Kruze News

Startup CEO average salaries increase

The average startup CEO salary increased by more than 14% year-over-year, according to Kruze Consulting’s 2025 Startup CEO Salary Report. SaaStr founder Jason Lemkin reviews the 2025 report in his blog.

April 09, 2025

AI tools shift marketing spend

According to data from Kruze Consulting, outsourced marketing spending has dropped 85% since ChatGPT was launched, while spending on AI tools grew by 70% during the same period.

January 16, 2025

Startups are paying top talent more than CEOs

Seed-stage founders probably make less than other people on startup leadership teams, according to data from Kruze Consulting. Kruze reviewed salary data from more than 450 startups to provide a breakdown of starting salaries for early-stage companies.

December 13, 2024

Seed-stage salaries: What are startups paying?

According to data from Kruze Consulting, seed-stage startups pay CEOs an average of $132,000, but other executives earn even more. TC explains how Kruze’s data provides a breakdown of other starting salaries like engineering, sales, and marketing.

December 04, 2024

Kruze insights featured in FT article on startup failures

Financial Times turned to Kruze Consulting for expert analysis and data on the rising rate of startup failures. Our VP Healy Jones explained how the "crazy fundraising environment" of 2021-2022 misaligned incentives between VCs and founders - and how Kruze continues to guide startups through these challenging times with solid financial advice.

August 19, 2024

High-quality accounting helps startups get acquired

According to data from Carta and Kruze Consulting, Kruze clients incorporated in 2018 were more than twice as likely to be acquired, said CEO Vanessa Kruze. That suggests high-quality accounting and financial advice gives startups an edge both in successfully managing companies and navigating the acquisition process.

August 14, 2024

Pushback on feedback: Surveying customers

Sending out too many customer surveys can be counter-productive, Healy Jones, VP of financial strategy at Kruze Consulting, told Inc. While surveys are important sources of customer data, sending too many can affect the customer relationship.

July 29, 2024

AI boom spurs startup investment

Venture funding for AI startups is increasing, probably because AI requires significant computing resources. AI startups spent more than twice what non-AI software startups spent on computing resources in Q1 2024, according to Healy Jones, VP of financial strategy at Kruze Consulting, which specializes in AI startup accounting.

July 03, 2024

Kruze data on AI use cited in Newcomer

Tech giants and tech startups are vying for AI market share with different business strategies and revenue approaches, according to Newcomer. Data from Kruze Consulting shows that while OpenAI has a significant advantage in market share, the share of startups using more than one large language model (LLM) is increasing.

June 14, 2024

Startups are using multiple AI models

The use of more than one AI large language models (LLMs) has increased significantly among startups, according to an analysis by Kruze Consulting. While OpenAI is still the market leader, startups adopting that LLM have slowed, while the market share of other LLMs like Anthropic, Midjourney, and Cohere has grown.

June 04, 2024

Kruze VP quotes in article about neo-banks

Kruze VP of Financial Strategy was quoted in this TechCrunch article about neo-banks, and mentioned how the federal government should clarify how FDIC insurance works with neo-banks.

May 25, 2024

What’s an appropriate salary for a startup CEO?

For startups, an overly inflated CEO salary can be a problem. But not taking a salary puts incredible pressure on startup CEOs and founders, explained Healy Jones, VP of Finance at Kruze Consulting to American Inno. Kruze’s 2024 CEO salary analysis shows that, while CEO salaries are lower on average, fewer startup CEOs are taking no salary.

May 15, 2024

Kruze startup data referenced

TechCrunch cited Kruze’s startup banking market share data in a report on Mercury’s expansion into B2C banking. As quoted in TechCrunch, 40% of Kruze’s startup clients have an account with Mercury.

April 17, 2024

The gender gap in CEO pay continues

Female CEOs earn about 10% less than their male counterparts, according to Kruze Consulting’s latest Startup CEO Salary Report. Directors & Boards used information from the report to analyze the pay gap between female and male executives, and found that while overall pay has increased, compensation increases have not been equal.

June 24, 2024

Startups are more cautious with CEO salaries

With the venture capital bubble behind us, startup CEO salaries suggest that later-stage CEOs are prioritizing the startup’s health over their salaries. Kruze Consulting’s Startup CEO Salary Report for 2024 shows salaries for CEOs of Series B companies declined, while seed and Series A CEO salaries increased.

April 12, 2024

Startup CEO salaries reflect the funding landscape

The challenging funding environment in 2024 is affecting startup CEO salaries, Healy Jones, VP of Finance at Kruze Consulting, told Inc.com. Earlier-stage CEO salaries rose, probably due to the strength of seed and Series A startups. Salaries for CEOs at Series B startups dropped, possibly because those CEOs are trying to cut costs and preserve runways.

April 11, 2024

What tax changes will affect startups?

The tax deadline is near, and Kruze Consulting’s COO, Scott Orn, shared insights on tax changes with the Washington Post, based on Kruze’s expertise in taxes and the research and development credit. Starting in 2022, US companies have to “capitalize” R&D expenses over five years instead of deducting the full amount, which could mean a tax bill for some companies.

March 27, 2024

Startup banking has changed in the last year

The startup banking landscape has shifted in the year since the regional banking crisis, according to research from Kruze Consulting cited by the Axios Pro Rata newsletter. Startups now prefer multiple bank accounts, with no single bank holding more than 50% of startup deposits.

March 27, 2024

Tax changes startups need to know

Startups need to be aware of changes to the R&D tax credit, Kruze Consulting’s COO, Scott Orn, told AP News. Previously, startups could write off 100% of research and development expenses, but starting in 2022, US companies have to “capitalize” R&D expenses over five years, which could mean a tax bill for some companies.

March 27, 2024

Startups are spending more for ChatGPT

More startups than ever are subscribing to ChatGPT, Healy Jones, VP of Finance at Kruze Consulting, told Business Insider. More than 65% of Kruze’s 800 startup clients are paying for ChatGPT, up from 3% in 2022, and are using it to improve communication and increase productivity.

March 26, 2024

More startups are using big banks

Most startups have established two or more bank accounts after 2023’s banking crisis, and at least one account is typically in a “too big to fail” bank. Healy Jones, VP of Finance at Kruze Consulting, told The Business Journals that Silicon Valley Bank’s market share with startups dropped, while JP Morgan and other large banks saw a significant increase.

March 19, 2024

Kruze Quoted in Article on Startup Acquisitions

Crunchbase turned to Kruze’s VP of Financial Strategy to discuss recent trends in startup M&A. The article highlights the recent drop in the number of exits and the decrease in the size of these exits, and Kruze offers our thoughts after advising scores of startup exits over the past several years.

March 08, 2024

Venture debt lending competition increases after SVB collapse

After Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) failed in 2023, new competitors entered the venture debt market, giving startups more lending options. SVB was the market leader in venture debt, Healy Jones, Kruze Consulting VP, told The Information, and SVB’s collapse led to a large increase in financial institutions making venture debt loans.

February 26, 2024

Startup CEOs should probably earn more

A Delaware judge rejected Elon Musk’s compensation package last week as excessive, putting another spotlight on CEO pay. Healy Jones, Kruze Consulting VP, told Inc. that, in contrast to Musk, startup CEOs are probably not paying themselves enough based on Kruze’s Startup CEO Salary Report.

February 09, 2024

New R&D tax bill creates uncertainty for startups

The new R&D tax bill currently under consideration by the US Senate creates lots of questions for startups, Kruze Consulting VP of Tax Dave Lowe, CPA, told Bloomberg Tax. While the bill restores full deductibility for R&D expenses and is retroactive to 2022, it also creates planning and compliance issues for startups that may need to amend returns and create forecasts.

February 05, 2024

More startups are getting acquired at the seed stage

Overall M&A for VC-backed startups dropped significantly in 2023, but seed-stage startups were more likely to get acquired. Healy Jones, Kruze Consulting VP, told Pitchbook that more seed-stage clients were acquired at higher valuations last year, but early exits don’t benefit VC funds.

February 07, 2024

What did it take to raise a Series A in 2023?

Revenue growth, high margins, and capital efficiency were key metrics that differentiated startups that were able to secure series A funding in 2023. Healy Jones, Kruze Consulting VP, based those conclusions on research into about 100 startups that tried to raise a Series A last year.

January 31, 2024

Startups are doing better than you think

The recent downturn in the startup ecosystem has made fundraising more difficult, but startups that focus on operational efficiency are still doing well, said Healy Jones, Kruze Consulting VP. That’s based on an analysis of data from Kruze Consulting clients showing that burn rates are lower and founders are using their cash more effectively.

December 21, 2023

Startup oversight was lax during investment bubble

A lack of controls and governance helped some startup founders commit fraud over the last decade, Healy Jones, Kruze Consulting VP, told the New York Times. A lack of oversight and due diligence allowed founders in firms like HeadSpin, FTX, Theranos, and others to misrepresent finances and defraud investors.

December 22, 2023

The startup ecosystem changed after SVB

The Silicon Valley Bank crisis sent shock waves through the startup ecosystem, and startups have altered the ways they bank. Healy Jones, Kruze Consulting VP, discussed some of those changes with PitchBook, including reduced venture debt options, startups that diversified their banking relationships, and a new emphasis on treasury management.

December 12, 2023

CFO Dive looks at the huge increase in startups using OpenAI

More than half of Kruze Consulting’s startup client base is using OpenAI, up from about two percent at the beginning of 2022, Healy Jones, Kruze Consulting VP, told CFO Dive. Startups are using OpenAI for marketing copy, light coding, Excel modeling, and creating images.

December 05, 2023

Silicon Valley Bank continues to serve startups

After the 2023 banking crisis, a Kruze Consulting analysis showed that 72% of startups established additional banking relationships with major banks, Healy Jones, Kruze VP, told Fintech Nexus. SVB, now a division of First Citizens Bank, is working to rebuild financial relationships in the startup ecosystem.

January 05, 2024

Startups shifted deposits to bigger banks after the SVB crisis

Kruze Consulting’s startup clients shifted funds to megabanks after the SVB crisis, Healy Jones, vice president of financial strategy, told American Banker. An analysis of over 400 Kruze clients showed that startups established accounts at megabanks like JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo.

November 15, 2023

Ineligible startups may be claiming ERC

A marketing push from third-party tax advisors may be encouraging venture-backed startups to improperly claim the Employee Retention Credit (ERC). Healy Jones, Kruze Consulting VP, told Accounting Today that as many as 5% of startups may have incorrectly filed for the ERC.

November 01, 2023

Will OpenAI’s growth among startups last?

OpenAI is generating revenue at a steadily increasing pace, but data from Kruze Consulting suggests that a large percent of startups are just starting to experiment with AI and don’t use the service extensively.

October 12, 2023

Kruze Consulting named one of the top accounting firms to work for in 2022

Kruze Consulting was named one of the top accounting firms to work for in 2022 by Accounting Today. On the list of top 100 mid-sized firms, Kruze Consulting ranked 23rd, based on the positive work experience reported by Kruze employees.

September 07, 2022

VCs should be aware of potential ERC tax mistakes among startups

Vanessa Kruze, CPA, founder and CEO of Kruze Consulting, explains that most VC-backed startups aren’t eligible for ERC tax credits, and VCs should be careful about investing in companies that claimed funds improperly.

October 12, 2023

Startups changed their deposit strategies after banking crisis

Startups have opened additional accounts and shifted funds to larger banks, Healy Jones, Kruze Consulting VP, told CFO. Based on an analysis of 400 venture-funded startups, businesses moved money to larger firms and nontraditional financial companies like Mercury and Brex.

September 06, 2023

Banks are bouncing back in venture debt market

Kruze Consulting COO, Scott Orn, spoke to Pitchbook about trends in the venture debt market following 2023’s bank failures.

August 04, 2023

Startup strategies that increase survival potential

Startup funding is harder to get now, and startups are failing at a higher rate. Healy Jones, Kruze Consulting VP of Financial Strategy talked to Inc. about the tougher environment and ways that startups can survive, including down rounds and bridge funding.

July 19, 2023

Tech startups are facing a tighter market

Kruze Consulting VP Healy Jones discussed the rising number of venture-backed startup failures with the Financial Times. As the venture market contracts, startup sales and down rounds are increasing, and pressure to reach profitability is increasing.

July 14, 2023

CNBC references Kruze’s data on startup rent trends

CNBC used data from Kruze Consulting in a profile on Hayes Valley, a new AI startup hub. Kruze’s research shows startups aren’t spending as much on rent in 2023, and AI startups are taking advantage of lower rents and available talent in Hayes Valley.

June 30, 2023

Is AI The Cause Of Job Cuts This Year?

Healy Jones, VP of Financial Strategy at Kruze Consulting, on how the AI startups are the only ones really raising big rounds.

June 14, 2023

How well are SaaS, e-commerce, fintech and health tech startups doing in 2023?

Kruze Consulting's VP of F&A, Healy Jones, explained how well SaaS, e-commerce, fintech, and health tech companies are doing in 2023, based on the revenue, spending, and runway data from 700+ companies.

June 08, 2023

The Wall Street Journal cites Kruze data on startup CEO pay

In 2023, the average annual salary for startup CEOs has dropped to $142,000 from $150,000, suggesting that startups are cutting spending in this tougher funding environment, said Healy Jones, Kruze Consulting’s VP of FP&A.

May 22, 2023

TechCrunch on banking post SVB-crisis

Kruze Consulting reveals major shift to big banks by startups after banking crisis.

May 28, 2023

Inside startups

Inside Startups reviews Kruze's startup CEO compensation data.

May 24, 2023

Pitchbook AI

PitchBook cites Kruze's SaaS revenue growth metrics in an article on AI fundraising.

May 22, 2023

Business Insider on Kruze’s Startup CEO Pay Data

Kruze Consulting’s 2023 Startup Salary Report shows a decline in average salary for startup CEOs, from $150,000 to $142,000, Healy Jones, VP of F&A, told Business Insider.

May 22, 2023

In a capital-constrained market, should more startups play it SAFE?

Kruze Consulting COO, Scott Orn, shared how using SAFEs amid a downturn can present risks for startups, particularly if their next priced equity round disappoints.

May 05, 2023

Analysis: Tech Layoffs Dropped Sharply In April, But That Doesn’t Mean Layoffs Are Over

Kruze VP Healy Jones analyzes the recent tech layoffs as they dropped sharply in April 2023.

May 05, 2023

Banking crisis widens startups' geographic innovation gap

Kruze VP Healy Jones analyzes the banking crisis impact on innovation with American Banker.

April 10, 2023

Small businesses weigh banking options amid bank turmoil

Scott Orn, chief operating officer at Kruze Consulting, works with venture capital-backed startups and said about 55% of his clients had accounts at Silicon Valley Bank. They also bank at regional banks like First Republic and fintechs such as Brex.

March 28, 2023

Startups are spending less on office space

Empty downtowns can’t rely on startups to fill office space, said Healy Jones, VP of FP&A at Kruze Consulting. Data on startup rent expenditure shows a drop from 7% in Jan. 2020 to 3% in Jan. 2023.

March 23, 2023

Banking giants to staff: Do not take advantage of stressed banks

“As things started getting scarier and the regional banks’ stock prices started getting hit, it became clear that the only place you’re totally safe is the too-big-to-fail banks,” Scott Orn, chief operating officer of accounting firm Kruze Consulting, told the New York Times.

March 23, 2023

SVB Is Sold, but Other Banks Are Already Filling Its Niche

Scott Orn, Kruze COO, was quoted in this article from The Information.

March 27, 2023

Startups Move Deposits To Bigger Banks

Following the run on Silicon Valley Bank, startups have begun opening accounts at the largest banks. Kruze Consulting COO Scott Orn discusses how startups are seeking greeter deposit security by opening accounts at the biggest banks.

March 21, 2023

SVB collapse is double-whammy for tech startups already navigating brutal market

According to Kruze’s consolidated client data, which it shared with CNBC, the average startup had 28 months of runway in January 2022. That fell to 23 months in January of this year, which is still historically high. At the beginning of 2019, it sat at under 20 months.

March 19, 2023

Silicon Valley Bank’s failure disrupts startups around the world

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank had a significant impact on the startup ecosphere, and Healy Jones, Kruze Consulting’s VP of FP&A, discussed how startups are reassessing their banking needs.

March 15, 2023

Silicon Valley Bank’s struggles spell further trouble for beleaguered tech startup market

Kruze Consulting's COO, Scott Orn, was interviewed about Silicon Valley Bank’s current situation.

March 09, 2023

Startups with funds locked in SVB pray for a saving grace

Healy Jones, Vice President of Financial Strategy at Kruze Consulting, was asked about the impact of SVB's current situation, specifically regarding payroll for all funding startups.

March 10, 2023

Startups with funds locked in SVB pray for a saving grace

Healy Jones, vice president of financial strategy at Kruze Consulting, said that the money from FDIC insurance should cover the next payroll of all seed-stage companies and 80% of Series A startups. "Issues will show up at Series B companies and beyond," Jones said.

March 10, 2023

SVB borrowers face a quandary: Wait and see, or start afresh?

Healy Jones, vice president of financial strategy at Kruze Consulting, was asked about the impact of Silicon Valley Bank's current situation and how it is going to impact their startup clients.

March 13, 2023

SVB's Failure May Stymie Funding for Some Startups

“The most important thing is it seems like payroll is going to get hit on time, but there are still plenty of things to be concerned about,” said Healy Jones, vice president of financial strategy at the accounting firm Kruze Consulting.

March 15, 2023

5 things to know before the stock market opens Friday

“Psychologically, it’s a blow because everyone realizes how fragile things can be,” Scott Orn, operating chief at Kruze Consulting, told CNBC.

March 10, 2023

Zero-based budgeting: A proven framework for extending runway

Zero-based budgeting: A proven framework for extending runway by Kruze Consulting's Vice President of Financial Strategy, Healy Jones via TechCrunch

March 15, 2023

Startup Growth Is Slowing Across 4 Sectors

VC-backed startups are facing decreasing growth rates, and fintech startups are seeing the biggest drop in growth, according to data shared with PitchBook by Healy Jones, Kruze Consulting’s VP of FP&A.

March 01, 2023

Do startups need physical offices?

Healy Jones, Kruze Consulting’s VP of FP&A, discussed the impact of physical offices on startup revenues with TechCrunch, based on research that shows when startups get big enough, having an office correlates with faster revenue growth.

February 04, 2023

Employee stock options aren’t as valuable now

Healy Jones, Kruze Consulting’s VP of FP&A, spoke with Crunchbase News about the drop in value of employee stock options from tech firms, as the secondary trading market slows dramatically in 2023.

January 17, 2023

January Is Already Breaking Layoff Records

Kruze Consulting VP of FP&A, Healy Jones, chatted with Crunchbase News about how "a lot of the startups kind of started to take medicine earlier in the year, and it’s the big companies that are doing it now."

January 09, 2023

Help Your Startup Clients Avoid These 7 Tax Mistakes

Kruze Consulting's founder, Vanessa Kruze on how to help your startup clients to avoid these 7 tax mistakes.

January 08, 2023

Forecast: Mass Tech Layoffs Are Likely To Continue In 2023. But There’s Good News Too.

Kruze VP, Healy Jones, was interviewed by Crunchbase News on when we see more down rounds.

December 30, 2022

Telehealth Startups Pivot

Kruze VP, Healy Jones, was interviewed by Crunchbase on how benefits startups may be impacted by the recession.

December 09, 2022

Unprofitable Startups May Owe 2022 Taxes

Vanessa Kruze, CEO of Kruze Consulting, explains how a change in tax law for R&D expenses could push money-losing startups into owing taxes in 2022.

November 18, 2022

CTOs earn more on average than CEOs at early-stage startups

Kruze Consulting analyzed data from over 200 companies that show that chief technology officers (CTOs) at seed-stage startups earn more on average than the company’s CEO.

November 02, 2022

Tech Companies Are Bracing For A Winter of Layoffs

Healy Jones, Kruze Consulting's VP of Finance, shared his vision about the current market conditions.

November 04, 2022

On average, early-stage startup CTOs earn more than CEOs

Kruze Consulting reviewed salary data at 200 startups and found on average, early-stage startup CTOs earn more than CEOs.

November 02, 2022

Building your startup’s finance team

Vanessa Kruze, CEO of Kruze Consulting, and Healy Jones, VP of FP&A, speaks to Eric Glyman, CEO of Ramp, about the qualities startups should look for when hiring finance roles.

September 27, 2022

What’s Spurring Tech Layoffs Today? July Wasn’t Good

Healy Jones, VP of FP&A for Kruze Consulting, talks to Crunchbase about the recent surge in layoffs among tech companies, and how companies are focusing on saving cash and extending runways.

September 14, 2022

End of year startup accounting checklist | Finance Basics with Kruze Consulting's Scott Orn

Kruze Consulting COO Scott Orn shares the seven tasks founders need to complete before years end. Jason and Scott discuss efficiently navigating compliance and tax deadlines, taking advantage of tax incentives for VC-backed startups, financial planning, and more.

August 31, 2021

Venture debt funding is on the rise

Kruze Consulting’s COO Scott Orn and Healy Jones, VP of FP&A, provide insight into the increase in venture debt funding for startups in The Interchange, TechCrunch’s fintech newsletter.

August 14, 2022

Forbes References Kruze Consulting's "2022 Startup CEO Salary Report"

Kruze Consulting's "2022 Startup CEO Salary Report" was cited by Forbes as part of their article, "Meet The Women CEOs Of The 2022 Cloud 100 List." The article noted that female CEOs earn about $17,000 less than the average CEO salary.

August 09, 2022

The Dos and Don’ts for Startup CPAs During a Recession

If you’re a CPA working with startups, like we do at Kruze Consulting, your clients are probably looking to you to help them prepare for the worst. Read more on this article by Kruze Consulting's founder, Vanessa Kruze.

August 03, 2022

New Report Suggests Female CEOs Are Not Paying Themselves Enough

Kruze Report Suggests Female CEOs Are Not Paying Themselves Enough. Find out more on this Inc. article.

June 16, 2022

The salary gap female startup CEOs face won't go away

Kruze CEO Salary Report - The salary gap female startup CEOs face won't go away via Protocol.

June 06, 2022

Why startup founders should always pay themselves a fair market salary

Kruze CEO Salary Report included in this piece via Sifted.

May 23, 2022

Average Startup CEO salary is $150,000 in 2022

Kruze Consulting's 2022 CEO Salary Report was featured in TechCrunch.

May 09, 2022

6 Tips for CPAs Advising VC-Backed Startup Clients

Kruze's Founder and CEO lists 6 Tips for CPAs Advising VC-Backed Startup Clients in this article via CPA Practice Advisor.

May 03, 2022

Is it time to rethink your firm’s physical footprint?

Kruze Founder and CEO, Vanessa Kruze, was quoted in this article about remote work vs. office space for startups.

June 01, 2022

Small businesses face tax headaches on top of pandemic woes

Kruze Consulting COO, Scott Orn, explains how small businesses face tax headaches on top of pandemic woes.

March 25, 2022

Addressing The Worst Financial Advice Given To VC-backed Startups

Kruze Consulting VP of FP&A, Healy Jones, addresses the worst financial advice given to VC-backed startups.

March 28, 2022

How the IRS Backlog is Hurting Small Business

Kruze Consulting CEO Vanessa Kruze discusses the processing backlog currently faced by the IRS, and explains how these problems impact the bottom lines of small businesses.

March 18, 2022

Today's Startups Are Flush With Cash—and Watching Every Penny

Great piece in WIRED by Arielle Pardes interviewing Kruze Consulting, Clockwise, and Soona Studios.

March 03, 2022

Forbes interviews Kruze on the future of startup payroll

Startup Check, which helps companies build, launch, and scale payroll products, raises $75 million in new funding, and Kruze Consulting COO, Scott Orn, discusses Check's impact on the payroll provider industry.

February 16, 2022

Here's how far VCs have lowered revenue expectations for seed through Series B

Our VP of FP&A, Healy Jones, was interviewed by Alex Wilhelm on The declining revenue needed to raise seeds, Series A's and B's.

January 27, 2022

Leverage early investors when raising a Series A, says DeepScribe's Akilesh Bapu

Kruze client Deepscribe, and VC investor Index Ventures, discuss their Series A with TechCrunch - and thank Kruze Consulting for the help.

February 28, 2022

Space Florida's incredible shrinking Rivian stake

Kruze Consulting COO, Scott Orn, was interviewed in this TechCrunch article about Florida's economic development agency owning 3% of EV behemoth Rivian.

December 14, 2021

Kruze Consulting Named to Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies

For the second year in a row, Kruze Consulting has been named one of the fastest growing private companies in the US. We are #710 for 2019, with 617% 3-year revenue growth. Additionally, Inc says that Kruze is the 28th fastest growing private financial service company in the US, and the 38th fastest growing company in the San Francisco Bay Area.

January 01, 2019

Kruze Consulting Named as One of The Bay Area Fastest Growing Private Companies

Just like several of our clients, Kruze Consulting is named as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. Check out this year's winners and see the locations of the fastest-growing private companies in the San Francisco Bay Area at a glance on the map.

October 21, 2019

Kruze Consulting Named as One of The Bay Area Fastest Growing Private Companies

Kruze named one of the most influential women-owned businesses headquartered in the Bay Area, which is defined as Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties.

September 27, 2019

Kruze Consulting Named as One of the 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned and -Led Companies

The 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies are a trailblazing group of women who are leading some of the most successful businesses around the globe.

July 22, 2020

[Startup Finance Basics] Scott Orn on the This Week In Startups Podcast

Recently, Kruze Consulting's COO, Scott Orn, was invited to be a guest on Jason Calacanis' highly-ranked This Week In Startups Podcast. Scott participated in a four-part series entitled “Startups Finance Basics”. In the series, they discuss how to ace due diligence, startup taxes, and filings including information on the Paycheck Protection Program or PPP loan, as well as the 5 things you need to scale your startup.

February 22, 2021

Lenders offer cheap deals to Silicon Valley to compete with flood of venture capital

“All the important terms” have recently become looser, said Scott Orn, Chief Operating Officer of Kruze Consulting, a company that advises start-ups on their finances.

August 16, 2021

Women Running Startups Took A Bigger Pay Cut During The Pandemic Than Men

Kruze data was cited on Protocol: Female CEOs salaries at VC-backed startups took a dip during COVID, while their male counter parts (on average) saw no drop.

June 26, 2021

Female Startup CEOs Cut Their Salaries 30 Percent During the Pandemic. Men Gave Themselves a Raise

This logic may seem to lead inexorably to CEOs taking a pay cut too, but according to an eye-opening new analysis of the compensation of 200 startup CEOs from startup accounting consultancy Kruze, female CEOs apparently saw the necessity of trimming their own pay more readily than male ones.

July 08, 2021

Female startup CEOs took a 30% pay cut in the pandemic. Male CEOs got a raise

Kruze data is spreading - Fortune shared that Female startup CEOs took a 30% pay cut in the pandemic. Male CEOs got a raise.

June 29, 2021

How Goodwin's Big Bet on Tech 'Convergence' Pushed Up Revenue

A 2019 report from startup consultancy Kruze Consulting showed Goodwin held 11% of startup client market share, ranking it in the top five law firms for emerging companies.

March 25, 2021

Signing Bonuses, Airbnb Rentals And Bigger Paychecks: How Startups Are Competing For Top Talent In 2021

Kruze data is out! Startup travel spending is basically back where it was back in February 2020.

June 28, 2021

Pay gap widened between male, female startup CEOs during pandemic

The data comes from an annual study of startup CEO pay done by Kruze Consulting, an accounting firm which has offices in San Jose and San Francisco. The firm surveyed 250 seed and venture-backed companies.

June 29, 2021

Saved by online lenders, businesses say they'll borrow again

When some small business clients of Kruze Consulting ran into roadblocks at their banks, the accounting firm recommended they try online lenders. All those clients got their loans and had good service.

May 25, 2021

Practice Profile: After the gold rush

A year later, Kruze Consulting, led by vice president of financial planning and analysis Healy Jones (who worked alonside Orn in investment banking in the 1990s), is digging through the financial data of its clients — both those that opted into the PPP and those that didn't — to offer insight about the agility of startup companies and how Kruze can better serve them going forward.

May 28, 2021

Michael Vilardo states that Kruze Consulting is an important part of Emile Learning's advisor stack

Where do you go for professional services, such as legal help, accounting, etc.? Santa Monica-based Kruze Consulting for financing and accounting, and Silicon Valley-based law firm Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian.

June 14, 2021

How To Raise Venture Capital Remotely

According to the PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor report, the activity for venture capital fundraising was robust during the first quarter. “We've seen about half a dozen of our clients raise money in the past couple of weeks,” said Healy Jones, who is the VP of FP&A at Kruze Consulting.

April 17, 2020

Tech companies are ending leases and consolidating offices as remote work is here to stay

When consulted, Kruze COO, Scott Orn, concluded, that as of May, half of Kruze clients had eliminated the amount they were spending on WeWork, while 26% had reduced their WeWork expenses. His company included. Orn said it was an easy decision because they'll be able to pick up super-cheap subleases at the very least when people are ready to go back.

July 13, 2020

Why venture debt is booming

Venture lending is seen as offering higher returns for higher risk. So why, against such a volatile backdrop, is fundraising surging ahead? “When covid hit, every startup was asking about venture debt,” says Kruze Consulting's COO, Scott Orn, when asked.

August 27, 2020

What Biden's Reported Capital Gains Tax Hike Could Mean For Startup Employees

According to Vanessa Kruze, CEO and founder of Kruze Consulting, a capital gains tax hike could spark a “flurry of stock sales as startup founders and employees sell their stock prior to the new tax rates in order to avoid higher capital gains taxation.”

April 23, 2021

This Is What The New PPP Guidelines Mean For Startups

Healy Jones, vice president of Kruze Consulting, an accounting, tax and HR firm that works with startups, said the more specific requirements for loans is a good thing, and it alleviates confusion by clearly defining what economic distress a company needs to experience to qualify for a loan.

January 08, 2021

New Round of Paycheck Protection Program Loans Coming: What You Need to Know

Kruze Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis, Healy Jones, was quoted in this Business.com article about the new round of Paycheck Protection Program Loans.

December 30, 2020

How to approach (and work with) the 3 types of corporate VCs

Kruze Consulting and Goodwin layout strategies for approaching the different kinds of corporate venture capitalists (CVCs) for TechCrunch in this four-part series.

May 26, 2020

Three rules for startup accounting

Kruze Founder, Vanessa, Kruze, explains in this article how accounting for startups can look different depending on the size and specific work of the startup. Early on, most startups can skirt by without an accountant, but there comes a time when startups need professional help with their books.

December 03, 2016

WeWork Sheds Youthful Image as It Lures Big Corporations

Kruze Consulting provided insights regarding the working space reduction during the COVID crisis. Healy Jones, Kruze VP of FP&A, said about half of Kruze customers with WeWork memberships got rid of their space between December and June, and another 26% reduced it. He explained that WeWork memberships often have short terms so they are easier than traditional office leases for cash-strapped small firms to cut.

July 28, 2020

What should startup founders know before negotiating with corporate VCs?

Corporate venture capitalists (CVCs) are booming in the startup space as large companies look to take advantage of the fast-paced innovation and original thinking that entrepreneurs offer.

May 26, 2020

3 CEOs on Seeking SBA Funding During the Pandemic

The average SBA/PPP payout to startups was $261,000, according to new data from Kruze Consulting, a startup accounting, and CFO consulting firm, "which will buy most of them about two months," said Scott Orn, chief operating officer. About 40% of Kruze's startup clients applied for SBA/PPP loans, he said.

June 10, 2020

Small businesses have a million questions about paycheck relief loan as applications come due

“It's effectively an equity injection with no ownership,” said Scott Orn, chief operating officer of San Francisco-based Kruze Consulting, which advises start-ups and small businesses on accounting, tax and financial matters. “The government is buying jobs.”

April 03, 2020

Is the recent COVID stimulus package passed by the federal government available to seed and venture capital-backed startups?

All a funded startup needs to know about the CARES Act and PPP loans, including information on how to calculate the loan size and understand loan forgiveness.

March 31, 2020

Forgivable Loan Apps Start Today And Will Be Big For Startups Facing COVID-19 Disruptions

Eligibility and ease of obtaining funds may still vary company to company. This could depend on the percentage of investor ownership, control provisions written into the term sheets, and other factors, notes Scott Orn of Kruze Consulting, a provider of financial services for startups.

April 03, 2020

PPP Loan Documentation and Forgiveness

Now that Paycheck Protection Program loans are finally flowing to our clients (and hopefully to your startup's bank account), what are the steps you need to take to make sure you get the maximum amount of loan forgiveness possible? We've created documents and spreadsheets to help our accountants and clients follow best practices managing the PPP loan funds.

May 05, 2020

5 tips for onboarding clients to a technology stack

Accounting Today asked our COO, Scott Orn, to weigh in on how to tackle the onboarding process. Here are five tips and tricks your firm can apply today!

May 08, 2020

If this is the tech recession, what can you do about it?

From our perch as accountants to close to almost 200 venture-funded startups, we may be seeing some signs of a coming economic slowdown. Here is our advice on what startup founders should do to prepare for a recession.

November 05, 2019

5 pro-tips for surviving tax season

Based on our experience as experts at tax preparation for funded companies, we wrote an article for AccountingToday on how accounts can survive tax season.

March 05, 2020

What Salaries Did Startup CEOs Earn in 2019?

Last year, we analyzed data from 125 startups to find that the average 2018 salary for a startup CEO was $130,000. This year, we expanded the data to over 800 of our seed and venture-backed clients and found that in 2022, CEO salaries rose to an average of $142,000 annually, nearly a 10% increase.

March 18, 2020

For Start-Ups, Cash Is King (Again)

Many young companies are spending less and raising more than they planned, said Scott Orn, chief operating officer at Kruze Consulting, a San Francisco firm that provides accounting and human resources services to more than 200 start-ups.

November 17, 2019

Why Startups are Raising More Venture Debt

Thanks to a report from last year undertaken by Kruze, here are the estimated totals of domestic venture debt.

February 14, 2020

Startups still love Slack but big companies are bailing

Nearly 60 percent of startups pay for Slack's workplace communications software, according to new data from Kruze Consulting, an accounting firm that analyzed anonymized spending of its nearly 200 venture capital-funded startups.

September 19, 2019

Brex vs Stripe - Which card is best for startups?

One of the fastest-growing tools that we've seen our startup clients adopt is Brex's corporate card. Stripe's new card is a huge announcement from a major fin-tech provider to early-stage companies. Let's compare the two options to see which card is best for a funded startup.

September 11, 2019

Accounting Today's "2020 Top New Products" includes a Kruze tool

An Honorable Mention shout-out to Kruze Consulting, an accounting and consulting firm in California, which released its own Startup Tax Deadlines integration for Google Calendar.

November 26, 2019

4 Lessons to Learn About Remote Workers

It's not easy to shrink your office footprint while taking on a dozen high-quality new hires in one of the most competitive hiring markets in the world. By leveraging the power of remote work, companies will be able to do just that, writes Vanessa Kruze, Founder and CEO of Kruze Consulting.

September 01, 2019

How to Prepare Your Startup for a Looming Venture Capital Drought

The Times interviewed Scott Orn, chief operating officer at Kruze Consulting, a San Francisco firm that does accounting for over 800 startups.

November 21, 2019

Startups Hoard Cash, Accelerate Fundraising Timetables

San Francisco firm Kruze Consulting said young companies are raising more while spending less and hoarding cash in the name of longevity. Chief operating officer (COO) Scott Orn told the NYT that “people are locking down that last dollar.”

November 17, 2019

Startup CEO Salary Report

One of the most common questions CEOs ask us at Kruze Consulting is: “How much should my salary be?” Since the Kruze team helps run startup's books and payroll, it's natural that we'd get this question. We looked at our payroll data for over 125 seed and venture-backed startups to come up with the answer.

August 28, 2019

The Law Firm Boutiques That Are Dominating With Startups

Providing legal services to startup companies is a highly specialized practice, so it doesn't come as too much of a shock that boutique law firms that focus solely on that area are killing it with that segment.

June 28, 2019

2019 Kruze Consulting Venture Debt Survey

Firms that responded to this survey represent approximately 85% of the US venture debt market and have close to $23 billion in outstanding venture debt loans - out of the approximately $26 billion in venture debt loans deployed in the past 4 years.

July 01, 2019

Gusto and Zenefits abruptly end integration; customers scramble

Payroll and HR software providers Gusto and Zenefits have abruptly ended their API integration with an email to customers on November 15. Accountants who depend on the integration have been left scrambling to manually transfer data and figure out how to fill the software gap left by the severed partnership.

November 26, 2019

The Top Boutique Law Firms That Startup Founders Use

The list is based off on an analysis of over $40 million in professional services spending across 180 seed, to Series C US startups with more than $1.4BN in combined funding.

June 26, 2019

Kruze Consulting Releases List of Top Boutique Law Firms for Startups

Kruze Consulting, a leading CFO consulting company for startups, today released the Top Boutique Law Firms for Startups list.

June 26, 2019

Combining Technology and Traditional Practices to Hire Remote Workers

In the age of remote work, there are a plethora of analog and digital tools that Founders can use to hire high-quality candidates anywhere in the world.Vanessa Kruze, CEO and Founder of Kruze Consulting discusses how to harness the power of tried-and-true hiring practices, combined with world-class technologies to help empower teams and grow the business.

February 20, 2020

Kruze Consulting Releases List of Top Boutique Law Firms Startups

Kruze Consulting, a leading CFO consulting company for startups, today released the Top Boutique Law Firms for Startups list.

June 26, 2019

These Six Bay Area Boutiques Get the Most Startup Work: Report

While a few Big Law firm brands continue to dominate the startup scene, some founders are turning to boutique firms for better rates and a smaller-firm atmosphere.

June 26, 2019

Essential HR Tools for the scaling startup

Kruze Consulting has worked with over 1000+ startups and has helped set up numerous HR infrastructure systems. HR is an essential component of any startup's foundation. If a startup doesn't have the HR systems in place to handle rapid headcount growth, managing the increase in headcount can actually distract startup CEOs from growing the business. In other words, set up your startup's people process to scale!

June 18, 2019

How Goodwin Became a Household Name in California's Startup Community

In less than 15 years, Boston-born Goodwin Procter has become a known entity, and frequent adviser, to Silicon Valley's entrepreneurs.

April 29, 2019

Kruze Consulting Releases New Data on Uber vs Lyft Market Share

Kruze Consulting, a leading CFO consulting company for startups, today released updated data on how employees at funded startups expense Uber and Lyft rides.

April 29, 2019

Uber could be worth $90 billion. Most drivers won't see much of it

Based on an updated SEC filing, the company is worth up to $90 billion. And drivers are realizing they won't see much of it unless they've driven a lot for the ride-hailing company.

April 26, 2019

Uber Versus Lyft: The Game of Ride Sharing and Pricing Data Gets Hotter

Kruze Consulting, a leading CFO consulting company for startups, today released updated data on how employees at funded startups expense Uber and Lyft rides.

April 26, 2019

Businesses experience benefits of online lending

Healy Jones, VP at Kruze, weighs in on how banks served small businesses during the COVID crisis.

March 08, 2019

Top 5 and Top Boutique Startup Law Firms

The right attorney can make the world of difference for a venture-funded startup - and startups are willing to pay up for legal advice. We've analyzed over $40 million worth of startup legal spending to create two reports, and identified the Top Startup Law Firms and the Top Boutique Startup Law Firms.

February 19, 2019

Uber vs. Lyft Market Share

As of the first quarter of 2019, Lyft is still slowly gaining market share, and Q4 2018 to Q1 2019 rideshare revenue growth was surprisingly weak.

April 23, 2019

Brex vs American Express - Which credit card is best for startups?

The Brex corporate card is one of the fastest-growing financial tools we've seen startups adopt in the past few years. But traditional card vendor American Express isn't sitting on its laurels, and has announced their own “Brex Killer” card – “American Express Corporate Program for Startups.”

November 05, 2019

Kruze Consulting's entrepreneurial spirit attracts Silicon Valley clients

Fueled by risk and high energy, Silicon Valley is not the typical CPA launch pad. But Kruze Consulting founder Vanessa Kruze has more in common with the pioneers of the startup world than her license would suggest, making her an ideal accountant to service their needs.

March 01, 2017

Uber, Airbnb debt providers gear up for IPO business and more

Uber and Airbnb will eventually — it is widely assumed — have massive IPOs. In the meantime, big banks are salivating at the hundreds of millions of dollars in fees those offerings will produce.

June 17, 2016

Why the I.R.S. Fails to Crack the Small-Business Tax Nut

Sizing up the honesty of small-business owners is one of the Internal Revenue Service's most vexing problems.

June 15, 2016

Owl Guru's interview to Kruze VP of FP&A, Healy Jones

OwlGuru.com interviewing our VP of FP&A, Healy Jones, about his role in Kruze Consulting.

May 07, 2021

Meet 3 Smart Partnerships That Made the Most of 2020

In December, we asked our wonderful community of users to share their most successful and innovative partnership experiences of 2020. We received dozens of great responses — highlighted here are three of the most intriguing. We hope these stories inspire you to stretch your partnership wings, innovate, and grow in 2021! Includes a partnership managed by Healy.

February 05, 2021

COVID-19 Impacts to Niche Site Owners

Healy explains that D2C brands have adjusted well to COVID, as consumers have shifted to purchasing online.

November 11, 2020

20+ Google Analytics Reports & Tips

Healy Jones adds: "Linking Google Search Console data to Google Analytics gives you much more visibility into the organic searches that are driving traffic to your blog. It's not that hard to set up, and I strongly recommend bloggers who have a lot of organic traffic take advantage of this powerful feature."

November 06, 2020

Case Study: Zero to $50k/month

How a team of two took their side hustle to $50k a month.

October 01, 2020

Customers recognize the value in reviews but it's not clear whether they use them to shop for financial products

Reviews and ratings of financial products are also good marketing, contributing to better conversions when they're displayed on a a financial firm's site. Healy Jones has seen reviews and ratings increase form fills by 10 percent to 15 percent if done correctly.

March 08, 2019

Day in the Life of Healy Jones, VP FP&A

OwlGuru interviews Healy about what his day is like at Kruze. Working with clients, creating projections and more.

March 08, 2019