Puzzle launches automation for cash and accrual accounting

Accounting solutions provider Puzzle launched its next-generation software for automating both cash and accrual accounting. The release represents the company's expansion to serving all small businesses and private companies after mainly concentrating on the bookkeeping needs of venture-backed startups

"Our goal is to help strengthen the partnership between accountants and their clients, transforming billable hours from repetitive tasks to higher-value work where they can provide greater impact and command higher fees," said Sasha Orloff, co-founder and CEO of Puzzle. "We want to enable every accountant to have the best technology, so they can scale their practices without burning out."

The software's main feature, "programmatic accounting," lets users create and customize GAAP-compliant policies, which Puzzle executes via AI. The program applies proprietary data-checks across the 35 most common inconsistencies and errors for the monthly close. It utilizes a vector database and machine learning rule engine that learns from the individual user's account. Puzzle uses AI to assign a transaction to the spender, who can then reply in an email or Slack in human language, with the LLM matching the category and notifying the accountant. The software can learn more about vendors and transactions in app, without having to open and search from multiple tabs. It automatically drafts bank, card and Stripe payment processor reconciliations, highlighting anomalies and problem areas. Users can also walk through each step manually. The application provides clarity on metrics and trends via a dynamic dashboard integrated with Runway and Causa. 

Overall, the software is capable of automating ingestion, data validation, reconciliations, drafting financial statements, drafting metrics and first reviews. The overall goal, according to Puzzle, is to empower accountants to better advise founders on crucial higher-order objectives such as capital raises, acquisitions, IPOs and long-term financial planning.

"We don't compete with accountants — we empower them to be the real-time financial health experts their clients or companies expect," said Orloff. "We are built by CPAs, auditors, CFOs and founders who all want the same thing: to help every business improve their financial health."

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