Let’s talk about the one thing most founders tend to avoid—but can’t afford to overlook: staying on top of sales tax compliance.
Now imagine handling that burden with just seven clicks and under three minutes a month. Sounds like a dream? That’s exactly what Kintsugi, a rising AI-first startup from Silicon Valley, is making a reality. And with a fresh $18M in funding led by Vertex (yes, the enterprise tax tech giant), Kintsugi is coming in hot to solve a headache many SMEs don’t even realize is killing their time—and margins.
Here’s the deal: tax compliance is getting complicated. With booming cross-border e-commerce and new tax regulations every other Tuesday, companies are burning cash and time just trying to stay compliant. Kintsugi built a smart, AI-powered platform that plugs into your existing stack—Shopify, Stripe, QuickBooks, Chargebee, or even your homegrown setup—and automatically calculates what you owe in real-time.
It’s like Stripe for tax, but smoother. No CPAs, No spreadsheets, No sweat. Their founder even said it best: “We’re doing for compliance what Uber did for cabs.”
Now they’re not just trying to serve small businesses—they’re trying to serve them better. Kintsugi calculates your sales tax liability for free (yes, free), and charges only if you file through them. Want it hands-free? Just turn on auto-remit and let the AI handle the rest.
Here’s what makes this story even more exciting: Kintsugi isn’t just talking big; they’re delivering. $3M in ARR last year. A 0.1% churn rate. 93% profit margins. And now they’re valued at $150M. Plus, their customer base spans early-stage startups to companies clocking over $500M in revenue. Talk about range.
With Vertex backing them and plans to expand into Latin America, Africa, and Asia, they’re not just playing the U.S. market anymore. They’re going global—and fast.
TL;DR: If you’re still wrestling with sales tax manually in 2025, there’s a better way. Kintsugi just made compliance simple, smart, and scalable. Time to automate the tax stress away.
