# Grade (YC W26)

> Grade is a San Francisco fintech (YC Winter 2026) building an API and platform for performance-based payroll. Instead of paying by the hour, companies use Grade to pay creators, contractors, and AI agents based on results - tasks completed, targets hit, work delivered - while Grade automatically tracks performance, calculates payouts, and handles KYC, tax forms (including DAC7), invoicing, and global payments across 190+ countries. Founded by repeat founders Lotanna Ezeike (ex-Barclays, ex-XPO) and James Heaney, the company reports $10M+ paid out and named customers including Astra AI, Valid, and Hayai Learn.

- **Founded:** 2025
- **Headquarters:** San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founders:** Lotanna Ezeike (Co-Founder & CEO), James Heaney (Co-Founder & CTO)
- **Team size:** 2-5
- **Products:** Grade Payouts Platform, Performance-Based Payroll API, Compliance & Tax Automation, Earnings Tracking
- **Notable:** Accepted into Y Combinator's Winter 2026 batch, Reported $10M+ in total payouts processed, Live customers with named logos and testimonials (Astra AI, Valid, Hayai Learn)

## Products & services

- **Grade Payouts Platform** — A dashboard and workflow to pay creators and contractors globally with flexible rules (flat fee, performance-based, or hybrid), bulk approvals, and payments via bank transfer, PayPal, Wise, Payoneer, and Airtm.
- **Performance-Based Payroll API** — An API-first integration that lets companies programmatically set payment rules, track performance metrics, calculate payouts, and pay workers or AI agents based on tasks completed and targets hit.
- **Compliance & Tax Automation** — Automated KYC verification, tax form collection, DAC7 and GDPR compliance, and consolidated invoicing so companies get one invoice instead of chasing paperwork across contractors.
- **Earnings Tracking** — Real-time tracking of creator/contractor earnings across platforms, with free tracking and no monthly fees.

## Achievements

- Accepted into Y Combinator's Winter 2026 batch
- Reported $10M+ in total payouts processed
- Live customers with named logos and testimonials (Astra AI, Valid, Hayai Learn)
- $380k+ in creator payouts processed in a 30-day window at launch with 120% month-over-month growth
- Supports payouts across 190+ countries
- 790+ creators paid through the platform

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — Grade joins Y Combinator's Winter 2026 batch and publicly launches its performance-based payroll platform.
- **2026-01** — Reports $380k+ in creator payouts in the prior 30 days with 120% month-over-month growth.

## Links

- Website: https://usegrade.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/usegrade
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/usegrade
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR_zFsu8kYY

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/grade-yc-w26
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-31