder & CTOPhilip Abel worked on infrastructure and services at AWS, Twilio, and Akamai Technologies. He holds degrees in computer science and engineering from MIT and Georgia Tech.
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Philip Adama AbelFounder
Investors · 6
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements$1.5M disclosed across 1 round · 2024
- $1.5Mpre-seedJan 2024 · 3 sourcesSource ↗
Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.
Competitors · 4
by search overlapWise65 shared keywordsWise is a financial platform offering international money transfers, multi-currency accounts, and debit cards with low fees and competitive exchange rates, serving millions of users globally.
Chase38 shared keywordsA wealth management and investing service (J.P. Morgan Wealth Management via Chase) offering self-directed brokerage accounts with commission-free online trades as well as one-on-one advisor services, financial planning tools, and retirement accounts. It serves individual retail investors ranging from beginners to experienced investors in the United States.
Grey35 shared keywordsGrey enables remote workers and freelancers to open foreign bank accounts and receive international payments in their local currency. The platform focuses on serving digital nomads and creators in developing economies with simplified cross-border payment solutions.
Remitly25 shared keywordsRemitly is an international money transfer service that enables customers to send money across borders to multiple countries.
Companies competing with Cleva for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.
In the news
Frequently asked questions
- What does Cleva do?
- Cleva provides USD accounts and virtual USD cards for receiving international payments, with features including ACH/wire transfers, currency conversion, rewards programs, and point redemptions. The platform serves freelancers, remote workers, and small businesses seeking to receive payments from global clients and employers.
- Who founded Cleva?
- Cleva was founded by Tolu Alabi, Philip Abel, Philip Adama Abel in 2023.
- Who are Cleva's investors?
- Cleva's investors include FirstCheck Africa, Newfund Capital, The Raba Partnership, Wayfinder Ventures, Y Combinator, Rainfall Ventures.
- How much funding has Cleva raised?
- Cleva has disclosed $1.5M raised across 1 round.
- Where is Cleva headquartered?
- Cleva is headquartered in Lagos, NG.






