In May, AI sales automation startup Clay said it was allowing most of its employees to sell some of their shares at a $1.5 billion valuation. The eight-year-old startup announced that its staff can sell stock at a valuation of $5 billion, a more than 60% increase from its $3.1 billion valuation announced in August. During the ZIRP era, a large portion of the secondary deals provided liquidity almost exclusively to founders of buzzy companies like Hopin. Techcrunch event TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026: Tickets Live On June 23 in Boston, more than 1,100 founders come together at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 for a full day focused on growth, execution, and real-world scaling. TechCrunch Founder Summit: Tickets Live On June 23 in Boston, more than 1,100 founders come together at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 for a full day focused on growth, execution, and real-world scaling.