Kickfin

About Kickfin

Kickfin operates as a financial technology firm specializing in gratuity management software for the hospitality industry. Founded in 2017 by Brian Hassan and Justin Roberts, the Austin-based company aims to digitize and streamline tip distribution for restaurants, bars, and other service-based businesses. The idea for Kickfin originated when the co-founders, while dining out, observed an armored truck delivering cash to a restaurant and realized the inefficiencies of cash-based tip-outs in an increasingly cashless society. Hassan and Roberts, who are also co-CEOs, bootstrapped the business initially, leveraging their prior entrepreneurial experience and their background in payroll services at ADP.

The company's core service is a platform that enables businesses to instantly pay out tips to employees' bank accounts, eliminating the need for daily cash reserves, bank runs, and manual calculations. This addresses significant operational pain points for managers, such as reducing labor costs, minimizing the risk of theft, and ensuring accurate, compliant payment records. Kickfin's software integrates with various point-of-sale (POS) systems to automatically calculate complex tip pools and shares based on customized rules, such as hours worked or sales categories. The platform serves a range of hospitality clients, from quick-service restaurants and pizzerias to full-service dining establishments and bars, including brands like Marco's Pizza and Twin Peaks.

Kickfin's business model is B2B, providing its software to hospitality operators. The platform generates a digital paper trail for every transaction, which aids in accounting, payroll processes, and compliance, while also offering transparency to employees who can track their earnings. For employees, the primary benefit is immediate, 24/7 access to their earnings, which are sent directly to their chosen bank account. The company has seen significant growth, securing a Series A funding round to expand its services and market reach. According to Visa data from 2021, Kickfin ranked number one in transaction count and volume for tip disbursements.