Default to Global

Today’s featured startup is helping software companies go global — without the legal headaches.

Project Overview

Anrok is a tax automation platform designed for cloud-based businesses selling digital products across multiple countries. It helps these companies stay compliant with complex and ever-changing local tax regulations, including sales tax (VAT or turnover tax) and payroll tax for employees located in different jurisdictions.

While few SaaS companies have distributed teams abroad, nearly every software company today sells to global customers — and that’s where the tax challenge arises. Dozens of countries and even U.S. states have begun imposing digital sales taxes, each with unique rules, thresholds, and tax rates. Failing to comply can cost businesses an average of 4.3% of their total revenue.

Anrok automates the entire process:

• Upload your service info, past transactions, and international employee list.

• Assign tax codes using a dropdown menu.

• Get a map-based overview of where you're required to register, collect, and remit taxes.

The platform keeps users updated on changing regulations. If a jurisdiction’s laws shift, Anrok notifies you immediately. In just one click, you can initiate tax registration — free in the U.S., with a small fee in other territories.

Once registered, Anrok auto-calculates and adds appropriate tax fields to customer checkout flows and ensures that tax reports, VAT refunds, and declarations are filed with the relevant authorities.

In the U.S., Anrok handles filings directly. In other countries, it works with local partners.

Launched in 2020, Anrok has already processed over $7 billion in customer revenue. It’s also raised significant funding — $4.3M in 2021, $20M in 2022, and $30M in its most recent round at a $250M valuation.

What’s the Gist?

Anrok exists because the world changed.

Roughly five years ago, countries and states began aggressively taxing digital sales. This shift created a regulatory minefield for software companies, and Anrok emerged as a response to that change — a reminder that the best startups often arise from real-time shifts in regulation, technology, or user behavior.

There’s a broader truth here:

If a market is full, it’s because someone already tried and failed to build what doesn’t work. But when the world changes, old ideas can suddenly become viable — or even urgent.

Another insight: Software startups are global from day one.
They may not act on it immediately, but they’re inherently borderless. And if they stay local, it’s usually due to one of two reasons:

1. Their product simply isn’t good enough to compete globally.

2. Their founders lack the ambition or courage to go global.

But here’s the kicker — even if you stay local, a better global product will eventually outcompete you on your own turf.

That’s why going global is no longer optional — it’s the new default.
Venture firm a16z said it plainly:

“The companies of the future will be global by default.”

Before, startups grew cautiously: one country at a time. Today, simultaneous multi-country launches are not only possible — they’re expected. The only real bottleneck? Local compliance. That’s where tools like Anrok come in.

Much of this acceleration traces back to the pandemic. Suddenly, remote meetings, international hiring, and cross-border deals became normal. The tech existed — the mindset shift was the missing piece.

Anrok seized two simultaneous tailwinds:

1. The rise of digital sales taxation.

2. The post-pandemic urgency for SaaS companies to scale globally.

Key Takeaways

So, what should founders take away from Anrok’s story?

1. Start global.

• Build products with a global market in mind — from day one.

• Don’t treat your home country as the only market worth serving.

• Enter international markets sooner rather than later.

2. Build the picks and shovels for globalization.
If you’re not ready to go global yourself, build tools that help others do it.

Anrok is just one example. Others include:

• OpenBorder – Enables physical product brands to launch international sales in days. Boosts revenue by 30–40% in six months. Raised $10M.

• Worldover – Helps cosmetics brands comply with health regulations worldwide via AI. Raised £3M.

• Onex – Connects medtech manufacturers with global distributors. Raised $1.2M.

• Centuro Global – Helps companies set up and operate in 170+ countries. Raised £3.3M.

So — what’s your move?
Will you build a globally competitive product yourself?
Or will you help others go global faster?

Either way, the world won’t wait.

Company Info

Anrok

• Website: anrok.com

• Last round: $30M, 11.04.2024

• Total Investment: $54.3M across 3 rounds