ZenBusiness

Last updated
ZenBusiness
Company typePublic-benefit corporation
IndustryFintech
Founded2015;10 years ago (2015)
Founders
  • Ross Buhrdorf
  • Shanaz Hemmati
Headquarters,
U.S.
Key people
Mark Cuban
Products
  • ZenBusiness Money
  • Velo
Website www.zenbusiness.com

ZenBusiness is an American software-as-a-service company that provides business formation and fintech services. [1] [2] It was founded in 2015 by Ross Buhrdorf and Shanaz Hemmati and is headquartered in Austin, Texas. [3] [4] It operates as a public-benefit corporation. [5]

Contents

History

ZenBusiness was founded in 2015 by Ross Buhrdorf and Shanaz Hemmati. [3] Before founding ZenBusiness, Buhrdorf served as the CTO of the vacation rental company HomeAway, which was eventually acquired by Expedia. [6] Hemmati also served as an executive at HomeAway before co-founding ZenBusiness with Buhrdorf. [7]

Initially, the company operated according to a product-led growth (PLG) strategy, offering some services for free. In 2018, ZenBusiness began offering the same services and SaaS simultaneously.

In 2020, ZenBusiness transitioned to an annual package-based model. In the same year, ZenBusiness acquired the digital banking platform Joust. [8] [9] The following year, ZenBusiness launched its own money management app, ZenBusiness Money. [10]

In 2022, ZenBusiness acquired the growth-engine platform Ureeka. [11]

ZenBusiness launched Velo, an AI agent and chatbot for automating business tasks, such as filing regulations, doing research, creating websites, and providing personalized advice, in 2025. [12]

Mark Cuban serves as an advisor, shareholder, and spokesperson for ZenBusiness. [12] [13]

References

  1. "ZenBusiness LLC and business formation review". CNBC. 2025-02-25. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  2. "How companies like ZenBusiness and Incfile help open up the US market". www.independent.com.mt. December 1, 2021. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  3. 1 2 "VCs and Austin Angel Investors Back ZenBusiness with $4.5M". www.bizjournals.com. February 26, 2018. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  4. Staff, American-Statesman (2019-09-25). "Austin's ZenBusiness raises $15 million for expansion". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  5. Buhrdorf, Ross (2025-02-22). "How ZenBusiness Skyrocketed from Startup to $80M ARR in 4 Years - Starter Story". www.starterstory.com. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  6. Hawkins, Lori (2013-09-04). "Austin startup puts tech-focused spin on rental property management". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  7. "Co-founder of $1.7 billion startup: Every entrepreneur needs these 2 skills to succeed". CNBC. 2025-10-10. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  8. "ZenBusiness acquires entrepreneur-focused challenger bank Joust | Banking Dive". www.bankingdive.com. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  9. "ZenBusiness buys Joust, challenger bank for freelancers". American Banker. 2020-07-30. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  10. "ZenBusiness launches money-management app | Payments Dive". www.paymentsdive.com. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  11. "ZenBusiness Completes the Acquisition of Ureeka". 2022-10-01. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  12. 1 2 "Exclusive: Mark Cuban says AI will be a baseline skill like email or Excel in 5 years and entrepreneurs should embrace it or get left behind". Fortune. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
  13. "Austin startup courts Texas billionaire and Shark Tank star as new spokesperson - CultureMap Austin". austin.culturemap.com. Retrieved 2025-11-23.