What Abacus Hive does

Abacus Hive is a cloud-based, full-service accounting firm founded in 2016 and headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, that exclusively serves nonprofit organizations. The firm delivers a unified stack of bookkeeping, payroll, accounts payable, tax and compliance (including Form 990 preparation), audit liaison, fractional CFO/Controller, and special-projects services — built on industry-standard cloud platforms including QuickBooks Online (primary ledger), Bill.com (AP automation), Gusto (payroll), Dext (receipt capture), and reporting tools Fathom and Workiva. Service delivery is conducted by a fully remote team of CPAs and accounting professionals, several of whom hold AICPA Nonprofit Accounting Certificates (Level I and II), QuickBooks ProAdvisor certifications, and prior Big 4 audit or Fortune 500 FP&A experience.

The firm segments its market by geography and complexity — Local Nonprofits (startup and emerging organizations), National Nonprofits (multi-state entities with 500+ employees/volunteers), and International Nonprofits (operations across 5 countries with multi-currency and subsidiary oversight requirements, e.g., Madagascar operations for Pivot). Abacus Hive markets through its own website, SEO-optimized service pages, detailed case studies, and Calendly-scheduled discovery consultations; it does not appear to use resellers or third-party distribution. Pricing is custom and quote-based, not publicly disclosed.

Commercially, Abacus Hive generates revenue through professional-services engagements (bookkeeping, tax, compliance) and managed/fractional CFO services, with shareholder ownership held by Bobby Arthur (Managing Director), Tina Tran (Co-Founder, Director of Client Success), and Brannon McNeillie (Director of Accounting), alongside Founder Emeritus John Young. The firm is privately held with no institutional investors, no funding rounds, and no disclosed revenue. Documented client outcomes include 23%–69% annual revenue growth at named nonprofit clients, though these figures reflect client revenue rather than Abacus Hive's own growth rate.

Name

Abacus Hive

Legal name

Abacus Hive

Website

https://abacushive.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Abacus Hive is a cloud-based accounting firm founded in 2016 that delivers full-stack nonprofit accounting services — bookkeeping, payroll, audit liaison, tax compliance, and fractional CFO support — to local, national, and international nonprofit organizations across 15+ U.S. states and 5 countries via a remote CPA team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Professional Accounting Services: Full-stack accounting services for nonprofit organizations including bookkeeping, payroll, accounts payable, tax and compliance, audit liaison, financial advisory, and special projects. Services are customized to nonprofit needs across local, national, and international tiers.
2. Fractional CFO/Controller Services: Provides experienced financial professionals to fill senior-level gaps in client organizations, offering immediate support during departures or ongoing advisory needs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Abacus Hive is a cloud-based full-service accounting firm that delivers specialized nonprofit accounting services. Its core offerings include Bookkeeping, Ancillary Services (Payroll and Accounts Payable), Tax & Compliance, Audit Liaison, Financial Advisory/Virtual CFO, and Special Projects. Services are delivered through a fully remote, 100% paperless team using QuickBooks Online, Bill.com, Gusto, and Dext, and are organized into local, national, and international service tiers.

Product overview

Abacus Hive is a cloud-based full-service accounting firm providing specialized nonprofit accounting services. The company's core offering is a unified accounting services platform combining Bookkeeping, Payroll/AP, Tax & Compliance, Audit Liaison, and Financial Advisory/Virtual CFO services. The product portfolio centers on QuickBooks Online as the primary accounting platform, supplemented by add-on modules including Special Projects (conversions, record cleanup, reporting system implementations like Fathom and Workiva), Grant & Restriction Tracking, Multi-Currency & International Support, Chart of Accounts Restructure, and Prior Years Clean-Up. Services are delivered through a remote team using industry-leading cloud applications including Bill.com for AP, Gusto for payroll, and Dext for expense management. The company exclusively serves nonprofits across local, national, and international segments, operating as a 100% paperless, cloud-based firm.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bookkeeping Services Core accounting service that maintains accurate accounting records, financial transactions, and day-to-day financial management for nonprofit organizations. Built on cloud platforms and positioned as the foundation for reliable financial decisions.
• Ancillary Services (Payroll & Accounts Payable)
• Tax & Compliance
• Audit Liaison
• Financial Advisory / Virtual CFO
• Special Projects

Quantifiable outcome

• Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida grew annual revenue by 69%
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bill.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationBill.com is used as the industry-leading AP processing platform for clients. Abacus Hive team is certified on Bill.com to provide accounts payable services to nonprofit clients.
• QuickBookscoreTechnology or IntegrationQuickBooks Online is the primary accounting platform. Team holds QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor status across multiple editions including Premier: Nonprofit Edition and Online Edition.
• GustocoreTechnology or IntegrationGusto is used as the payroll platform for nonprofit clients. Team members are certified on Gusto for payroll processing services.
• DextcoreTechnology or IntegrationDext (formerly Receipt Bank) is used for expense capture and receipt management. Team members hold Dext certifications for client service delivery.
• AICPAcoreTechnology or IntegrationAmerican Institute of Certified Public Accountants certification program. Team members hold AICPA Nonprofit Accounting Certificates (Level I and II). Certified as Nonprofit Certified Public Accountants.
• Knoxville Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business chamber partnership supporting the Knoxville-area nonprofit community and business connections.
• Pledge 1%minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate philanthropy initiative committing 1% of resources to charitable causes. Aligns with Abacus Hive's nonprofit-focused mission and community service values.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Marks Paneth: US accounting firm with a strong nonprofit and behavioral/social services practice offering audit, tax, and advisory services. Comparable in vertical focus and middle-market nonprofit client base.
• Withum: Top-30 US accounting firm with a dedicated Not-for-Profit practice providing audit, tax, and advisory services. Comparable in its focus on nonprofit clients across health and human services, education, and associations.
• CliftonLarsonAllen (CLA): One of the largest US accounting firms with a dedicated nonprofit industry group providing audit, tax, and outsourced accounting services. Most directly comparable nonprofit-specialized firm to Abacus Hive, though substantially larger in scale.
• Plante Moran: Large US accounting and business advisory firm with a strong nonprofit industry group serving healthcare, education, religious, and social service organizations. Competes with Abacus Hive in outsourced accounting and advisory work for mid-sized nonprofits.
• Forvis: Major US accounting firm (formed from the BKD and Dixon Hughes Goodman merger) with a dedicated nonprofit industry team. Provides audit, tax, and outsourced accounting services to nonprofit clients, making it a direct vertical competitor.
• Wipfli: Top-20 US accounting and advisory firm with a deeply established nonprofit practice, offering outsourced accounting, audit, and advisory services. Comparable to Abacus Hive in its vertical specialization but with a national footprint and broader service portfolio.
• PKF O'Connor Davies: Top-30 US accounting and advisory firm with a dedicated nonprofit practice providing audit, tax compliance, and outsourced finance services. Direct competitor for nonprofit outsourced accounting engagements in similar size segments.

Others

• Bonterra: Technology provider serving the nonprofit sector (combining Network for Good, CyberGrants, and other products) for fundraising, grants, and financial operations. Adjacent rather than directly competitive, but reflects the broader verticalization trend in nonprofit back-office tools.
• Sage Intacct: Cloud accounting platform with a strong nonprofit customer base and built-in fund accounting, grant tracking, and multi-entity reporting. Adjacent to Abacus Hive because it is the type of platform some nonprofits could adopt in place of outsourced services.

Broad incumbents

• BDO USA: Global accounting and advisory network with a dedicated Nonprofit & Education practice serving large and complex organizations. Competes for the upper-tier of Abacus Hive's national and international nonprofit clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/abacushive
• Facebookfacebook.com/abacushive

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Abacus Hive