AI startup Clipto raises $15 million at a $250 million valuation — TechCrunch
San Francisco-headquartered startup Clipto has raised $15 million in an equity financing round at a post-money valuation of $250 million. The company develops an artificial intelligence-based tool for searching videos, audio, images, meeting recordings and other files on a user’s device, TechCrunch reports.
Investors in the round include HSG, formerly known as Sequoia China, GL Ventures, EnvisionX Capital, Palm Drive Capital, as well as Hans Tung, Lu Zhang and 522 Ventures. The company plans to use the funds raised to develop AI models, computing infrastructure for operation on consumer hardware, and integrations with more AI agents.
File search by description
Clipto indexes files stored on a user’s computer. Instead of manually searching through folders, a user can describe the needed material in natural language or ask ChatGPT, Claude or other AI tools to find it in the indexed data.
The company was founded by Henry Kan in 2023 together with several members of his previous startup’s team. Initially, the product targeted video creators who needed to manage materials on computers and external drives. According to Kan, content creators now account for approximately one-quarter to one-third of the service’s users; other users include lawyers, doctors, researchers, marketers, human resources professionals, teachers and students.
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Revenue and local processing
According to Clipto, more than 30 million people have used its products since launch, while the number of paid subscribers amounts to hundreds of thousands. Kan said that at the beginning of 2026, the company reached $15 million in annual recurring revenue and is profitable on a net income basis. Clipto employs slightly more than 20 people in the San Francisco Bay Area, Hong Kong and Singapore.
About two weeks before the article was published, Clipto added support for the Model Context Protocol, a standard that allows AI applications to connect to external sources of information. According to Kan, access to indexed files is possible only upon an active request and with the user’s permission. An AI application can receive data only within the limits defined by the user, while processing takes place locally on the device without the need for cloud services.
Clipto competes with larger platforms: Adobe already offers AI search in Premiere, while Apple Photos and Google Photos allow users to find photos and videos using natural-language descriptions. The company expects to compete through search across video, audio, images and documents, as well as the ability to open selected data to tools such as ChatGPT and Claude.
