Launchways
Launchways is a Chicago-based HR consulting firm offering strategic HR, managed payroll, employee benefits brokerage, and business insurance services to fast-growing U.S. small and mid-sized businesses. Since 2019 it has operated as a division of Patriot Growth Insurance Services, leveraging Patriot's 46-location nationwide network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Launchways does
Launchways is a Chicago-headquartered HR consulting firm that provides strategic people solutions to fast-growing small and mid-sized U.S. businesses. Its service portfolio spans four core areas — Human Resources (compliance support, HRIS software advisory, strategic HR consulting, and M&A advisory), Managed Payroll (end-to-end administration and outsourced compliance), Employee Benefits (brokerage, consulting, and administration covering thousands of insured lives), and Business Insurance (including group captive solutions). Adjacent offerings include a PEO Alternative service for companies exiting Professional Employer Organization arrangements. The underlying technology stack is light and advisory-led: Launchways leverages HRIS software, automated payroll processing, employee satisfaction survey tools, and HR analytics platforms rather than operating a proprietary software product, and the firm has no developer-facing APIs, SDKs, or disclosed AI/ML capability.
The business model is a sales-led, relationship-based trusted-advisor model with quote-based, multi-year contract pricing tailored to client headcount and service mix. Revenue is generated through four streams: benefits brokerage commissions (subscription/recurring), HR consulting and payroll administration fees (professional services), business insurance commissions and consulting fees (subscription/recurring), and PEO exit services (professional services). Customer acquisition is driven by direct sales (phone/email outreach), content marketing through an active HR/leadership blog, email newsletters, social media, webinars, and a curated CEO/HR/Finance resource library.
Since 2019, Launchways has operated as a division of Patriot Growth Insurance Services, LLC, gaining access to Patriot's 46 coast-to-coast office locations and a combined client base of more than 7,000 customers. The firm is privately held, has 11-50 employees, and is led by President Stacey Gierut with Tim Taylor as VP of Business Insurance. Named customers are predominantly venture-backed SMBs and startups (Packback, Booksy, Spice House, Next Step Test Prep, Mursion), positioning Launchways in the high-growth SMB HR advisory niche rather than the enterprise segment.
Launchways firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Launchways
- Legal name
- Launchways (A Division of Patriot Growth Insurance Services, LLC)
- Website
- https://launchways.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Launchways is a Chicago-based HR consulting firm offering strategic HR, managed payroll, employee benefits brokerage, and business insurance services to fast-growing U.S. small and mid-sized businesses. Since 2019 it has operated as a division of Patriot Growth Insurance Services, leveraging Patriot's 46-location nationwide network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Launchways industry classification
Industry- Product category
- HR Consulting & Employee Benefits Brokerage
- NAICS
- Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Strategic Partnerships, Alliances & JVs Advisory (BPAHADAI)
Keywords
Where Launchways is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Launchways business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Benefits Brokerage: Launchways operates as an employee benefits broker offering innovative, cost-controlled benefits packages. Their benefits brokerage covers thousands of employee lives and generates revenue through commissions from insurance carriers.
- HR Consulting Services: Strategic HR consulting services including compliance support, payroll administration, HRIS software, mergers & acquisitions advisory, performance management, and training & development. Revenue generated through consulting fees.
- Business Insurance: Business insurance services including group captive insurance solutions. Revenue generated through insurance commissions and consulting fees.
- PEO Alternative Services: PEO exit services helping businesses transition away from PEO arrangements, providing managed HR infrastructure as an alternative.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise solutions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Launchways product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Launchways is a strategic HR consulting and advisory firm that provides scalable people solutions for growing businesses. Its core offerings include Human Resources consulting (compliance, HRIS software advisory, strategic HR consulting, and M&A support), end-to-end Managed Payroll administration, Employee Benefits brokerage/consulting/administration, and Business Insurance packages including group captive insurance. The firm operates as a trusted advisor model, bundling administrative, advisory, and brokerage services for clients that lack internal HR infrastructure.
Product overview
Launchways is an HR consulting firm offering strategic people solutions for growing businesses. The company provides a portfolio of advisory and administrative services organized around four core areas: Human Resources (compliance, HRIS advisory, strategic consulting, and M&A support), Managed Payroll (end-to-end payroll administration and compliance), Employee Benefits (brokerage, consulting, and administration covering thousands of lives), and Business Insurance (including group captive options). Additional services include PEO Alternative exit services and specialized HR advisory offerings. Launchways is a division of Patriot Growth Insurance Services and serves over 7,000 clients across 46 U.S. locations, positioning itself as a trusted strategic advisor rather than a software product provider.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Human Resources Comprehensive HR infrastructure services for growing businesses, covering compliance support, HRIS software evaluation, mergers & acquisitions HR support, and strategic consulting on performance management, strategy & culture, talent strategy, training & development, and compensation strategy.
- Managed Payroll End-to-end administered payroll processing and outsourced compliance services designed for growing businesses that need hands-off payroll operations.
- Employee Benefits Innovative, cost-controlled employee benefits packages delivered through benefits brokerage, consulting, and administration services, covering thousands of employee lives.
- Business Insurance Comprehensive, cost-effective business insurance packages with group captive insurance options, designed to proactively protect growing businesses from financial liability.
- PEO Alternative Exit services for companies transitioning away from Professional Employer Organization (PEO) arrangements, providing managed HR infrastructure as an alternative scalable people solution.
Quantifiable outcome
- Tens of thousands of dollars in annual savings on employee benefits for small businesses
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Launchways
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Launchways technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Launchways partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Patriot Growth Insurance Services, LLCcoreIn 2019, Launchways joined Patriot Growth Insurance Services as a division. As part of the Patriot powerhouse of best-in-class brokers across the US, Launchways offers cutting-edge technology, innovative benefits solutions, and high-level service to clients. Patriot has 46 locations spanning coast-to-coast and serves over 7,000 clients.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Launchways competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- OneDigital: OneDigital is one of the largest US HR/benefits/insurance advisory firms for mid-market and growing businesses — directly comparable in target customer, bundled service model (HR, benefits, retirement, insurance), and trusted-advisor GTM.
- M3 Insurance: M3 Insurance is a top-50 US insurance brokerage and HR/benefits advisory firm focused on mid-market employers across multiple states — closely comparable specialty brokerage model covering benefits, commercial insurance, and risk solutions.
Broad incumbents
- USI Insurance Services: USI is a large PE-backed insurance brokerage roll-up delivering benefits, property/casualty, and retirement solutions to mid-market and enterprise clients — comparable bundled approach to Launchways via Patriot's platform strategy but at much greater scale.
- Hub International: Hub International is a major North American insurance brokerage and risk management firm offering benefits, commercial, and personal insurance plus HR advisory — overlaps with Launchways' insurance brokerage product lines for growing businesses.
- Acrisure: Acrisure is a large, tech-enabled insurance and benefits brokerage roll-up serving commercial and personal lines — comparable broker-of-record economics and PE-driven M&A playbook to what Patriot/Launchways operate within.
- Marsh McLennan (Mercer): Mercer (a Marsh McLennan business) is a global HR/benefits/health consulting powerhouse serving mid-market and enterprise employers — directly comparable benefits brokerage and HR consulting capabilities, with much broader scope.
- Brown & Brown: Brown & Brown is a major publicly-traded insurance brokerage and benefits firm delivering commercial, personal, and benefits products across the U.S. — comparable broker model and benefits-brokerage revenue mix to Launchways at materially larger scale.
- NFP (an Aon company): NFP provides benefits, retirement, commercial insurance, and HR consulting to mid-market employers — directly comparable bundled HR/benefits/insurance advisory model now backed by Aon's distribution.
- Paychex: Paychex is a leading payroll, HR, benefits, and PEO provider serving SMB and mid-market employers — directly comparable managed payroll + benefits + HR service offering that competes for the same growing-business buyer as Launchways.
Emerging players
- Justworks: Justworks is a tech-first PEO providing payroll, benefits, HR, and compliance automation to SMB and growth-stage employers — competing with Launchways' PEO Alternative on a software-native model that promises lower cost and faster onboarding.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Launchways social profiles
Digital presenceLaunchways financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Launchways leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Launchways funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Launchways 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 Launchways
What does Launchways do?
Launchways is a strategic HR consulting and advisory firm that provides scalable people solutions for growing businesses. Its core offerings include Human Resources consulting (compliance, HRIS software advisory, strategic HR consulting, and M&A support), end-to-end Managed Payroll administration, Employee Benefits brokerage/consulting/administration, and Business Insurance packages including group captive insurance. The firm operates as a trusted advisor model, bundling administrative, advisory, and brokerage services for clients that lack internal HR infrastructure.
Is Launchways a public or private company?
Launchways is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Launchways founded?
Launchways was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Launchways based?
Launchways is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Launchways make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Benefits Brokerage is the primary driver. The others are HR Consulting Services, business Insurance and PEO Alternative Services.
Who are Launchways's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are OneDigital and M3 Insurance. Broad incumbents are USI Insurance Services, Hub International, Acrisure, Marsh McLennan (Mercer), Brown & Brown, NFP (an Aon company) and Paychex. Justworks is listed as an emerging player.
Does Launchways have an API?
No public API is recorded for Launchways.
What industry is Launchways in?
Launchways's product category is HR Consulting & Employee Benefits Brokerage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHADAI, Strategic Partnerships, Alliances & JVs Advisory. Its NAICS code is 541612 and its SIC code is 8742.