Originating from the Y-Combinator start-up accelerator program, Clever provides a standardized API platform for schools and tech developers. Consequently, unlike other data collaboratives, Clever is a for-profit company that emerged as people have identified the need for data and intelligence products to support schools and the public. School districts using Clever's services can access a single, universal API that allows developers and education companies to access previously siloed data within a school’s student information system. By streamlining student roster information from school databases, schools are enabled to send student information easily to various web and mobile apps. Administrators can also choose whether to share this student information with specific classes, the school, or the entire district. This means administrators maintain control over the data shared but can easily share student data if they so choose.