Gusto Cofounder: An AI agent that runs payroll, HR, and benefits without waiting to be asked

▤ Summary

Gusto has launched Gusto Cofounder, an AI agent designed to proactively manage payroll, HR, benefits, and related back-office tasks for small businesses. The product interacts through text messaging or Slack and can connect to third-party systems like Google Workspace to pull data, run calculations, and complete payroll work. Gusto built the software with Claude Code in eight weeks using a five-person team. The company says the agent uses explicit consent controls and granular permissions before acting on sensitive data. Gusto also plans to add more connectors and enable partners and developers to build modular industry-specific automations on top of the platform.

▦ Linked Companies

Gusto, Inc.

$500M to $1B