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Wurk offers a specialized human capital management (HCM) platform for highly regulated industries. It integrates workforce management, covering HR, recruitment, and benefits administration. The platform also provides comprehensive payroll, tax services, and essential compliance and risk management tools, enabling clients to efficiently navigate complex regulatory landscapes.
Founded in 2015 by Keegan Peterson, Wurk addressed a market need. Peterson observed traditional HR and payroll systems struggled with unique federal and state regulatory complexities of legal cannabis businesses. This insight drove a purpose-built solution for compliant, efficient workforce operations in this emerging sector.
Wurk primarily serves cannabis, hemp, and CBD companies, and other regulated markets. The company envisions establishing a new operational standard for human capital management, fostering industry normalization and stable growth through robust, compliant workforce solutions.
Wurk has raised $20.0M across 3 funding rounds.
Wurk has raised $20.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Wurk has raised $20.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $17.0M Series A in February 2019.
| Date | Company | Round | Lead Investor(s) | Co-Investor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 9, 2021 | ABL Workspaces | $690K Pre-Series A | Wurk | — |
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2019 | $17M Series A | Poseidon Asset Management, Arcadian Capital Management | Altitude Ventures, Phyto Partners, Salveo Capital, The ArcView Group | Announced |
| Apr 1, 2017 | $2M Seed | — | Poseidon Asset Management | Announced |
| Nov 1, 2016 | $1M Seed | — | Poseidon Asset Management, Richard Kimball, CanopyBoulder, Troy Dayton | Announced |
Würk is a Denver-based software company founded in 2015 that provides a comprehensive Human Capital Management (HCM) platform tailored for the cannabis industry and other highly regulated sectors. Its all-in-one solution handles payroll processing, HR management, timekeeping, scheduling, compliance, recruiting, benefits administration, and workforce analytics, enabling cannabis businesses to navigate complex regulations, financial restrictions, and operational challenges while ensuring accurate, on-time employee payments.[1][2][3][4][5] Serving small businesses to multi-state enterprises across 50 states and over 5,000 jurisdictions, Würk has processed $4 billion in payroll and reached 50,000 end-user customers (EUCs), with $17.5 million in total funding including a $3.5 million oversubscribed Series AA round in 2021.[1][2] The company minimizes compliance risks, streamlines banking, and supports growth in an industry often underserved by traditional providers.[4][5]
Würk was founded in 2015 in Denver, Colorado, with a mission to equip the cannabis industry with technology for accurate, on-time payroll and HCM solutions amid regulatory uncertainty.[1][2][5] The idea emerged from the need to help underserved cannabis businesses manage rapid growth, comply with evolving laws, and normalize their operations—filling gaps left by standard payroll providers unable to handle cannabis-specific banking and tax complexities.[2][4][5] Early traction came quickly: by 2016, Würk partnered with UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) and implemented its first client.[2] Key milestones include establishing operational excellence with SOPs, audits, and data security in 2021; launching a dedicated Customer Success team in 2022; hitting 50,000 EUCs and $4B in payroll movement in 2023; a full rebrand, first acquisition, and new tools like compensation benchmarking in 2024; and expanding to other regulated industries while winning UKG Partner of the Year in 2025.[2]
Würk rides the wave of cannabis industry legalization and maturation, now a multi-billion-dollar U.S. market with operations in all 50 states, where federal banking barriers (e.g., Schedule I status) create unique HCM pain points.[1][3][4][5] Timing is ideal as state-level regulations proliferate, demanding specialized compliance tools—Würk's 10-year focus positions it ahead of generalists, influencing the ecosystem by normalizing cannabis as a legitimate economy through reliable payroll and HR that enable scaling.[2][5] It competes with niche players like Flowhub (retail POS) and Green Check (financial compliance) but stands out in end-to-end HCM, while expanding to other regulated sectors amplifies its impact on fintech-HR hybrids amid broader workforce tech trends like remote work and data-driven insights.[2][3]
Würk's trajectory points to deeper penetration in cannabis and adjacent regulated industries (e.g., via 2025 expansions), leveraging its UKG partnership, acquisitions, and analytics innovations to capture more market share as legalization accelerates.[2][4] Trends like AI-driven workforce optimization, multi-state compliance automation, and fintech integrations will shape its path, potentially driving further funding or exits amid HCM consolidation. Its influence could evolve from cannabis pioneer to regulated-industry leader, fortifying businesses against uncertainty just as it started a decade ago—equipping them not just to comply, but to thrive.[1][2][5]
Wurk has raised $20.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Wurk's investors include Poseidon Asset Management, Arcadian Capital Management, Altitude Ventures, Phyto Partners, Salveo Capital, The ArcView Group, Richard Kimball, CanopyBoulder, Troy Dayton.
