lotanna-ezeike
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Lotanna Ezeike Is Turning Performance Into a Paycheck
A sprinter became a creator, a banker and a serial founder. Now, after four app exits and one public failure, Lotanna Ezeike is building Grade around a stubborn question: what if payroll paid for outcomes?
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.