Jupid is an AI-based accounting platform designed for small businesses. Jupid’s goal is to deliver affordable and AI-driven accounting and tax compliance for US entrepreneurs with revenues under $300K. The company offers free LLC formation and is forging embedded partnerships with regional banks and credit unions. Slava’s vision is to fully automate accounting, empower small business owners, and potentially redefine the traditional role of the accountant. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Jupid founder and CEO Slava Akulov to gain a deeper understanding of the company.
Slava Akulov’s Background
What is Slava Akulov’s background? Akulov said:
“Eight years ago, I stumbled into a problem that has defined my career since: why does accounting feel like a punishment for starting a business? At Anna Money, I served as operations director, helping UK entrepreneurs manage tax and compliance. We built something rare — tech that worked so well, 12,000 clients were served by a single accountant. That wasn’t a productivity hack. That was a structural shift.”
“But something kept pulling at me: this solution needed to reach more people. Last year, I stepped away from Anna Money to bring this technology to U.S. entrepreneurs. I launched Jupid, focused entirely on automating tax accounting. We aren’t just building tools. We’re rewriting the rules of what’s possible when software becomes a partner, not a hurdle.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Akulov shared:
“Ironically, I studied accounting by mistake. I have mild dyslexia, and filling out tax forms felt like trying to read a map in a language I didn’t speak. Every time I launched a business — a dance school, a grocery store — I found myself buried not in customers, but in compliance.”
“That’s when it hit me: small business owners aren’t confused. They’re overwhelmed. I lived with that anxiety. So I spent seven years building tools to make compliance invisible. Now, with Jupid, we’re going even further: we’re not just helping entrepreneurs do accounting. We’re making it disappear.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Akulov reflected:
“There was a moment when we launched a feature to help users identify fake IRS mail. One founder, nearly in tears, told us: “I was losing sleep over that letter. Your AI explained it in one sentence.” That’s when I knew we were building more than software. We were building peace of mind.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Akulov explained:
“Most accounting software is built for accountants. Jupid is built for entrepreneurs. Think of it like self-driving cars. You can’t build one by upgrading the steering wheel. You have to reimagine the car. Same with accounting: you don’t need better spreadsheets. You need no spreadsheets.”
“With Jupid, you just talk: ‘Send an invoice.’ ‘Did we get paid?’ ‘Can I expense lunch?’ Everything else happens invisibly — compliance, categorization, filing. And we embed all of it directly into banks, so your financial cockpit lives where your money does.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges have Akulov and the team face in building the company? Slava acknowledged:
“Trust. That’s the wall we keep running into. People trust people, not machines — especially with taxes.”
“But slowly, that’s changing. With every answered question, every fine avoided, every seamless filing, we earn it. It’s like teaching someone to ride an elevator who’s only ever used stairs. At first, it feels impossible. Then it becomes obvious.”
“The second challenge is data. Not the kind you find in bank feeds, but the context available only in someone’s head. So we built systems that ask questions, infer patterns, and learn. In order to automate accounting, you first have to understand the entrepreneur.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Akulov noted:
“We started with LLC formation. An AI that walks you through entity setup, files with the Secretary of State, and generates the right documents. But quickly, we realized: that’s just the door. Behind it lies EIN registration, categorizing transactions, reconciling Stripe payments, extracting meaning from chaos.”
“So we built systems that ingest everything — banks, APIs, text messages — and convert it into structured accounting data. It’s not just automation. It’s intelligence.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Akulov cited:
“Our biggest milestone? Getting selected by MDC, the innovation accelerator backed by 80 credit unions — four of them among the top 10 in the U.S.”
“Why does that matter? Because it means our vision isn’t just a pitch. It’s being embedded at the core of financial infrastructure. We’re turning every banking app into a financial command center for entrepreneurs.”
Customer Success Stories
When asking Akulov about customer success stories, he highlighted:
“One of our users opened an LLC and immediately got spam mail that looked official. Panic set in. We realized this was happening everywhere. So we built a tool that lets users forward suspicious letters via WhatsApp or iMessage. Our AI reads it, explains it, and if needed, takes action.”
“What used to be a source of fear became a five-second task. That’s what we mean by emotional safety.”
Funding
When asking Akulov about the company’s funding/revenue details, he revealed:
“We’re in an active fundraising phase, so I’ll hold off on numbers for now. But what I can say is: demand is pulling us forward faster than we expected.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Akulov assessed:
“Our TAM isn’t a category. It’s a behavior: the hours, salaries, and stress small businesses burn on staying compliant.”
“That’s $400 billion annually in the U.S. alone. Not spent on growth. Just on surviving. We’re turning that cost center into a competitive edge.”
“And it matters. The IRS fined 40% of small businesses last year for payroll errors. The average penalty was $30,000. Not because people were negligent. Because the system is broken.”
“Jupid is a pocket CFO, available 24/7 via voice or text. It nudges, checks, files, and explains. Like having a financial brain in your pocket, built on natural language, not accounting jargon.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Akulov affirmed:
“Three things. First, we focus on micro-entrepreneurs — those doing $300K-$400K in revenue.
Second, we built the interface around messaging. You don’t log into a dashboard. You just talk. Third, we embed directly into banking apps. So users don’t adopt a new product. They unlock new power inside something they already trust.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Akulov emphasized:
“We want to replace the accountant with an agent. Not in a confrontational way, but an evolutionary one.”
“An agent that doesn’t sleep. That never forgets a rule. That adapts in real time. We want to democratize the kind of financial clarity that used to cost $300 an hour.”
“That means fewer errors, better decisions, and more time spent building, not bookkeeping.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Akulov concluded:
“Just one: we’re not building accounting software. We’re building freedom. Freedom to start something without fearing forms. Freedom to grow without dreading deadlines. Freedom to be an entrepreneur, not an unpaid compliance officer. That’s the real product. And we think it’s long overdue.”
