Zest
Zest is a UK-based cloud employee benefits platform serving SMEs through large enterprises with AI-powered benefits management, HR/payroll integrations, and a third-party provider marketplace.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersLeatherhead, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Zest does
Zest is a UK-based employee benefits technology company that provides a cloud-native platform enabling employers to centralise flexible benefits administration, total reward statements, employee discounts, wellbeing services, and a third-party provider marketplace within a single employee portal. The platform integrates with major HR and payroll systems (Workday, ADP, Sage, SDWorx, HiBob, iTrent) and benefits providers (Bupa, UNUM, Legal & General, The People's Pension) to automate eligibility, enrolment, payroll deductions, and reporting, and includes native iOS and Android applications, a Codeless Benefit Builder for visual scheme configuration, an Insights Centre analytics module, an Engagement Centre for targeted communications, and an AI Benefit Consultant that delivers 24/7 conversational support to employees. Zest is certified to ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus and reports an industry-leading NPS of +76.
Zest firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Zest
- Legal name
- Zest Technology Ltd
- Website
- https://zestbenefits.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Zest is a UK-based cloud employee benefits platform serving SMEs through large enterprises with AI-powered benefits management, HR/payroll integrations, and a third-party provider marketplace.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Zest industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Employee Benefits Technology
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computer Systems Design Services (541512), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Benefits Administration (BPACAPAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Benefits Administration & Total Rewards Outsourcing (BPACAKAE), Worksite Financial Wellness & Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) (FSAIAMAN), Managed Workplace Services (DaaS/Workplace-as-a-Service) (BPAEAIAA)
Keywords
Where Zest is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leatherhead
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Zest business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Platform Subscription: Subscription-based pricing tiers (Standard, Advanced, Enterprise) providing access to the employee benefits platform. Different tiers offer varying numbers of benefits included, feature sets, and support levels.
- Technology Licensing: Licensing of Zest technology to channel partners who resell or white-label the platform to their own customers.
- Marketplace Services: Marketplace provides access to third-party benefit providers with competitive rates integrated into the platform.
- Professional Services: Implementation, training, and consultancy services for enterprise deployments. Includes Zest Launch service, group training, and benefits/system consultancy.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Standard - Easy-to-use platform for SMEs with essential benefits management |
| Subscription | Annual | Advanced - Mid-size organisations with enhanced tools to reduce admin and engage employees |
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise - Comprehensive package for large organisations with complex benefits schemes |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Zest product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Zest provides a cloud-based employee benefits management platform that enables organisations to administer, communicate, and manage workplace benefits programmes. The platform supports flexible benefits administration, total reward statements, employee discounts, and AI-powered benefits navigation, integrating with major HR and payroll systems to automate eligibility, reporting, and employee engagement. It serves UK-based employers from SMEs through large enterprises via tiered subscription plans.
Product overview
Zest offers a unified employee benefits technology platform with multiple integrated modules and pricing tiers. The core Employee Benefits Platform serves as the central hub, integrated with the Zest App (native iOS/Android mobile application), Total Reward Statement, Flexible Benefits administration, and Employee Discounts portal. Supporting modules include Zest Insights (analytics), Content Manager (internal content), Engagement Centre (targeted communications), and Zest Wellbeing. The platform is delivered through three pricing tiers: Standard (SME-focused with 5 benefits), Advanced (mid-size with 10 benefits), and Enterprise (complex schemes with 15 benefits). Additional services include Zest Launch (implementation), Zest Helpdesk (support), and Zest Marketplace (third-party provider integration). The platform recently added AI Benefit Consultant for conversational AI support. Zest connects with major HR and payroll systems including Workday, ADP, Sage, SDWorx, iTrent, HiBob, Bupa, UNUM, and Legal and General.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Employee Benefits Platform All-in-one cloud-based employee benefits management platform that enables organisations to administer workplace benefits in one place, integrating with HR and payroll systems to automate eligibility, enrollment, reporting, and communications for employees and HR teams.
- Zest Marketplace One-stop marketplace within the Zest platform that hosts third-party benefit providers offering wellness, financial, travel, and lifestyle benefits with seamless integration and competitive rates.
- Zest Launch Implementation service providing structured onboarding, dedicated consultants, and project management to deploy the Zest benefits platform, enabling go-live in weeks rather than months for new customers.
- Zest Helpdesk UK-based dedicated customer support service providing ongoing assistance with AI-powered employee support and dedicated consultants to customers using the Zest platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- NPS score of +76 indicating industry-leading customer satisfaction
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Zest
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Zest technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
AI capability2 records
Feature8 records
Zest partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Epassi GroupflagshipEpassi Group acquired Zest in June 2025 to expand presence in the UK market and support European growth strategy. The acquisition enhances Epassi's product suite and market position in employee benefits technology. Epassi Group Oy, based in Finland, acts as Zest's EU representative for GDPR compliance purposes.
- SagecoreHR and payroll system integration partner. Zest connects with Sage to automate data sync and eliminate manual administration.
- WorkdaycoreHR system integration partner enabling seamless data synchronisation between Zest benefits platform and Workday HR management.
- ADPcorePayroll integration partner. Zest connects with ADP for automated benefit selections and payroll reporting.
- BupacoreHealth benefits provider integration. Zest connects with Bupa for private medical insurance benefit management.
- UNUMcoreInsurance and benefits provider integration. Zest connects with UNUM for income protection and other insurance products.
- Legal and GeneralcoreFinancial services integration for life insurance and group risk benefits. Zest connects with Legal and General for automated benefit management.
- The People's PensioncorePension provider integration enabling auto-enrolment and pension benefit management through the Zest platform.
- SDWorxcoreEuropean HR and payroll provider integration. Zest connects with SDWorx for comprehensive HR data synchronisation.
- HiBobcoreHRIS platform integration partner. Zest connects with HiBob for employee data sync and benefits eligibility management.
- iTrentcoreHR and payroll software integration. Zest connects with iTrent for automated data exchange and reporting.
- Channel Partners (HR, Finance, Benefits)coreZest partners with companies in HR, finance and benefits industries who resell and licence Zest technology. Partners expand market reach by offering Zest's benefits platform to their own customer bases.
- Newcastle Building SocietyminorCustomer partnership. Newcastle Building Society uses Zest for their employee benefits platform.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Zest competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Benefex: Benefex is a UK-based employee benefits and total reward platform serving mid-market and enterprise customers. It directly competes with Zest in flexible benefits administration, total reward statements, and employee engagement, with overlapping enterprise customer base in the UK.
- Reward Gateway: Reward Gateway provides an employee engagement platform with benefits, recognition, and wellbeing modules for SMBs and enterprises globally. It competes head-to-head with Zest in flexible benefits, employee discounts, and engagement communications, particularly in the UK mid-market.
- Xexec: Xexec is a UK-based employee benefits, discounts, and reward platform focused on flexible benefits and total reward statements. It targets a similar SMB-to-enterprise customer base as Zest with comparable product functionality.
Broad incumbents
- Mercer (Marsh McLennan): Mercer is a global HR consulting and benefits administration firm (now including Thomsons Online Benefits). It competes with Zest at the high end of the enterprise market through Mercer Marsh Benefits and benefits technology platforms, often displacing standalone providers in large multinational deals.
- Willis Towers Watson (WTW): WTW is a global advisory and benefits technology firm offering total reward, flexible benefits, and benefits administration. It competes with Zest for large multinational benefits deals and offers broader risk and actuarial consulting.
- Aon: Aon is a global professional services firm providing benefits administration, total reward, and HR consulting. It competes with Zest in the large enterprise segment, particularly for multinationals seeking consolidated benefits brokerage and administration.
- Workday: Workday is a leading enterprise HCM cloud platform with a native Benefits module integrated into its HCM and payroll suite. It is both an integration partner and a competitor to Zest for mid-market and enterprise customers consolidating onto a single HCM stack.
- ADP: ADP is a global payroll and HCM provider with benefits administration capabilities across its RUN, Vantage HCM, and ADP TotalSource platforms. It competes with Zest in benefits administration for SMBs and mid-market while also being an integration partner.
Emerging players
- Personio: Personio is a European HR and payroll SaaS platform primarily serving SMBs in the UK and DACH. While it does not yet offer a dedicated benefits administration module on par with Zest, it competes in the broader HR tech stack and could expand into benefits over time.
- HiBob: HiBob is a modern HRIS platform for SMB and mid-market employers with growing engagement and people analytics features. It is both an integration partner and adjacent competitor, with potential to extend into benefits administration for its installed base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Zest social profiles
Digital presenceZest compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Zest financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Zest leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Zest funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Zest 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 Zest
What does Zest do?
Zest provides a cloud-based employee benefits management platform that enables organisations to administer, communicate, and manage workplace benefits programmes. The platform supports flexible benefits administration, total reward statements, employee discounts, and AI-powered benefits navigation, integrating with major HR and payroll systems to automate eligibility, reporting, and employee engagement. It serves UK-based employers from SMEs through large enterprises via tiered subscription plans.
Is Zest a public or private company?
Zest is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Zest founded?
Zest was founded in 2005. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Zest based?
Zest is headquartered in Leatherhead, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Zest make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Platform Subscription is the primary driver. The others are technology Licensing, marketplace Services and professional Services.
Who are Zest's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Benefex, Reward Gateway and Xexec. Broad incumbents are Mercer (Marsh McLennan), Willis Towers Watson (WTW), Aon, Workday and ADP. Emerging players are Personio and HiBob.
Does Zest have an API?
No public API is recorded for Zest.
What industry is Zest in?
Zest's product category is Employee Benefits Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACAPAC, Benefits Administration, with a secondary code of BPACAKAE, Benefits Administration & Total Rewards Outsourcing. Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7370.