London, May 11, 2026 – Happl, a global employee benefits operating system founded by entrepreneur
Ben Towers MBE, has raised $11 million in an oversubscribed Series A funding round led by Portage Ventures, a leading global $6.3bn fintech investment platform.
The round includes participation from existing investors Y Combinator, 6 Degrees Capital, Haatch and Ventures Together, reinforcing strong backing for Happl’s mission to transform how global organisations manage employee benefits.
Founded in 2022, Happl is building a global employee benefits operating system for multinational employers. Its AI-powered platform combines a configurable rules engine, deep integrations and workflow automation to help HR and finance teams manage eligibility, compliance, policy administration and benefits operations across more than 160 countries.
Built for mid-market and enterprise customers from day one, Happl replaces fragmented, country-by-country processes with a single infrastructure layer designed for global scale.
Managing benefits across multiple jurisdictions remains one of the most complex and resource-intensive challenges for global businesses, with regulatory risk, operational inefficiencies and poor employee engagement often the result. Happl addresses this by embedding compliance, automation and personalisation into one unified platform, reducing costs and administrative burden while improving the employee experience.
Ben Towers MBE, co-founder and CEO of Happl, said:
“Happl began with a simple belief: benefits should be easy to understand, easy to manage and easy to implement. What we’ve built goes far beyond that, a global platform that removes complexity at scale and connects employees with solutions that truly reflect their needs.
“As companies become more global, the challenge of managing benefits across multiple countries only intensifies. This funding will allow us to accelerate our product development and international expansion and continue building the infrastructure layer that modern employers need.”
Hélène Falchier, General Partner at Portage, added:
“Happl stands out because it was built for global complexity, not retrofitted into it. The company has developed a differentiated benefits operating system that helps multinational employers automate compliance-heavy workflows, reduce operational friction and deliver a more personalised employee experience at scale. Combined with strong enterprise traction and an ambitious founder, that gave us the conviction to lead the Series A.”
Today, Happl has teams across the UK and the USA and supports complex global benefits programmes, increasingly serving enterprise customers that require flexibility, compliance and control at scale. The company has built momentum with global organisations, including Moelis, Kainos and Hootsuite, reflecting growing demand for a more modern infrastructure layer for benefits.
To find out more, please visit: https://happl.com/
About Ben Towers
Ben Towers MBE is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur recognised globally for his innovation and impact. He began his entrepreneurial journey at the age of 11, building websites before launching and successfully exiting his first company at 19.
In 2022, Ben founded Happl, a global employee benefits operating system for multinational employers.
In 2025, he was named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe Technology list, and in early 2026 was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to the startup community and innovation in the UK.
Ben has advised FTSE companies, governments and leading organisations on the future of work, Gen Z engagement and digital transformation, and has worked with the Prime Minister’s Office at 10 Downing Street on AI strategy.
About Happl
Happl is a global employee benefits operating system designed for multinational employers. Its platform combines intelligent automation, compliance infrastructure and deep integrations to simplify benefits management across more than 160 countries.
By replacing fragmented local processes with a single, scalable system, Happl enables HR and finance teams to manage global benefits with greater efficiency, accuracy and control, while delivering a more personalised experience for employees.
Happl is backed by Y Combinator, the Silicon Valley incubator that helped launch Airbnb and Reddit, as well as notable investors including Tom Blomfield, co-founder of Monzo and GoCardless. The company is headquartered in London with operations in New York. Its clients include global organisations such as Hootsuite, Kainos, Moelis and Pleo.
About Portage
Portage is a global investment platform focused on fintech and financial services with over US$6.3B under management, 130+ portfolio companies, and 25+ investment professionals. Our firm has offices in Canada, the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.
Our team partners with ambitious companies across all stages, through Portage Ventures and Portage Capital Solutions. We provide flexible capital and deliver a global network of investors, commercial partners, advisors, and value creation experts. Our dedicated value creation team provides portfolio companies with hands-on support in go-to-market, tech and cyber, business acceleration and M&A, and partnerships to accelerate their paths to success.
With deep industry knowledge and entrepreneurial experience, Portage is committed to supporting the leaders who are reshaping financial services. Portage is a platform within Sagard, a global multi-strategy alternative asset management firm with over US$45B under management1.
For more information, visit www.portageinvest.com.
1 As of December 31, 2025. Pro-forma for the Unigestion transaction which closed in April 2026.
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