I’ve always loved following innovations in the payments space. It is the one fintech sub-sector that touches everyone– regardless of net worth, social standing, or geography. And when it comes to payments, there is plenty of room for disruption, especially in payroll.
In this month’s new startup showcase, I’m taking a closer look into Warp, which was launched earlier this year by Ayush Sharma. At its core, Warp is seeking to help founders run their startups by offering them a way to outsource payroll operations– and the headaches that go along with payments and tax compliance.
At the root of the problem Warp is trying to solve is the wide variety of tax laws, both across the globe and within the U.S. These laws make it difficult for founders to navigate payroll for their remote workforce, especially when employees are located across multiple U.S. states or international boundaries. Because each region has different tax laws, founders can spend hours navigating poorly designed government websites to ensure they are complying with local laws.
A 2023 Y Combinator alum, Warp currently offers full-service payroll for U.S. employees and files and pays all federal, state, and local taxes. The company also helps startups pay contract workers and generates 1099 end-of-year paperwork. For domestic payouts, Warp automates payroll registrations and monitors for compliance. Companies that need to send payment across international borders can use Warp to pay contractors in more than 150 countries, with tools that generate compliant contract agreements in seconds.
Beyond payments, the New York-based company even does some light lifting when it comes to HR tasks. The company’s technology provides healthcare options with automated payroll deductions, generates offer letters, onboards new employees, approves invoices and reimbursements, and helps startups track PTO and time submissions.
Warp offers three pricing options from $49 per month (plus $20 per person) to $99 per month (plus $35 per person). Among the company’s competitors are Gusto, Rippling, and Deel.
Warp has received a total of $2.7 million in funding. The company received $500k from Y Combinator and $2.2 million from Abstract Ventures, HOF Capital, Shrug Capital, and others.