Guideline Acquisition, Valuation, Funding & Investors

Guideline was acquired by Gusto for $600M in August 2025, a 4.3x multiple on $140M of revenue.

Guideline acquisition price

$600M

Acquired by Gusto · Aug 2025

Guideline revenue at acquisition

$140M

Last twelve months · Aug 2025

Guideline revenue multiple at acquisition

4.3x

EV/Revenue · Aug 2025

Cumulative funding Guideline raised

$339M

across 6 funding rounds

Guideline Overview

About Guideline

Guideline is a San Francisco-headquartered 401(k) provider offering automated plan administration, enrollment, recordkeeping, investments, compliance, and reporting for small to mid-sized businesses. The service features flat per-participant fees instead of asset-based pricing. Guideline integrates payroll systems and delivers participant education through mobile apps and dashboards.


Founded

2015

HQ

United StatesSan Francisco, CA

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2B

Revenue model

Usage-based, Subscription

Revenue

$120M (Jun 2021)

Valuation

$1.1B (Jun 2021)

Guideline Acquisition

Guideline was acquired by Gusto for $600M on 27 August 2025.

The acquisition price implies a 4.3x revenue multiple on $140M of revenue.

Before the acquisition Guideline had raised $339M across 6 funding rounds.

Guideline, a San Francisco-based financial technology company founded in 2015 or 2016, provides simple, affordable, integrated retirement plan solutions including 401(k) setup, participant enrollment, recordkeeping, investment management, and compliance for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). It serves approximately 65,000 customers, over 1 million savers, and manages $20 billion in assets, with reported profitability for over a year prior to the deal and $140 million in annualized revenue as of January 2025. Gusto, a payroll, HR, and benefits software platform founded in 2011 with dual headquarters in San Francisco and Denver, over 2,800 employees, more than 400,000 customers, and over $500 million in annualized revenue as of 2023, announced on August 27, 2025, an agreement to acquire Guideline in its largest-ever deal to integrate retirement benefits into its all-in-one platform for SMBs, covering payroll, HR, health insurance, time tracking, and compliance. The acquisition, completed by late 2025, launched Gusto 401(k) powered by Guideline, leveraging their partnership since 2016 when Gusto was Guideline's first integrated payroll partner. Strategic rationale includes delivering seamless, world-class retirement benefits to small businesses amid state mandates for employer-sponsored plans, differentiating from competitors like ADP, Paychex, and Human Interest by owning retirement infrastructure outright rather than relying on revenue-sharing partnerships, and expanding to Gusto's client base without middlemen. Reports indicate Gusto paid approximately $600 million, below Guideline's $1.15 billion valuation from its 2021 $200 million Series D round (total funding $340 million from investors including Felicis, Tiger Global, NEA, and General Atlantic), potentially enabling investor returns; Guideline disputed the price as incorrect and denied plans to divest customers. Post-acquisition, Gusto plans to divest Guideline accounts linked to rival payroll providers, sharing proceeds with shareholders, while restricting new integrated 401(k) experiences after November 3, 2025, to Gusto payroll and embedded partners like HR For Health or HiBob, shifting others to self-service. No immediate changes for existing users, with continued referral fees for advisors and no billing alterations for active plans. The deal supports Gusto's expansion goals, targeting 150,000 new clients amid competition in SMB retirement services.

Guideline acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePriceEV/Revenue
27 Aug 2025Strategic M&A$600M4.3x

Guideline Valuation

Guideline is currently valued at $1.1B, based on its Series E in June 2021.

The $200M round was led by General Atlantic, with participation from Future Planet Capital, Propel Holdings, Felicis, Marbruck, Generation Investment Management and 2 other investors.

Guideline's valuation has grown 14x from $85M at its Series B in August 2017 to $1.1B in June 2021, across 3 priced rounds.

Guideline valuation by funding round

Revenue multiple
Guideline valuation by funding round
DateStageValuationRevenue Multiple
Jun 2021Series E$1.1B9.6x
Jul 2020Series D$450M3.8x
Aug 2017Series B$85M-

Guideline Revenue

Guideline's latest recorded revenue is $120M, as of its Series E in June 2021. At a $1.1B valuation, that implies a 9.6x revenue multiple.

Revenue moved from $120M in July 2020 to $120M in June 2021, while the revenue multiple moved from 3.8x to 9.6x.

Guideline revenue by funding round

Guideline revenue and valuation multiple by funding round
DateRevenue *ValuationRevenue MultipleStage
Jun 2021$120M$1.1B9.6xSeries E
Jul 2020$120M$450M3.8xSeries D

* Revenue (or ARR) figures are the values recorded alongside each funding round. Typically run-rate revenue at the time of the deal, or a reported LTM (last 12 months) revenue.

Guideline Funding History

Guideline has raised a total of $339M across 6 funding rounds.

Guideline's first fundraising round was a $2M seed round in August 2015. The most recent completed round was a $200M Series E in June 2021.

Guideline funding rounds

Guideline funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedValuationDeal Summary
Jun 2021Series EGeneral Atlantic (lead); Future Planet Capital; Propel Holdings; Felicis; Marbruck; Generation Investment Management; Xfund; Greyhound Capital$200M$1.1BGuideline is a San Francisco-based digital retirement platform providing affordable 401(k) plans, SEP IRAs, and related services for small and medium-sized businesses, automating plan administration, onboarding, compliance, and recordkeeping to make retirement savings accessible. Founded in 2015 by CEO Kevin Busque, CPO Jeremy Caballero, and CTO Mike Nelson, the company targets underserved SMBs ignored by legacy providers due to low assets under management. On June 16, 2021, Guideline raised $200 million in a Series E funding round led by General Atlantic, with participation from Generation Investment Management, Greyhound Capital, Felicis Ventures, Propel Ventures, Future Planet Capital, Marbruck, Xfund, and others, bringing total funding to $344 million. The round valued the company at a post-money valuation of $1.15 billion, as reported by multiple sources. General Atlantic Managing Director Aaron Goldman joined the board, praising Guideline's holistic platform for employers and employees. At the time, Guideline served over 20,000 small businesses with more than $4.5 billion in assets under management, demonstrating strong growth since its 2016 launch. The funding aims to scale its full-service 401(k) offerings, expand the digital platform, and launch new retirement products to further empower businesses and employees in retirement planning. General Atlantic highlighted Guideline's transparent, modern approach in a legacy market, positioning it for expansion amid rising demand for accessible retirement solutions for SMBs. The company has been recognized as one of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company.
Jul 2020Series DGeneration Investment Management (lead); Greyhound Capital (lead); Lerer Hippeau; BoxGroup; Amex Ventures; Propel Holdings; Felicis; Sand Hill Angels; Tiger Global; Xfund; Gaingels$80M$450MGuideline is a San Mateo-based fintech company founded in 2015 by Kevin Busque, Mike Nelson, and Jeremy Caballero, offering an easy, affordable 401(k) retirement plan tailored for small businesses. It uses a full-stack software solution with a flat monthly fee model charged to employers, avoiding asset-based fees that disadvantage participants, and automates traditionally outsourced processes to make retirement savings accessible. By July 2020, over 13,000 small businesses trusted Guideline, managing more than $2.5 billion in retirement assets, targeting the retirement-savings gap for small businesses underserved by legacy providers. On July 29, 2020, Guideline raised over $80 million in its Series D funding round, co-led by Generation Investment Management and Greyhound Capital, with participation from existing investors including Tiger Global Management, Felicis Ventures, Propel Venture Partners, Lerer Hippeau, Xfund, and BoxGroup. The post-money valuation for this July 2020 round was $500 million. The funds aimed to expand the platform, grow the partner ecosystem, integrate with more small business service providers, and enhance participant resources. Guideline's business model derives 95% of revenue from SaaS subscriptions ($49-$129 per month per business plus $8 per active participant) and 5% from 0.08% annual fees on AUM, significantly lower than traditional 1-2% AUM fees. It achieved initial product-market fit with VC-backed tech startups like Plaid. In August 2025, Gusto agreed to acquire Guideline.
Dec 2018Series CTiger Global (lead); Propel Holdings; Felicis$35M-Guideline, a California-based technology-focused 401(k) startup headquartered in San Mateo with additional offices in Austin, Texas, and Portland, Maine, raised a $35 million Series C funding round on December 12, 2018, led by Tiger Global Management, with participation from existing investors Felicis Ventures and Propel Ventures. This brought the company's total financing to $59 million. The funding was intended to fuel aggressive growth, as stated by Founder and CEO Kevin Busque. At the time, Guideline had nearly doubled its headcount to just under 100 employees in the past year and grew its new plan count by 129 percent year-over-year, achieving 10 percent market share of new 401(k) plans in the U.S. The company had provided over 5,500 small businesses with 401(k) plans and managed approximately $750 million in assets. Two months prior, Guideline launched Guideline for Advisors, a product for wealth managers, which had over 100 active users including financial advisors and accountants, with 1,000 on the waitlist.
Aug 2017Series BFelicis (lead)$15M$85MGuideline is a 401(k) provider for small businesses and startup companies. The company raised $17.49 million in its Series B round on August 8, 2017, led by Felicis Ventures at a post-money valuation of $85 million. The company has since grown significantly, raising over $340 million total in venture capital from prominent investors including General Atlantic, Generation Investment Management, Greyhound Capital, Propel Ventures, Tiger Global Management, and others, reaching a post-money valuation of $1.15 billion in its Series E funding round.
Jul 2016Series APropel Holdings (lead); Red Swan Ventures; Lerer Hippeau; BoxGroup; Evolution VC Partners; New Enterprise Associates; Xfund$7M--
Aug 2015SeedRed Swan Ventures; Lerer Hippeau; David Lyman; SV Angel; BoxGroup; New Enterprise Associates; Xfund; 500 Global$2M--

Who has invested in Guideline?

20 investors have backed Guideline across its funding rounds, including Felicis, Xfund, Propel Holdings, BoxGroup, Lerer Hippeau and New Enterprise Associates.

Lead investors include General Atlantic, Generation Investment Management, Greyhound Capital, Tiger Global, Felicis and 1 other investor.


Guideline Investors

Investors in Guideline by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check
Propel HoldingsCanadaCharlottetown4LeadJul 2016
FelicisUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA4LeadAug 2017
XfundUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA4ParticipantAug 2015
Lerer HippeauUnited StatesNew York City, NY3ParticipantAug 2015
BoxGroupUnited StatesNew York City, NY3ParticipantAug 2015
Red Swan VenturesUnited StatesNew York City, NY2ParticipantAug 2015
New Enterprise AssociatesUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA2ParticipantAug 2015
Tiger GlobalUnited StatesNew York City, NY2LeadDec 2018
Generation Investment ManagementUnited KingdomLondon2LeadJul 2020
Greyhound CapitalUnited KingdomLondon2LeadJul 2020
David LymanUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA1ParticipantAug 2015
SV AngelUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA1ParticipantAug 2015
Future Planet CapitalUnited KingdomLondon1ParticipantJun 2021

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Guideline Competitors

Guideline competitors include listed companies like Teamshares, Freee, TOTVS and PaySauce, and private ones like Deskera and Wrapbook.

Public and private companies comparable to Guideline
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
TeamsharesUnited StatesUnited StatesPublicly listed$472M($23M)$545M1.4x
DeskeraUnited StatesMinneapolis, MNPrivate--$495M-
WrapbookUnited StatesNew York City, NYPrivate--$750M-
FreeeJapanJapanPublicly listed$214M$6M$1.5B4.8x
TOTVSBrazilBrazilPublicly listed$1.1B$318M$3.8B3.2x
PaySauceNew ZealandNew ZealandPublicly listed$4M($582K)$20M1.3x

Guideline Public Comps

Guideline is no longer listed, but its public comps include Teamshares, Miroku Jyoho Service, Nordtech Group, Fujian Boss Software, Baiwang Cloud, AdvancedAdvT, Beisen Holding, Avant Group, Zaggle Prepaid Ocean and 74Software.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
Teamshares$472M($23M)1.7x1.4x(35.0x)33.2x
Miroku Jyoho Service$315M$58M1.1x1.1x6.0x-
Nordtech Group$72M$15M5.1x-25.2x-
Fujian Boss Software$299M$40M2.8x2.9x21.1x21.0x
Baiwang Cloud$109M$433K2.6x2.7x648.3x-
AdvancedAdvT$72M$13M2.5x2.4x14.1x8.9x
Beisen Holding$165M$2M0.3x0.3x22.3x5.2x
Avant Group$181M$35M1.0x0.9x5.3x5.7x

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Common questions about Guideline

When was Guideline founded?Guideline was founded in 2015.
Where is Guideline headquartered?Guideline is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, United States.
Is Guideline publicly listed?No, Guideline was acquired by Gusto in August 2025.
Who acquired Guideline?Guideline was acquired by Gusto in August 2025.
How much was Guideline acquired for?Guideline was acquired for $600M in August 2025, a 4.3x revenue multiple.
What is Guideline's valuation?Guideline was last valued at $1.1B in its Series E in June 2021.
How much funding has Guideline raised?Guideline has raised $339M across 6 funding rounds.
What was Guideline's last funding round?Guideline's last funding round was a $200M Series E in June 2021, led by General Atlantic.
Who are Guideline's investors?Guideline's investors include Propel Holdings, Felicis, Xfund, Lerer Hippeau, BoxGroup, Red Swan Ventures, New Enterprise Associates, Tiger Global, Generation Investment Management, Greyhound Capital and 10 others.
What is Guideline's revenue?Guideline's latest recorded revenue is $120M (June 2021).
What is Guideline's revenue multiple?Guideline's latest valuation implies a 9.6x revenue multiple ($1.1B valuation on $120M of revenue).
Which companies are comparable to Guideline?Companies comparable to Guideline include Teamshares, Deskera, Wrapbook, Freee, TOTVS and PaySauce.

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