Hnry

Early Funding Path

Angel → VC

First Customers

Freelancers & contractors

Founded (Year)

2017

Key Tactics

All‑in‑one tax payments

Type

Independent Contractor / Fintech

Vertical

Prosumer

Website

hnry.co.nz

Co-founders James and Claire Fuller self-funded Hnry’s launch in April 2017 and re-invested early revenue; subsequent capital rounds, including a A$35 M Series B in 2023 led by AirTree Ventures with participation from Left Lane Capital, Athletic Ventures, Icehouse Ventures, and Akshay Kothari, underwrote re-platforming and international expansion.

The first customers were freelancers and contractors who signed up to the minimum viable product and helped shape the service.

Startup Rollercoaster

The Spark

In 2017, the founders recognised that contractors and freelancers struggled with tax compliance and admin. They built a bare-bones product to handle invoicing and tax filings, launching “classic startup style” with a handful of early adopters.

The Peak

Those first users validated the idea and spread it by word-of-mouth. Hnry scaled rapidly across New Zealand, launched in Australia in 2020, and grew to serve tens of thousands of sole traders with a team of more than 100.

The Drop

Growth exposed the limits of the original platform. The team found it difficult to add new features quickly while maintaining stability and reliability.

The Reset

Hnry rebuilt (“re-platformed”) its core service to support scale, then added features such as expense management, receipt capture, a Hnry debit card, and richer payment options.

The Discipline

By staying focused on automation, compliance and customer support, Hnry earned trust from sole traders. Pricing remained simple — 1% of income plus GST, capped annually — while the company continued to iterate and improve.

The Climb

Capital raises funded growth into Australia and, in 2025, the UK. Industry recognition followed, including a Deloitte Fast 50 regional win and acknowledgment that Hnry now processes around 1% of New Zealand’s total tax take — a marker of both reach and reliability.

New Zealand Start-a-Startup Wiki