In December 2025, the London-based startup Yonda Tax secured €12 million in funding to expand its innovative approach to indirect tax compliance worldwide. As a serial entrepreneur with a keen passion for simplifying complex systems, I find the story of Yonda Tax fascinating. Their mission highlights the increasing necessity for automation and clarity in a world where businesses constantly navigate evolving tax regulations.
You might like the recent Lovable tax controversy story to get some understanding of the consequences that startups can face.
Why this funding matters
As someone who has built startups in various domains for over 20 years, I know how crucial it is for companies to handle taxes efficiently. When Yonda Tax launched in 2022, the founders aimed at solving a real headache: the complicated, time-consuming nature of VAT, GST, and sales tax filing across multiple jurisdictions. Their fresh €12 million injection, led by Kennet Partners, allows them to expand their geographic reach and further automate the compliance toil for high-growth businesses.
What stood out to me is their decision to approach the problem “tax-first, tech-second.” Many startups jump straight into building technology and then slap buzzwords on top. Yonda Tax, however, seems grounded in understanding the regulatory nuances first. As a founder who often works with AI-driven tools, I appreciate a company that understands the importance of combining technology with real-world expertise.
The numbers make it clear
The startup has grown by over 100% year-on-year, doubling its team size in just 12 months. Around 60% of their 350+ clients are based in the U.S., which shows their global competitiveness. The subscription model they offer, charging a flat monthly fee instead of billing for volume or yearly contracts, is a standout. For scaling businesses, this predictable pricing could be a game-changer.
Step-by-step: simplifying your tax burden
If you’re a founder or small business owner facing cross-border tax challenges, here’s how Yonda Tax could work for your company:
- Assessment: Yonda handles registration requirements for your businesses in new regions.
- Automation: The tool takes care of filings, deadlines, and remittances while ensuring accuracy in all jurisdictions.
- Technology with human oversight: By coupling automation with an expert understanding of local regulations, their service limits errors and reduces human input.
This streamlined process can be an incredible relief for businesses expanding across regions without the internal expertise to navigate legal risks.
Most common pitfalls in tax compliance
Ignoring cross-border taxes often leads to financial penalties, but here are the three big mistakes growing businesses make:
- Underestimating complexity: Expansion often brings unfamiliar tax laws. Always research your target markets.
- Relying on manual processes: Even a meticulous team can overlook critical deadlines or changes in legislation.
- Thinking compliance is one-size-fits-all: Tax isn’t just about filling forms; it requires understanding region-specific rules and how they evolve.
Yonda Tax’s platform clearly addresses these issues, providing businesses with better confidence in international growth.
Deep insight into their differentiation
Yonda Tax enters a crowded market, but their choice to focus on accuracy as the priority instead of chasing trends sets them apart. For years, SaaS players have launched tax tools focusing on automation but sometimes ignoring the need for region-specific expertise. This startup’s founders, a team with deep professional experience in compliance, have shown that understanding your audience’s pain points can unlock sustainable growth despite competition.
In 2025, European tax startups collectively raised over €21.7 million for solutions as different as AI-enabled advisory tools and bots to streamline filings. But Yonda’s €12 million single round highlights the rising stakes in this sector and leaves me optimistic about their impact.
Lessons for entrepreneurs
So what can founders, freelancers, and creators learn from Yonda Tax? Here are three important takeaways:
- Solve real pain points: Identify areas where businesses lose time or money. Tax compliance isn’t sexy, but it addresses a real operational gap.
- Stick to measurable results: Growing 100% over two years is impressive, but doubling your customer base in difficult markets like the U.S. is even better.
- Focus on predictable solutions: A flat subscription plan eliminates pain for clients, making trust easy to earn.
Conclusion
I believe the story of Yonda Tax is proof that startups thrive when they tackle tough problems with clarity, expertise, and customer-first designs. For entrepreneurs or startups that operate across borders, getting your taxes right isn’t just “a chore.” It’s central to maintaining good standing with regulators and unlocking growth in new markets. Yonda Tax might just be the ideal example of how to make that happen without breaking a founder’s brain, or bank account.
Looking closer at companies like this provides invaluable lessons about balancing innovation with usability. Let’s watch how Yonda scales with their new €12 million boost, and in the meantime, assess whether they could solve your business’s compliance hurdles.
FAQ
1. What is Yonda Tax, and what does it do?
Yonda Tax is a London-based startup providing automation tools for global tax compliance, focusing on indirect taxes like VAT, GST, and sales tax. Its platform simplifies registration, filing, and remittance processes, ensuring accuracy across different jurisdictions. Discover Yonda Tax
2. How much funding has Yonda Tax raised, and who led the investment?
Yonda Tax raised €12 million (approximately $15 million) in its first institutional funding round. The round was led by Kennet Partners and included participation from NYO Capital and Portfolio Ventures. Learn more about Yonda Tax’s funding
3. What is unique about Yonda Tax’s business model?
Yonda Tax uniquely offers a subscription-based pricing model that charges a fixed monthly fee based on the number of regions clients operate in, rather than transaction volume or annual contracts. Explore Yonda Tax’s subscription model
4. Who are Yonda Tax’s clients, and where are they located?
Yonda Tax serves over 350 global clients, including e-commerce brands, SaaS companies, and AI-driven firms. Approximately 60% of its customer base is located in the United States, with additional clients in the UK, Canada, Australia, and Singapore. Discover insights about Yonda Tax’s clients
5. How has Yonda Tax grown since its foundation?
Yonda Tax has achieved 100% year-over-year growth and doubled its team size over the past 12 months, reflecting its strong traction in the tax automation market. Learn more about Yonda Tax’s growth
6. What differentiates Yonda Tax from its competitors?
Yonda Tax takes a “tax-first, tech-second” approach, prioritizing accuracy and region-specific regulatory expertise over purely technological solutions, setting it apart from others in the crowded tax automation sector. Explore Yonda Tax’s competitive edge
7. How does Yonda Tax’s technology benefit businesses?
By automating the tax compliance process from registration to remittance, Yonda Tax reduces the operational burden, minimizes errors, and ensures businesses stay ahead of evolving tax regulations. Learn more about Yonda Tax’s technology
8. Which industries does Yonda Tax serve?
Yonda Tax caters to fast-growing industries like e-commerce and SaaS, addressing their needs for automated compliance tools as they expand internationally. Understand Yonda Tax’s target industries
9. What is the significance of this funding round for the sector?
Yonda Tax’s €12 million raise highlights increasing investment in tax and compliance tech, with €21.7 million raised by sector-adjacent startups in Europe in 2025. Learn about funding trends in tax compliance
10. How does Yonda Tax intend to use the funding?
The funding will be used to enhance platform features, expand across tax jurisdictions, and support Yonda’s mission to simplify global compliance for scaling businesses. Discover Yonda Tax’s funding goals
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp’s expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the “gamepreneurship” methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic “without any funding and without any code,” this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call “gamepreneurship”. By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique “play to learn and earn” model.