Marble, a promising startup focused on integrating artificial intelligence into tax work, has successfully raised $9 million in seed funding. This funding round was led by Susa Ventures, with notable participation from MXV Capital and Konrad Capital. The investment comes at a critical time for the accounting industry, which is grappling with significant challenges, including a severe labor shortage and increasing regulatory complexity.
The accounting profession has faced a dramatic decline in workforce numbers, shedding approximately 340,000 workers since 2019, representing a staggering 17% decrease. This exodus has left many firms struggling to meet client demands, particularly as the complexity of tax regulations continues to grow. The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) has reported a concerning trend: first-time candidates for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam dropped by 33% between 2016 and 2021, culminating in the lowest number of exam takers in 17 years in 2022. This demographic shift, primarily driven by the retirement of baby boomers—75% of whom reached retirement age by 2019—has created a significant gap in the workforce that the industry has yet to address effectively.
In light of these challenges, Marble aims to leverage AI technology to transform the way tax professionals operate. The company has launched a free AI-powered tax research tool designed to simplify complex government tax data into accessible, citation-backed answers for practitioners. This tool is intended to serve as an entry point for tax professionals who may be hesitant to adopt new technologies due to concerns about cost or integration into existing workflows.
Bhavin Shah, Marble’s CEO, articulated the company’s vision during an exclusive interview with VentureBeat. He emphasized the vast potential for AI to enhance efficiency and improve profit margins within the accounting sector, which generates an impressive $250 billion in fee-based billing annually in the United States. Shah noted, “When we looked at the economy and asked ourselves where AI is going to transform the way businesses operate, we focused on knowledge industries—specifically businesses with hourly fee-based service models.”
Marble’s long-term goal extends beyond the initial research tool. The company plans to develop AI agents capable of analyzing compliance scenarios and automating significant portions of tax preparation workflows. This approach aims to alleviate the burden of repetitive tasks on tax professionals, allowing them to focus on higher-value advisory services that clients increasingly demand.
The urgency for such innovations is underscored by recent findings from Hanover Research and Avalara, which revealed a dramatic shift in the accounting profession’s stance toward AI. In 2025, 84% of finance and tax teams reported heavy usage of AI in their operations, a significant increase from 47% in 2024. Furthermore, a report from the Thomson Reuters Institute indicated that 21% of tax firms were already utilizing generative AI technology, with an additional 53% either planning to adopt it or actively considering its implementation.
Despite the growing interest in AI, adoption rates among smaller firms remain uneven. Many smaller tax firms rely on open-source tools like ChatGPT rather than industry-specific solutions, highlighting a gap in tailored offerings that meet their unique needs. Marble’s founders believe this hesitance stems not from technophobia but from a lack of compelling options available to practitioners. Shah remarked, “Firms want to embrace AI; they just haven’t seen great software and tooling made for them. That’s part of the opportunity—to work with them and build something they’re excited to use on a day-to-day basis.”
The competitive landscape for Marble is formidable, with established players like Thomson Reuters, CCH, and Intuit holding deep customer relationships built over decades. Additionally, BlueJ, a global tax research platform, has raised over $100 million to enhance its offerings. However, Marble’s founders see this as an opportune moment for disruption. Shah stated, “AI has changed what’s possible in the industry. We are going to work with and integrate with some technology players in the industry and also compete with other players with new products powered by AI.”
One of the critical aspects of Marble’s strategy is its commitment to security and data privacy. Given the sensitive nature of financial information handled by accounting firms, trust is paramount. A survey conducted by Avalara found that 63% of respondents cited data security and privacy concerns as the top barriers to automating tax and finance functions. Marble has prioritized security from the outset, obtaining software compliance certification before releasing any product and embedding data privacy into its operational culture.
The implications of AI adoption extend beyond mere efficiency gains; they raise fundamental questions about the future of the accounting profession itself. Traditionally, accounting firms have relied on a billable-hour business model, generating profits by billing clients for staff time. Junior associates performing compliance work represent a significant revenue stream. However, if AI can automate these tasks, it raises concerns about the sustainability of this business model.
Marble’s founders argue that rather than undermining the profession, AI can enhance it by enabling firms to capture previously untapped revenue opportunities. The chronic staffing shortage has constrained firms’ ability to deliver high-margin advisory and consulting services that clients actively seek. Konrad, Marble’s executive chairman, noted, “Everyone in the industry agrees that an enormous amount of advisory work simply isn’t getting done. Customers want it. Firms want to do it because it’s high-margin, great work. But nobody gets to it.”
Recent data from the AICPA National Management of an Accounting Practice Survey supports this perspective, revealing a median 6.7% increase in net client fees over the prior year, with growth in audit, assurance, tax services, and client accounting advisory. The survey also highlighted a growing interest in AI adoption, although most firms have yet to allocate formal budgets or develop structured training programs. Continued adoption of AI tools could help expand services and fuel further growth in the industry.
As the accounting profession navigates these transformative changes, the role of accountants is poised to evolve significantly. Marble’s founders reject the narrative that AI will solely displace jobs; instead, they envision a future where accounting roles become more strategic and less focused on repetitive execution. Drawing an analogy to architecture, where computer-aided design replaced manual drafting, they argue that AI will empower accountants to spend more time on creative problem-solving and strategic advisory work.
Konrad explained, “If you take some of the hours-intensive, less creative work out of what being a junior or intermediate accountant is, and you replace it with a role where you’re a professional who is being creative, synthesizing ideas, and able to delegate a lot of tasks to AI assistant platform solutions, you end up with an industry that’s just a lot more fun to operate in.” This shift could lead to improved client outcomes, as accountants would have more time to invest in the strategic advisory work that clients value.
Looking ahead, Marble’s roadmap extends beyond the initial launch of its research tool. The company aims to develop AI agents capable of analyzing complex tax scenarios, identifying compliance issues, and automating significant portions of compliance workflows—all while keeping practitioners in control. The founders frame their success not in terms of disruption but rather as a rebalancing of the profession. They envision a future where compliance tasks are simplified, allowing accountants to prioritize strategy and planning.
However, whether Marble can execute on this ambitious vision remains to be seen. The company faces entrenched competitors, a profession historically resistant to technological change, and the inherent unpredictability of building AI systems for high-stakes financial work. Nevertheless, the founders are optimistic that the industry’s demographic shift will accelerate adoption in ways that previous technology waves could not. With fewer accountants entering the profession each year and client demands only growing, firms may have an increased appetite to embrace tools that enable their remaining staff to do more.
Shah concluded, “AI is going to change every industry—in some cases in ways that will help business models and in some cases in ways that will challenge them. We believe AI is ultimately going to make accounting firms’ businesses better and more profitable, and at the same time, end clients will get better services at better prices.” As the accounting profession stands on the brink of transformation, it remains to be seen how these developments will reshape the landscape of tax work in America.