Today we announced an incredible milestone in Employment Hero’s history. We have officially surpassed $250M in annual recurring revenue and—we’re proud to say—we are now profitable!
A huge thank you to our customers, our Heroes and our partners—this milestone is yours as much as it is ours.
It got me reflecting on the journey so far and how scaling a company globally has taught me invaluable lessons:
Solve Real Problems at Scale – True product-market fit is the key to lasting growth. We recognised early on that employment is difficult, complex, and time-consuming—especially for small and medium-sized businesses. This is a massive global problem, and we knew we could do a lot of good by solving it. Employment Hero was built to simplify employment, removing barriers and inefficiencies so businesses can focus on what truly matters: growth and success.
Think Global from Day One – If your solution works in one market, it can work worldwide. Employment Hero started in Australia but was built with global scalability in mind, enabling rapid international expansion. Our Series A deck laid out our plan to expand from Australia into New Zealand, the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, and Canada. We are proud to say that with the acquisition of Humi in Canada, we have achieved this vision, reinforcing our belief in thinking global from the outset.
Your People Are Everything – Build a team that believes in the mission. Hiring the right people and fostering a strong culture of innovation and accountability is critical to long-term success. Passing through each major growth milestone requires building a team with the skills and experience needed to overcome new challenges and complexities. We are always recruiting and building the best possible team for the future, ensuring that we are equipped to navigate the evolving needs of our business and customers.
AI & Automation Drive Efficiency – Investing in scalable technology accelerates success. AI gives everyone a superpower—the ability to research and understand complex problems from first principles, allowing for more effective and innovative solutions than ever before. Employment Hero's use of AI in payroll and recruitment has helped businesses streamline operations and improve accuracy. At this stage, failing to leverage intelligence and automation is unacceptable; businesses that embrace AI will have a significant competitive advantage in efficiency, decision-making, and long-term growth.
Stay Relentlessly Customer-Focused – The best innovations come from listening to your users. At Employment Hero, we are obsessed with understanding every aspect of employment from first principles so we can reimagine how employment can be managed more easily. Everything we do is focused on making our customers feel proud about being employers and more confident in offering employment and growing their business. Employment Hero’s top feature updates have come from direct customer feedback, ensuring we solve real problems and continue to create value for businesses worldwide.
Strategic Acquisitions Can Supercharge Growth – Expanding into new markets can be accelerated through acquisitions, as seen in our recent entry into Canada via the acquisition of Humi. Over the years, we have successfully acquired KeyPay, Employment Innovations, and Humi—each acquisition strengthening our platform and unlocking more value for our customers. These businesses were built by visionary founders and leaders who shared our mission, and we are proud to continue their legacy by integrating their innovations into Employment Hero. By bringing together the best solutions and expertise, we ensure that our customers have access to the most comprehensive and effective employment management tools available.
Innovation is a Continuous Process – Launching 900 product updates in a year is a testament to the need for ongoing product iteration and development to stay ahead of the competition. Learning and innovation never stop. I have spent every day for decades trying to learn as much as I possibly can about business and technology so that I can find new and better ways to help our clients employ people more easily. Continuous learning is the foundation of progress, and by applying first-principles thinking, we can constantly improve how employment is managed, making it simpler, more efficient, and more rewarding for everyone involved.
Resilience is Key to Scaling – Growth comes with challenges; whether it’s regulatory hurdles, market shifts, or economic downturns, staying adaptable and resilient is essential. We have navigated major transformations, including becoming a "remote-first" business during COVID, adapting to new competitors, and learning from my own missteps along the way. Every challenge has reinforced our ability to evolve, innovate, and strengthen our commitment to supporting businesses worldwide. The key to resilience is embracing change as an opportunity for growth rather than an obstacle.
Data-Driven Decision Making – Employment Hero’s insights from payroll and workforce analytics help businesses and policymakers make informed choices that benefit both companies and employees. Our unique approach to business planning has proven to be highly effective. We ask ourselves, "What’s the number one thing we can achieve in the next 90 days to accelerate our velocity towards our Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG)?" and then obsessively execute on that priority every day until it’s delivered. We repeat this process every 90 days without fail, and the compounding effects of this focus are extraordinary. This structured, data-driven approach ensures that every action we take moves us closer to achieving our long-term vision.
A Strong Mission Creates Long-Term Success – Our mission is to make employment easier and more valuable for everyone, and I am truly obsessed with this. We only want to employ people who are equally enthusiastic about our mission. In fact, the way we work, which we call The EH Way, states that we are: 1. Mission First, 2. Remote First, and 3. Apolitical. This approach keeps us laser-focused on our customers and our long-term success, ensuring that every decision we make aligns with our core purpose of improving employment for businesses and employees alike.
This is just the beginning. We’re more excited than ever about what’s next. Our employees and our customers are the real heroes behind Employment Hero, and we couldn’t have achieved this without you. We are immensely proud of our team and grateful to every business that has placed their trust in us. Thank you for being part of our journey—we can’t wait to build the future of employment together. Onward and upward!
