Deel vs Gusto: Founders, CEOs and History
Deel was founded in 2019 by Alex Bouaziz, Shuo Wang and is led by Alex Bouaziz. Gusto was founded in 2011 by Joshua Reeves, Tomer London, Edward Kim and is led by Joshua Reeves.
Company facts
Founders
Deel
Alex Bouaziz
Alex Bouaziz is Deel's co-founder and CEO. He started Deel in 2019 with Shuo Wang after experiencing first-hand how hard it was to hire and pay people across borders, took it through Y Combinator, and has led it from contractor payments to a full global HR and…
Shuo Wang
Shuo Wang is Deel's co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer. She leads Deel's go-to-market organization and has overseen its sales growth from early contractor-payment customers to more than 40,000 businesses worldwide.
Gusto
Joshua Reeves
Josh Reeves co-founded ZenPayroll, now Gusto, in 2011 and has been CEO ever since. He led the 2015 rebrand and expansion into benefits, the 2021 Series E, the 2025 Guideline acquisition and the company's growth past $1 billion in revenue in early 2026.
Tomer London
Tomer London co-founded Gusto in 2011 and led product for much of its history, shaping the simple, owner-friendly payroll and benefits experience the company is known for.
Edward Kim
Edward Kim co-founded Gusto in 2011 and led its engineering and technology work, including the payroll and tax infrastructure behind the platform.
CEOs and their tenures
Deel
- Alex Bouaziz2019–present
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Co-founded Deel in 2019 and has led it from a YC contractor-payments startup to $1.5B+ ARR and a $17.3B valuation.
Source - Shuo Wang2019–present
Co-Founder & Chief Revenue Officer
Built and leads Deel's sales and revenue organization.
Source - Philippe Bouaziz2019–present
Executive Chairman & Chief Strategy Officer
Founding CFO who moved to executive chairman and chief strategy officer in November 2025; named as a defendant in Rippling's lawsuit.
Source - Joe Kauffman2025–present
Chief Financial Officer
Former Intuit executive appointed CFO in November 2025 as Deel prepares for a potential IPO.
Source
Gusto
- Joshua Reeves2011–present
Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder
Has led Gusto since founding, through the 2015 rebrand, the 2021 Series E, the 2025 Guideline acquisition and the 2026 move past $1B in revenue.
Source - Tomer London2011–present
Co-Founder
Co-founder who led product development for Gusto's payroll and benefits platform.
Source - Edward Kim2011–present
Co-Founder
Co-founder and longtime technology leader who built early payroll and tax infrastructure.
Source
Timeline: Deel and Gusto side by side
2011Gusto
ZenPayroll Founded & Y Combinator (W12)
Joshua Reeves, Tomer London, and Edward Kim founded ZenPayroll in Palo Alto, joining Y Combinator.
2012Gusto
Public Launch & $6.1M Seed from Silicon Valley Royalty
Launched cloud payroll, raising $6.1M backed by the CEOs of Yelp, Dropbox, Yammer, and Box.
2014Gusto
$60M Series B at $560M Valuation Led by Google Capital
Raised $60 million led by CapitalG, expanding automated payroll across all 50 US states.
2015Gusto
Rebrands to Gusto & Launches Health Benefits Brokerage
Rebranded from ZenPayroll to Gusto, launching health insurance brokerage and workers' comp.
2018Gusto
$140M Series C at $1.6B Valuation & Denver Campus Launch
Achieved unicorn status led by T. Rowe Price, opening a large regional operating campus in Denver.
2019Deel
Deel founded; joins Y Combinator W19
Alex Bouaziz and Shuo Wang launch Deel for compliant international contractor payments.
2019Gusto
$200M Series D at $3.8B Valuation Led by Fidelity
Raised $200 million, crossing 100,000 small business customers across America.
2020Deel
Series A and B
$14M Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz (May) and $30M Series B led by Spark Capital (September) as remote hiring took off.
2021Deel
$1.25B Series C, then $5.5B Series D
$156M Series C in April; $425M Series D led by Coatue in October.
2021Gusto
$175M Series E and First Acquisitions
Raised a $175M Series E at about $9.5B and acquired Ardius, Symmetry and RemoteTeam.
2022Deel
$12B valuation; Legalpad acquired; $295M ARR
Series D extension in May; ARR reached $295M by year-end.
2023Deel
PayGroup completed; free Deel HR
Closed the PayGroup acquisition and launched a free global HRIS.
2024Deel
Hofy and Zavvy; $800M ARR
Launched Deel IT after buying Hofy; reached $800M run rate in December.
2025Deel
Rippling lawsuit; $1B ARR; $17.3B Series E
Rippling sued in March; Safeguard Global payroll deal in March; $1B ARR in June; $300M Series E in October; Joe Kauffman named CFO in November.
2025Gusto
Tender Offer at $9.3B and Guideline Deal
June tender offer led by Ontario Teachers'; August agreement to acquire Guideline.
2026Deel
DOJ probe reported; $1.5B ARR; Clarity acquired
WSJ reported a DOJ criminal probe in January; Deel passed $1.5B ARR in H1 and bought Clarity in August.
2026Gusto
Surpasses $1B in Revenue
Gusto said trailing twelve-month revenue passed $1B, with growth accelerating five straight quarters.
Acquisitions
Deel
- Clarity2026Undisclosed
- Safeguard Global (enterprise payroll division)2025Undisclosed
- Hofy2024Undisclosed
- PayGroup2023Undisclosed
- Legalpad2022Undisclosed
- Zeitgold2021Undisclosed
Gusto
- Guideline2025$600M
- Ardius2021Undisclosed
- Symmetry2021Undisclosed
- RemoteTeam2021Undisclosed
Questions about Deel vs Gusto
Who is the CEO of Deel, Inc. and Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.)?
Deel, Inc. is led by Alex Bouaziz and Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.) is led by Joshua Reeves. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Deel, Inc. founded vs Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.)?
Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.) was founded in 2011 — 8 years before Deel, Inc., which was founded in 2019. Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.)'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Deel, Inc..
How many employees does Deel, Inc. have compared to Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.)?
Deel, Inc. employs approximately 9,600 people, while Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.) employs approximately 3,200. Deel, Inc. has the larger workforce at 9,600 employees, compared to Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.)'s 3,200. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Deel, Inc. and Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.) headquartered?
Both Deel, Inc. and Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.) are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Deel, Inc. and Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.)?
Deel, Inc. was founded by Alex Bouaziz, Shuo Wang. Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.) was founded by Joshua Reeves, Tomer London, Edward Kim.
Which company has a longer operating history — Deel, Inc. or Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.)?
Gusto (ZenPayroll, Inc.) has been operating for approximately 15 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Deel, Inc. has been in operation for around 7 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Deel vs Gusto overview