// Workers AI · dad joke modeDoes ZenBusiness sell zenny pens? No, it's just a write-off.
| Type | Public-benefit corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fintech |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Key people | Mark Cuban |
| Products |
|
| Website | www |
ZenBusiness is an American software-as-a-service (Saas) company that provides business formation and fintech services.[1] It was founded in 2015 by Ross Buhrdorf and Shanaz Hemmati and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.[2][3] It operates as a public-benefit corporation.[4]
History
[edit]ZenBusiness was founded in 2015 by Ross Buhrdorf and Shanaz Hemmati.[2] Before founding ZenBusiness, Buhrdorf served as the CTO of the vacation rental company HomeAway,[5] which was eventually acquired by Expedia.[citation needed] Hemmati also served as an executive at HomeAway before co-founding ZenBusiness with Buhrdorf.[6] Mark Cuban serves as an advisor, shareholder, and spokesperson for ZenBusiness.[7][8]
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.[citation needed]
In the same year, ZenBusiness acquired the digital banking platform Joust.[9][10] The following year, ZenBusiness launched its own money management app, ZenBusiness Money.[11] In 2022, ZenBusiness acquired the growth-engine platform Ureeka.[12]
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.[7]
In March 2026, the ransomware group ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for stealing several terabytes of data from ZenBusiness via vishing. The group issued a warning, demanding a ransom payment by March 25 or the stolen data would be leaked.[13]
References
[edit]- ↑ Suknanan, Jasmin (2025-02-25). "ZenBusiness LLC and business formation review". CNBC. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
- 1 2 Wistrom, Brent (February 26, 2018). "VCs and Austin Angel Investors Back ZenBusiness with $4.5M". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
- ↑ Staff, American-Statesman (2019-09-25). "Austin's ZenBusiness raises $15 million for expansion". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Hawkins, Lori (2013-09-04). "Austin startup puts tech-focused spin on rental property management". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
- ↑ Huddleston, Jr., Tom (2025-10-10). "Co-founder of $1.7 billion startup: Every entrepreneur needs these 2 skills to succeed". CNBC. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
- 1 2 Paoli, Nino (2025-07-22). "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.
- ↑ Egan, John (2021-12-01). "Austin startup courts Texas billionaire and Shark Tank star as new spokesperson - CultureMap Austin". austin.culturemap.com. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
- ↑ Bhattacharyya, Suman (2020-07-30). "ZenBusiness acquires entrepreneur-focused challenger bank Joust | Banking Dive". www.bankingdive.com. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
- ↑ Crosman, Penny (2020-07-30). "ZenBusiness buys Joust, challenger bank for freelancers". American Banker. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
- ↑ Bhattacharyya, Suman (2021-08-10). "ZenBusiness launches money-management app | Payments Dive". www.paymentsdive.com. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
- ↑ "ZenBusiness Completes the Acquisition of Ureeka". 2022-10-01. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
- ↑ Fadilpašić, Sead (2026-03-27). "Hackers say they'll leak "several terabytes" of ZenBusiness data". TechRadar. Archived from the original on 2026-03-28. Retrieved 2026-04-01.