Ardius

Ardius operates as a specialized financial technology firm focused on securing research and development (R&D) tax credits for businesses. Founded in 2018 by Joshua Y. Lee, the company aims to simplify access to government incentives that have historically been complex and resource-intensive for small to medium-sized businesses to obtain. Lee's background includes nearly 14 years at Ernst & Young (EY), where he was a leader in the R&D credit practice, and a stint as a venture capitalist. This experience revealed a significant market gap: smaller companies, despite being eligible, were often overlooked by large accounting firms and lacked the resources to navigate the intricate process of claiming R&D credits.

The company's core offering is a cloud-based SaaS platform that combines technology with tax expertise. It utilizes AI, machine learning, and API integrations with a client's existing payroll and financial systems to automatically identify and document qualifying R&D expenses. This technology-driven approach streamlines the entire process, from credit calculation and compliance to tax filing and reporting, reducing a procedure that could take months down to a matter of days. The service is designed for a wide range of clients, from high-growth startups to more traditional small businesses like cement mixing plants. By automating data collection and analysis, Ardius provides a more efficient and accessible alternative to the manual, costly services typically offered by major accounting firms.

In a significant milestone, Ardius was acquired by Gusto, a major provider of payroll and HR solutions, on June 17, 2021. This was Gusto's first acquisition and was a strategic move to integrate Ardius's specialized R&D tax credit capabilities directly into its platform. Following the acquisition, Ardius continues to operate, leveraging Gusto's extensive payroll data to automatically identify potential savings for customers in real-time. This integration allows businesses to offset payroll taxes with their earned R&D credits on a per-paycheck basis, rather than waiting months for an IRS refund. The synergy between the two companies is rooted in a shared mission to support small and medium-sized businesses by unlocking valuable, non-dilutive capital. Keywords: R&D tax credits, tax compliance software, Gusto, Joshua Y. Lee, fintech, small business financing, tax automation, SaaS, payroll tax offset, venture capital, Ernst & Young, tax incentive, cloud-based tax software, SMB tax services, automated tax filing, financial technology, startup tax relief, non-dilutive funding, tax credit calculation, IRS compliance