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Bench , a Canada - base accountancy inauguration that offer software - as - a - service for pocket-sized and intermediate - sized businesses , has abruptly exclude down , according to a notice post onits website .
“ We rue to inform you that as of December 27 , 2024 , the Bench platform will no longer be accessible , ” the posting reads . “ We know this news is abrupt and may cause disruption , so we ’re committed to serve Bench customers navigate through the passage . ”
The ship’s company ’s entire internet site is currently offline except for the notice , leaving thou of business in the stumble . Bench shoot a line sustain more than 35,000 U.S. customers just hours before it was close down , fit in to a snapshotsaved by the Internet Archive .
Bench , which had raised $ 113 million from high - visibility backers such as Shopify and Bain Capital Ventures , spring up a software chopine to help client store and manage their clerking and taxation reporting documents .
The move is a shock to current and former customers . Justin Metros , the co - father and CTO ofRadiator , said years of his company ’s account and tax documents are still stored on the web site , although he no longer uses the political platform . He con about the closedown from TechCrunch .
“ I ’ve never seen anyone just shut down like that , ” Metros enjoin . “ That ’s screwball . ”
Others are airing their concerns on societal medium , withone post , “ as a client , I ’m pissed , ” having just migrate from QuickBooks to Bench .
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Bench ’s notice says its customer should charge a six - month extension with the IRS to “ detect the veracious bookkeeping partner . ” It also aver customers will be able to download their data by December 30 and will have until March 2025 to do so .
The observance recommends customersmigrateto Kick , a unexampled accounting system startupthat announcedits $ 9 million cum raise in October 2024 in a round led by OpenAI and General Catalyst . Kick ’s chief executive officer and beginner , Conrad Wadowski , posteda content on LinkedIn to former Bench users about how Kick is “ exercise to get your financials back in your hands . ”
Bench did not respond to postulation for comment by TechCrunch as of public press time . Wadowski did not react direct to a query from TechCrunch about details of any potential accord or other stage business relationship it had with Bench prior to the shutdown .
“ As you go out on the website , we ’re displace fast and are uncommitted to patronage many of Bench ’s customers with their clerking needs , ” he severalise TechCrunch .
base in 2012 , Bench employed more than 600 staff , according to asnapshot of its “ About ” page . The startup was back by investor , including IT firm Sage , Contour Venture Partners , and Altos Ventures . It wasalso a memberof the TechStars accelerator .
Benchlast raised$60 million in a Series C round in 2021 . Its co - founder and chief operating officer , Ian Crosby , departed before long after .
Crosbyposted on LinkedIntoday that he was “ very sad ” to see Bench shut down , say he had been put back by unknown gameboard member who want to bring in “ a young professional CEO ” to take Bench in a different guidance .
“ I hope the taradiddle of Bench goes on to become a warning for VCs that consider they can ‘ elevate ’ a company by replacing the laminitis . It never works , ” Crosby write .
