Dark Horse CPAs
Dark Horse CPAs is a fully virtual, cloud-based accounting, tax, and advisory firm serving small businesses and high-net-worth individuals across 50+ U.S. markets through a national network of Principals, with sub-brands in cannabis, private wealth, and esports.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSan Diego, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Dark Horse CPAs does
Dark Horse CPAs is a fully virtual, cloud-based accounting, tax, and advisory firm headquartered in San Diego, serving small businesses and high-net-worth individuals across more than 50 U.S. markets. The firm was co-founded by Chase Birky (CEO) and Max Fritz (COO), with Justin Kurn as Chief Revenue Officer and Chris Davis as Chief Technology Officer, and operates with a distributed workforce of 101–250 employees organized around a network of Principals and Associate Principals. Its core services span Tax Strategy, Tax Compliance and Preparation, R&D Tax Credit, Bookkeeping, Outsourced Accounting, Fractional CFO, and Business Valuation for business clients, plus Personal Tax Advisory, Cost Segregation, Foreign Tax Compliance, and Estate and Trust Compliance for individuals. Specialized wholly-owned sub-brands — Dark Horse Cannabis CPAs, Dark Horse Private Wealth, Dark Horse Cowork, and an Esports and Content Creators CPA practice — extend the firm into vertical niches and adjacent services.
The firm runs entirely on cloud-based, paperless infrastructure with SOC 2 Type II compliance and integrates with third-party platforms including QuickBooks, Xero, Gusto, and Mindbody. The Dark Horse Accelerator Program functions as an internal training and practice-ownership pipeline that converts client-service CPAs into revenue-bearing Principals within the firm. Dark Horse generates revenue primarily through recurring subscription-style engagements (monthly bookkeeping, fractional CFO, wealth advisory) combined with project-based fees (tax preparation, valuations, R&D credit studies), with pricing customized through a 9-step online consultation questionnaire rather than published rate cards. The firm is bootstrapped and privately held, with no disclosed institutional investment, and has expanded in part through tuck-in acquisitions including the 2023 merger with McLain, Hill, Rugg & Associates.
Dark Horse CPAs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dark Horse CPAs
- Legal name
- Dark Horse CPAs
- Website
- https://darkhorse.cpa
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Dark Horse CPAs is a fully virtual, cloud-based accounting, tax, and advisory firm serving small businesses and high-net-worth individuals across 50+ U.S. markets through a national network of Principals, with sub-brands in cannabis, private wealth, and esports.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Dark Horse CPAs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Diego
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Dark Horse CPAs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Tax Services: Tax preparation, planning, and strategy services for businesses and individuals, including business tax strategy, R&D tax credits, cryptocurrency taxation, multi-state filings, and international tax compliance.
- Accounting & Bookkeeping Services: Outsourced accounting, bookkeeping, and financial reporting services. Includes monthly close management, KPI dashboards, cash flow analysis, and forecasting.
- Fractional CFO Services: Strategic finance leadership providing CFO-level advisory including budgeting, forecasting, board-level reporting, and financial strategy without full-time hire costs.
- Private Wealth Management: Integrated wealth management services balancing tax efficiency with investment performance, including financial planning, retirement planning, and investment strategy.
- Business Valuations: Business valuation services for exit planning, succession planning, and strategic decision-making.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Custom engagement-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels9 records
Dark Horse CPAs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dark Horse CPAs is a fully virtual, cloud-based CPA firm delivering tax strategy, tax compliance, bookkeeping, outsourced accounting, fractional CFO, and business valuation services to small businesses across the United States, alongside personal tax, estate, wealth management, and specialized services such as cannabis and esports CPA support. The firm operates through dedicated CPA teams matched to clients via a 9-step consultation intake, with no physical offices and a national footprint across 50+ U.S. locations.
Product overview
Dark Horse CPAs is a full-service accounting, tax, business advisory, and wealth management firm offering a unified platform of services for small businesses, high-net-worth individuals, and specialized industries across the United States. The core portfolio comprises Tax Strategy, Tax Compliance & Preparation, R&D Tax Credit, Bookkeeping, Outsourced Accounting, Fractional CFO, Business Valuations, and Cybersecurity Advisory for business clients; and Cost Segregation, Foreign Tax Compliance, and Estate & Trust Compliance for personal clients. These are supplemented by two sub-brands — Dark Horse Cannabis CPAs and the Esports & Content Creators CPA — addressing niche vertical industries. The firm's Private Wealth Management sub-brand, accessible through pw.darkhorse.cpa, provides integrated investment advisory that balances tax efficiency with financial planning, including retirement, equity compensation, and real estate strategy. The Dark Horse Accelerator Program is an internal enablement track that trains and promotes CPAs to principal-level practice ownership within the firm. The offering is entirely cloud-based, paperless, and virtual-first, leveraging QuickBooks, Xero, and Gusto integrations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Dark Horse Cannabis CPAs: Specialized accounting and tax services for cannabis industry businesses
- Dark Horse Private Wealth
- Dark Horse Cowork
- Dark Horse Accelerator Program
Products and services
- Business Tax Strategy
- Business Tax Compliance & Preparation
- R&D Tax Credit
- Bookkeeping
- Outsourced Accounting
- Fractional CFO
- Business Valuations
- Cybersecurity Advisory
- Personal Tax Strategy
- Cost Segregation
- Foreign Tax Compliance & Preparation
- Estate & Trust Compliance & Preparation
- Private Wealth Management
- Dark Horse Cannabis CPAs
- Esports & Content Creators CPA
Quantifiable outcome
- 80% Net Promoter Score vs. 38-39% industry average
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Dark Horse CPAs
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Dark Horse CPAs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature2 records
Dark Horse CPAs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- QuickBookscoreQuickBooks integration for accounting and bookkeeping services. The firm utilizes QuickBooks as a primary accounting platform for client bookkeeping, financial reporting, and CFO advisory services.
- XerocoreXero cloud accounting software integration for client accounting services. The firm supports both QuickBooks and Xero platforms for client bookkeeping and financial management.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Dark Horse CPAs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- FinancePal: FinancePal is a virtual accounting and CFO services firm for SMBs, providing bookkeeping, tax, payroll, and advisory on a subscription basis — closely aligned with Dark Horse's offering suite and target customer profile.
- Bench (Employer.com): Bench is a virtual bookkeeping and accounting platform targeting SMBs with monthly bookkeeping, financial statements, and tax preparation — closely aligned with Dark Horse's recurring accounting service model and SMB focus.
- 1-800Accountant: 1-800Accountant is a virtual accounting and tax firm serving SMBs and individuals with subscription-based bookkeeping, tax, and advisory services — a near-direct comparator to Dark Horse's virtual-first CPA delivery model and target customer.
- Ignite Spot Accounting Services: Ignite Spot is a virtual accounting firm providing bookkeeping, controller, CFO, and tax services to SMBs — directly comparable to Dark Horse in service mix, virtual delivery model, and SMB target market.
- Xendoo: Xendoo is a cloud-based bookkeeping, accounting, and tax firm serving SMBs through a subscription model — directly comparable to Dark Horse's outsourced accounting and tax offerings in both product mix and customer profile.
- Pilot: Pilot provides outsourced bookkeeping, accounting, and fractional CFO services to startups and SMBs via a tech-enabled virtual delivery model — directly competing with Dark Horse's accounting and fractional CFO offerings for the SMB segment.
Emerging players
- Botkeeper: Botkeeper is an AI-enabled bookkeeping automation platform serving accounting firms and SMBs — competing at the lower end of Dark Horse's bookkeeping stack while potentially enabling automation of Dark Horse's own bookkeeping processes.
- GreenGrowth CPAs: GreenGrowth CPAs specializes in tax, accounting, and CFO services for the cannabis industry — directly comparable to Dark Horse's Dark Horse Cannabis CPAs sub-brand in both vertical and service offering.
Broad incumbents
- BDO USA: BDO USA is a top-10 global accounting and advisory firm offering tax, audit, and consulting — represents the broader incumbent competition Dark Horse faces when serving larger SMBs and growth-stage clients seeking audit-grade services.
- CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA): CLA is a top-10 U.S. accounting firm serving SMBs, individuals, and advisory clients — overlapping with Dark Horse's SMB tax and advisory space but as a broader, traditional full-service firm with deeper geographic density.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Dark Horse CPAs social profiles
Digital presenceDark Horse CPAs compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Dark Horse CPAs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dark Horse CPAs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Dark Horse CPAs subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Dark Horse CPAs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dark Horse CPAs 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 Dark Horse CPAs
What does Dark Horse CPAs do?
Dark Horse CPAs is a fully virtual, cloud-based CPA firm delivering tax strategy, tax compliance, bookkeeping, outsourced accounting, fractional CFO, and business valuation services to small businesses across the United States, alongside personal tax, estate, wealth management, and specialized services such as cannabis and esports CPA support. The firm operates through dedicated CPA teams matched to clients via a 9-step consultation intake, with no physical offices and a national footprint across 50+ U.S. locations.
Is Dark Horse CPAs a public or private company?
Dark Horse CPAs is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Dark Horse CPAs founded?
Dark Horse CPAs was founded in 2015. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Dark Horse CPAs based?
Dark Horse CPAs is headquartered in San Diego, United States, in the North America region.
How does Dark Horse CPAs make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Tax Services are the primary driver. The others are accounting & Bookkeeping Services, fractional CFO Services, private Wealth Management and business Valuations.
Who are Dark Horse CPAs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are FinancePal, Bench (Employer.com), 1-800Accountant, Ignite Spot Accounting Services, Xendoo and Pilot. Emerging players are Botkeeper and GreenGrowth CPAs. Broad incumbents are BDO USA and CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA).
Does Dark Horse CPAs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dark Horse CPAs.