Oyster
Oyster is a global Employer of Record platform enabling companies to hire, pay, and manage distributed workforces in 180+ countries without local entity setup, serving 2,000+ SMB and mid-market clients via subscription pricing and API-driven partner channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersCharlotte, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Oyster does
Oyster is a global employment platform that enables companies to hire, pay, and manage distributed workforces across 180+ countries without establishing local legal entities. Its core product is the Employer of Record (EOR) service, which assumes legal employer responsibility for international employees on behalf of client companies, handling compliant onboarding (often in as little as 48 hours), localized contracts, benefits administration, multi-currency payroll in 140+ currencies, and tax/regulatory compliance in each jurisdiction. The platform is supplemented by Global Contractors management ($29/contractor/month), People Partner Services (white-glove HR advisory at $300/hour), Employee Benefits administration, Visa Sponsorship, US PEO services, and developer-facing tools including a public API and the Oyster Embedded product that enables HRIS, ATS, and payroll platforms to white-label or integrate Oyster's global employment infrastructure. Underlying capabilities include a centralized platform with native integrations to HRIS (HiBob, BambooHR, Workday, Personio, Humaans), ATS (Greenhouse, Ashby, Workable), and accounting systems (Quickbooks, Xero), plus AI-augmented support via Oyster AI chatbot and analytics tools like Snowflake Cortex and Microsoft Clarity.
Oyster operates on a subscription-based revenue model priced per employee ($699/month for full-time EOR) or per contractor ($29/month), with enterprise volume discounts and quote-based pricing for larger deployments. Go-to-market is multi-motion: enterprise field sales with consultative demos for mid-market and complex EOR deployments; self-service signup for contractor management; and a partner/API channel via Oyster Embedded that enables resellers and integrated platforms to earn revenue share. Customer concentration is distributed across 2,000+ companies spanning SMB and mid-market segments in technology/SaaS, media, nonprofit, fintech, and healthcare. The company is B Corp certified, GDPR compliant, and adheres to the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, supporting its positioning as a values-led, compliance-first EOR provider.
Founded in 2020 by Tony Jamous and Jack Mardack, Oyster is headquartered (legally) in Wilmington, Delaware, with a fully distributed team of 600+ employees across 60+ countries. The company has raised $291 million across six funding rounds, achieving unicorn status at its April 2022 Series C ($150M, Georgian lead, $1B+ valuation) and maintaining that status through its September 2024 Series D ($59M, Silver Lake Waterman lead, $1.2B valuation). Notable institutional investors include Stripes, Georgian, Silver Lake Waterman, Salesforce Ventures, LinkedIn, Okta, Emergence Capital, and the Slack Fund, with ServiceNow Ventures adding a $5M strategic investment in November 2024. Leadership transitioned in 2026 from founder Tony Jamous to Hadi Moussa as CEO. The company has no parent, no subsidiaries, and no public listing.
Oyster firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Oyster
- Legal name
- Oyster HR, Inc.
- Website
- https://oysterhr.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Oyster is a global Employer of Record platform enabling companies to hire, pay, and manage distributed workforces in 180+ countries without local entity setup, serving 2,000+ SMB and mid-market clients via subscription pricing and API-driven partner channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Oyster industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Global Employment / Employer of Record (EOR) Software
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Global Employer of Record (EOR) Services (BPACAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- HRIS/HCM Implementation & EOR Platform Services (BPACAHAJ), Onboarding, Offboarding & Employee Lifecycle Administration (BPACAHAL), Equity Compensation & Global Share Plan Administration (BPACAHAI), Agent of Record (AOR) for Staffing & Payrolling (BPACAHAF)
Keywords
Where Oyster is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charlotte
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Oyster business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Employer of Record (EOR) Subscription: Monthly subscription model charging per employee hired through the EOR service. Includes compliant onboarding, payroll processing, benefits administration, and HR support. Pricing is USD 699 per employee/month for full-time employees.
- Global Contractors Management: Subscription model for managing global contractors at USD 29 per contractor/month. Includes compliant agreements, onboarding, and payment processing.
- People Partner Services: Hourly consulting service at USD 300 per hour for strategic HR advisory, including global HR guidance, people strategy, and hands-on execution support.
- Oyster Embedded - Revenue Share/Reselling: Platform partners can earn revenue through standard revenue share (commission on customer usage) or reselling (own pricing and billing). Enables HR/ATS platforms to embed EOR capabilities.
- US PEO Services: Professional Employer Organization services for US payroll, benefits, and HR outsourcing. Partners with established PEO serving 1.24M+ employees and processing $58B+ in annual payroll.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Employer of Record - Hire full-time employees globally |
| Subscription | Monthly | Global Contractors - Manage global contractors |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | People Partner Services - White-glove HR advisory |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Oyster Embedded - Platform partnership |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Oyster product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Oyster is a global employment platform that acts as an Employer of Record (EOR), enabling companies to compliantly hire, onboard, pay, and manage full-time employees and contractors in 180+ countries without establishing local legal entities. The platform combines automated employment workflows (contracts, payroll, benefits) with in-country HR experts and supports global payroll across 140+ currencies, with core pricing at USD 699 per employee per month and USD 29 per contractor per month.
Product overview
Oyster is a global employment platform providing a unified EOR-based solution for hiring, paying, and managing distributed workforces globally. The core offering is the Employer of Record (EOR) service complemented by Global Contractors management, both powered by a centralized platform with native integrations to popular HRIS, ATS, and accounting systems. Additional value-added services include People Partner Services (advisory), Employee Benefits administration, Visa Sponsorship, and US PEO services. The platform also offers a Developer API for custom integrations and Oyster Embedded for platform partners wanting to white-label global employment capabilities. Coverage spans 180+ countries with compliant employment contracts, automated payroll processing, and localized benefits.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Employer of Record (EOR) Core EOR service enabling companies to hire full-time employees in 180+ countries without setting up local entities. Oyster handles compliant onboarding, payroll, contracts, benefits, and employment responsibilities. Pricing is USD 699 per employee/month.
- Global Contractors Service for onboarding, managing, and paying contractors globally with compliant agreements and payments across multiple countries. Pricing is USD 29 per contractor/month. Includes contractor-to-full-time conversion capabilities.
- Salary Insights Compensation data tool providing salary bands and benefits information across 130+ countries to help companies build competitive and equitable compensation packages.
- People Partner Services White-glove HR advisory service providing project-based expertise including global HR guidance, people strategy, and hands-on execution support. Priced at USD 300 per hour.
- Employee Benefits Benefits administration service allowing companies to offer competitive, tailored benefits reflecting cultural norms and meeting regulatory requirements across countries.
- Visa Sponsorship Immigration support service helping global candidates obtain visas with streamlined application process and expert guidance for employee relocation.
- US PEO Professional Employer Organization service for US payroll, benefits, and HR outsourcing, with access to one of the nation's most experienced PEOs serving 1.24M+ employees and processing $58B+ in annual payroll.
- Oyster Embedded Embedded infrastructure product enabling HR, payroll, and ATS platforms to offer global hiring capabilities directly inside their own products through three integration paths: Quick Links (co-branded), Embeddable Modules (drop-in components), and Full API (native experience with white labeling).
Quantifiable outcome
- Compliant onboarding in as fast as 48 hours in 180+ countries
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Oyster
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Oyster technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration14 records
AI capability4 records
Feature8 records
Oyster partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- RoamrminorRoamr for Friends enables employees to stay with friends or colleagues during work trips. Oyster uses this platform to reduce travel expenses and improve employee experience for distributed teams.
- Everest GroupcoreEverest Group conducted research commissioned by Oyster on global employment complexity, finding that automation alone cannot address global hiring complexity and organizations require integrated human expertise alongside technology.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Oyster competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Oyster social profiles
Digital presenceOyster compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Oyster financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Oyster leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Oyster funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors22 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Oyster M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Oyster
What does Oyster do?
Oyster is a global employment platform that acts as an Employer of Record (EOR), enabling companies to compliantly hire, onboard, pay, and manage full-time employees and contractors in 180+ countries without establishing local legal entities. The platform combines automated employment workflows (contracts, payroll, benefits) with in-country HR experts and supports global payroll across 140+ currencies, with core pricing at USD 699 per employee per month and USD 29 per contractor per month.
Is Oyster a public or private company?
Oyster is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Oyster founded?
Oyster was founded in 2020. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Oyster based?
Oyster is headquartered in Charlotte, United States, in the North America region.
How does Oyster make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Employer of Record (EOR) Subscription is the primary driver. The others are global Contractors Management, people Partner Services, oyster Embedded - Revenue Share/Reselling and US PEO Services.
Does Oyster have an API?
Yes. Oyster offers a public API that enables developers to connect the Oyster Platform to third-party systems for data transmission including personal data, and provides additional functionality. The Developer Service allows partners and customers to build integrations. Oyster also provides Oyster Embedded with Full API option for platforms wanting total control over the user interface, enabling partial to complete white labeling with global employment engine powering compliance and payroll logic behind the scenes. Developer documentation is at www.oysterhr.com/developer-api.
What industry is Oyster in?
Oyster's product category is Global Employment / Employer of Record (EOR) Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAHAA, Global Employer of Record (EOR) Services, with a secondary code of BPACAHAJ, HRIS/HCM Implementation & EOR Platform Services. Its SIC code is 7361.