embedded-payroll
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Zeal Found the Payroll Problem Hiding Inside the Shift
The founders went looking for a way to pay a fast-moving W-2 workforce and found a hole in the software stack. Now Zeal sells the plumbing to the platforms with the same problem.
The Company You Never See on Payday
Worklio lets payroll companies and software platforms put their own name on the pay run. Its wager is that the least visible company in the transaction can be the one doing the most consequential work.
The $40 Million Feature Hiding in Plain Sight
Salsa thinks the largest bill in a small business should live inside the software that already understands the business. Its trick is not making payroll disappear - it is deciding who should have to see the machinery.
Check
Check is a New York-based fintech that provides embedded payroll infrastructure, letting software platforms build and sell their own payroll product through a single API. It handles the hard parts - tax calculation, money movement, tax filing, and multi-state compliance - so vertical SaaS, HR, and workforce-management companies can offer payroll without becoming payroll experts. Backed by Stripe, Thrive, Bedrock and Index, Check powers payroll for platforms like Wave, Homebase, Housecall Pro and 7shifts.
Gusto
Gusto is a cloud-based payroll, benefits, and HR platform built for small and medium-sized businesses. Founded in 2011 as ZenPayroll by Josh Reeves, Tomer London, and Edward Kim, the company has grown to serve over 500,000 businesses and recently crossed $1 billion in annual revenue. Gusto handles everything from payroll runs and tax filings to health insurance, 401(k) plans, and employee onboarding - replacing what used to require a patchwork of accountants, brokers, and spreadsheets with a single platform. The company also offers Gusto Embedded, a payroll API that lets other software platforms build payroll directly into their products. Valued at roughly $9.5 billion, Gusto remains private and is widely considered a leading IPO candidate in the HR tech space.