Remote Work Infrastructure

Distributed workforces require new solutions for office operations, HR, payment, and more.

Overview

Not long ago, remote work was a disruptive new phenomenon of the modern working world; today, it’s a standard component of nearly every industry, and the traditional office space has been transported to anywhere in the world with access to a laptop and an internet connection. With the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the already trending remote work movement has accelerated sharply, subsequently altering the conversation around productivity best practices, team structures, workplace culture, and business models. Remote work infrastructure tools are vital for efficiently managing payroll, employment, benefits, and employee engagement in distributed teams. They ensure accurate payroll processing, handle tax compliance, and manage various employee benefits.

Industry Updates

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Market Sizing

Global market size for remote work infrastructure tools could reach USD 4.0–6.2 billion by 2028

Conservative case

USD 0.0 Bn

Base case

USD 0.0 Bn

Expansion case

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Market Mapping


A majority of the incumbents feature in the integrated HRM, payroll, and benefits as well as the integrated performance and engagement segments. This includes large players such as Workday, SAP, Paycom, and Paylocity. With a handful of startups in the growth stage, Oracle corporation is the only incumbent in the intranet platforms segment. The pure play payroll and benefits segment is occupied by CloudPay and Clune Technology Group and mostly includes early-stage disruptors.

Many disruptors in the integrated HRM, payroll, and benefits segment are quite mature and, therefore, a large contingent is in the growth stage. The integrated performance and engagement segment features the largest group of seed-stage companies, as the use of cloud-based employee engagement and performance software has received increased attention since the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the EOR/PEO segment has the smallest number of startups that are primarily in the growth stage offering contingent workforce management solutions.

Incumbents
Growth
Early
Seed
Pre-Seed
Integrated HRM, Payroll, and Benefits Platforms
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EoR/ PEOs
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Integrated Performance and Engagement Platforms
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Pure Play Engagement Platforms
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Pure Play Payroll and Benefits Platforms
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Intranet Platforms
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Symmetrical.ai
Symmetrical.ai
Symmetrical.ai
Symmetrical.ai
Symmetrical.ai
Symmetrical.ai

The Disruptors


Companies in the Integrated HRM, payroll, and benefits segment account for most of the funding in the space. Established companies such as Gusto and Deel lead the segment in funding among private players with USD 746 and USD 679 million, respectively. Meanwhile, the integrated performance and engagement segment accounts for the majority of startups. Culture Amp and Personio lead the segment in terms of funding among private companies. Intranet platforms funding is led by Staffbase and LumApps. 

Moreover, addition of AI and generative AI (GenAI) features have improved digital payroll and engagement platforms by automating tasks and providing personalised insights.

Funding History

Competitive Analysis


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Incumbents


The incumbent players in this space are well-established companies that have been providing human capital management (HCM) solutions for decades. All incumbents have a strong track record of establishing fully-fledged offerings. They also offer a diverse range of solutions, with a variety of customizable packages that cater to businesses of all sizes. All incumbents offer a cloud-based solution similar to those that up-and-coming startups offer. 

Incumbents like SAP, ADP, and Paychex are leading in the Remote Work Infrastructure space by offering comprehensive solutions for payroll, HR management, and employee engagement. They provide robust platforms that support remote workforces with tools for seamless communication, accurate payroll processing, and effective performance management.

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Notable Investors


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Overview

Remote work infrastructure supports the new globally distributed team

Efficiently managing payroll, employment, benefits, and engagement is essential for supporting remote work. Hence online tools that support remote work infrastructure have emerged and are more readily available now, improving the adoption and functionality of distributed teams. Over the past decades, online infrastructure has been transformed by cloud computing and faster networks. Laptops are exponentially more powerful, portable, and affordable, while the internet is more widely accessible. Digital payroll platforms like Gusto and Deel ensure that employees receive accurate and timely payments while handling tax compliance and reporting. Employer of record (EOR) services simplify international hiring by assuming legal employment responsibilities in different countries, while benefits platforms like Benepass and Cobee streamline the administration of employee perks such as health insurance, mental wellness, and retirement plans. These tools help reduce the administrative burden on companies, allowing them to focus on their primary business functions. 
Moreover, the availability of digital engagement platforms enables seamless communication and collaboration, ensuring remote employees stay connected while performance management systems provide tools for tracking employee progress and offering timely feedback. Intranet platforms like Zoom and Staffbase facilitate enterprise-wide communication through a centralized hub for employees. By using these engagement tools, companies can foster a motivated and cohesive remote workforce. More recently, AI and generative AI (GenAI) have enhanced digital payroll and engagement platforms by automating tasks, increasing accuracy, and delivering personalized insights. Notably, in the EOR space, Borderless AI has developed an AI agent that streamlines and accelerates the employee hiring and management process.

Types of workplace infrastructure tools

Subscription plans are considered the most attractive for businesses looking for scalability, as employees can be added to a plan at no additional cost (compared to fixed percentage fees) within the plan threshold. These are common mainly for analytics tools and intranet platforms. Freemium versions usually precede subscriptions as a popular method for marketing product features and capabilities with low barriers to entry. EoR/PEOs and payroll tools commonly offer free trials through either a subscription or a fixed percentage fee model. Freemium versions for these products are less viable due to the administrative burden and the switching costs involved in payroll processing.
Incumbents like SAP, ADP, and Paychex are leading in the Remote Work Infrastructure space by offering comprehensive solutions for payroll, HR management, and employee engagement. They provide robust platforms that support remote workforces with tools for seamless communication, accurate payroll processing, and effective performance management.
The market is fragmented with a plethora of disruptors that specialize in different aspects of employee management and engagement. The industry saw some consolidation in 2023 and 1H 2024. Among the disruptors, EoR/PEO players have acquired companies to increase the breadth of their offerings. For instance, Deel acquired 1) Payspace, a payroll platform to expand global operations (May 2024), and 2) Zavvy, a startup focused on AI-driven personalized career development (February 2024). Meanwhile, talent management software company ClearCompany acquired Brainier to provide cloud-based learning for talent management.
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