Trace
Trace is a workforce planning and spend platform that enables enterprise HR and finance teams to plan and manage headcount. Now part of Paylocity, its capabilities integrate with expense management, AP automation, procurement, and corporate cards.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Trace does
Trace (legally TraceHQ, Inc.) is a workforce planning and spend platform founded in 2018 and headquartered in San Francisco. The platform enables enterprise HR and finance teams to plan and manage headcount, with disclosed customers including NASDAQ and Cloud100 companies such as Lucid, Sprout Social, and LastPass. The product is delivered as enterprise SaaS with pricing that is not publicly disclosed, and the company historically maintained a lean headcount of 11-50 employees.
Following its acquisition by Paylocity (NASDAQ: PCTY), Trace's standalone headcount planning app is being sunset in early 2026 as the capability is integrated into Paylocity's broader finance platform. Within Paylocity, the headcount planning capability sits alongside expense management, AP automation, procurement, and corporate cards, positioning Trace as the workforce planning module within a unified HR and finance stack. The company no longer operates as an independent go-to-market entity.
Prior to the acquisition, Trace raised an $8.3 million Series A in March 2021, led by Greylock and Uncork Capital with participation from FOG Ventures, Nyca Partners, and Redpoint. The founding team is led by CEO and co-founder Mike Gonzalez, with Martin Destagnol as CTO and Matt Gonzalez as VP of Sales and co-founder. The company's revenue model, customer count, contract values, and detailed unit economics are not disclosed in the source data.
Trace firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Trace
- Legal name
- TraceHQ, Inc.
- Website
- https://tracehq.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Trace is a workforce planning and spend platform that enables enterprise HR and finance teams to plan and manage headcount. Now part of Paylocity, its capabilities integrate with expense management, AP automation, procurement, and corporate cards.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Trace industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Workforce Planning Software
- SIC
- Services-Help Supply Services (7363)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Expense Management & Reimbursements Administration (BPACAIAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Accounts Payable Automation & Supplier Payments (FSAGAJAD)
Keywords
Where Trace is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Trace business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Trace product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Trace is a headcount planning and workforce spend management software platform that enables finance and HR teams to plan, model, and manage workforce headcount. The product was originally distributed as a standalone SaaS app at tracehq.com, but following its acquisition by Paylocity, the standalone app is being sunset in early 2026 as the capability is integrated into Paylocity's unified HR and finance platform alongside expense management, AP automation, procurement, and corporate cards.
Product overview
Trace operated as a standalone headcount planning solution and has now been acquired by and integrated into Paylocity. The standalone Trace app will be sunset in early 2026 as the company focuses on Paylocity as the unified platform. Within Paylocity, the Trace headcount planning capability is offered alongside finance tools including expense management, AP automation, procurement, and corporate cards.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Trace Headcount Planning
Companies that use Trace
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Trace technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Trace partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Trace competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Vena Solutions: Vena is a native Excel-integrated FP&A and workforce planning platform serving mid-market and enterprise finance teams. Direct peer for the headcount planning and budgeting use cases Trace sold into.
- Anaplan: Anaplan is a planning platform widely used for headcount, workforce, and financial planning at large enterprises. Directly comparable to Trace on the modeling-driven headcount planning use case and a primary competitor for the same CIO/CFO buyer.
- Pigment: Pigment is a fast-growing business planning platform with strong adoption in headcount, sales, and finance planning. Closely comparable newer-generation competitor to Trace's planning thesis, especially for tech-forward enterprises like Lucid and Sprout Social.
- Planful: Planful is a cloud FP&A and workforce planning platform targeting the office of the CFO. Direct peer on the financial + headcount planning workflow Trace addressed and a frequent head-to-head in mid-market and upper-mid RFPs.
Broad incumbents
- Workday Adaptive Planning: Workday's Adaptive Planning is a leading enterprise EPM/workforce planning suite tightly bundled with Workday HCM and financials. Directly comparable to Trace's headcount planning capability and represents the dominant incumbent Trace competed against at the enterprise tier.
- Paylocity: Paylocity is the NASDAQ-listed HR, finance, and IT platform that acquired Trace and is now integrating headcount planning with expense, AP, procurement, and corporate cards. Comparable as the strategic acquirer and the platform inside which Trace's capabilities now live.
- Workday HCM: Workday HCM is the enterprise HR and financials suite that bundles Adaptive Planning and dominates the enterprise tier. Broad incumbent comparable to Paylocity's broader HR+finance strategy where Trace's capability is being positioned.
- ADP Workforce Now: ADP Workforce Now is a mid-market HR, payroll, and workforce management suite that competes with Paylocity for the same employer buyer. Comparable as the broader platform player where headcount planning increasingly lives as an embedded workflow.
Emerging players
- Mosaic Tech: Mosaic is an FP&A and headcount planning platform used by high-growth tech companies. Closely comparable emerging peer to Trace on the workforce planning use case for venture-backed and public-company-ready customers.
- Cube Software: Cube is a financial planning and analysis platform with native Google Sheets/Excel integration and headcount modeling. Comparable to Trace on the headcount planning workflow and a credible newer entrant in the same buyer conversation.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Trace social profiles
Digital presenceTrace financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Trace leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Trace funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Trace M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Trace
What does Trace do?
Trace is a headcount planning and workforce spend management software platform that enables finance and HR teams to plan, model, and manage workforce headcount. The product was originally distributed as a standalone SaaS app at tracehq.com, but following its acquisition by Paylocity, the standalone app is being sunset in early 2026 as the capability is integrated into Paylocity's unified HR and finance platform alongside expense management, AP automation, procurement, and corporate cards.
Is Trace a public or private company?
Trace is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Trace founded?
Trace was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Trace based?
Trace is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Trace's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Vena Solutions, Anaplan, Pigment and Planful. Broad incumbents are Workday Adaptive Planning, Paylocity, Workday HCM and ADP Workforce Now. Emerging players are Mosaic Tech and Cube Software.
Does Trace have an API?
No public API is recorded for Trace.
What industry is Trace in?
Trace's product category is Workforce Planning Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAIAH, Expense Management & Reimbursements Administration, with a secondary code of FSAGAJAD, Accounts Payable Automation & Supplier Payments. Its SIC code is 7363.