Zeal offers a mobile-native, automated payroll platform built to handle the complexities of modern work arrangements for staffing companies, gig platforms, and HR service providers. Its product emphasizes flexibility and automation to reduce operational costs, ensure compliance across jurisdictions, and improve worker experiences. The company highlights features such as remote I-9 with E-Verify, customizable onboarding paperwork, benefits administration, a white-label mobile app, paycards and digital wallets, and earned wage access. With the new funding, Zeal plans to accelerate product innovation and expand capabilities that serve dynamic labor markets and modern workers. The announcement positions Zeal as focused on replacing manual payroll processes and supporting businesses that need adaptable payroll tooling. Zeal offers an API that enables customers to build bespoke payroll products, including the ability to pay workers daily, while taking on payroll liability and back-end payment logistics. Enterprises use Zeal to pay large volumes of workers and keep payment data on their native systems, while software platforms embed Zeal to sell payroll products to their customers. The co-founders—CEO Kirti Shenoy and CTO Pranab Krishnan—started the company as Puzzl in 2018 and went through Y Combinator’s 2019 cohort after pivoting from gig-payment processing. Zeal recently launched the Abacus gross-to-net calculator to help payroll companies remain tax-compliant amid frequent code changes. The company has $14.6 million in total funding after a $13 million Series A and plans to use the new capital to build the team and strengthen compliance capabilities. Zeal says it is starting to win more enterprise deals and is moving millions of dollars each day.

Total raised

$28M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series B

Latest activity

Oct 2024