How Central Built an AI-Powered Accounting Assistant Using Puzzle's Modern APIs

Central, a Y Combinator-backed HR and fintech company, has partnered with Puzzle to eliminate back-office headaches for startups and small businesses. By leveraging Puzzle's modern general ledger and powerful APIs, Central has transformed the way they deliver bookkeeping services—enabling real-time transaction categorization, AI-powered Slack queries, and a unified place for payroll, benefits, and accounting.

Innovation Constrained by Legacy Software

As a technology-first company automating back-office and financial operations, Central envisions an all-in-one solution for payroll, benefits, bookkeeping, tax filing, and other government compliance requirements (like state tax account registrations, unemployment insurance rate changes, and CTA Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting). They wanted to provide a "no-headache" experience so founders could focus on their businesses—not on administrative overhead.

‍

But bringing bookkeeping into that same frictionless experience was challenging. Central's engineering team needed a modern accounting platform that offered real-time data access, robust APIs, and the flexibility to build an AI-powered Slackbot. The tools they initially tried—like QuickBooks—were limited by outdated architecture and lacked the deep API integration that Central's vision required.

‍

"QuickBooks just wasn't built for the kind of innovation we wanted," explains Josh Wymer, CEO of Central. "The APIs were limited, and trying to build workarounds was frustrating and time-consuming. We needed a platform that could handle all the great ideas we wanted to build."

Puzzle: Embedded Accounting API for Modern Fintechs

Central found in Puzzle a modern general ledger and accounting platform purpose-built for developer success. By partnering with Puzzle, Central now automates everything needed to operate a compliant startup—from payroll to real-time bookkeeping—and can embed that functionality where their customers spend the most time: Slack. Key capabilities that enabled their vision:

Developer-Friendly APIs

• Seamless integration: Puzzle's APIs made it easy for Central to add robust accounting features into their platform and Slackbot.
• Scalability: Because Puzzle is built with modern technology, it can handle the growing demands of Central's rapidly expanding user base.

Real-Time Data Access

• Instant visibility: Founders can see up-to-date financial information, rather than waiting for week-old or month-old reconciliations.
• Proactive compliance: Built-in features help Central stay on top of government reporting requirements without manual updates.

‍AI-Ready Platform

• Intelligent transaction categorization: Leveraging Puzzle's categorization technology, Central automatically sorts most transactions—no more spreadsheets or endless back-and-forth with an accountant.
• Efficient workflows: For any remaining uncategorized transactions, Central's Slackbot prompts users in real-time to confirm transaction details.

By combining Puzzle's general ledger with Central's payroll, benefits, and compliance offerings, they've created the first AI-powered, automated back office for startups and small businesses.

‍

"Puzzle's APIs and real-time data flow were the key," notes Wymer. "We didn't have to fight the platform to make it work for us. Instead, Puzzle felt like it was built to support exactly the kind of forward-thinking tools we're creating."

Results: Transforming Bookkeeping Through Innovation

With Puzzle under the hood, Central has realized four major outcomes to eliminate back-office busywork:

A Unified Place for the Back Office

Founders can access payroll, benefits, and accounting all in one interface—and all powered by AI. Central has become the best solution for busy operators who hate administrative hassle.

Spend Less Time Closing Books

Central's Slackbot automates or greatly simplifies bookkeeping tasks. Most transactions get intelligently categorized by Puzzle; for the rest, founders just give the bot a quick explanation—no more tedious spreadsheets.

Get Instant Financial Answers

Central bot already handles payroll changes, health benefits info, and expenses. Now, with Puzzle's powerful query APIs, users can ask real-time questions about their company's finances—like cash flow status or upcoming tax obligations—directly in Slack.

Continuous Innovation and Development Speed

With a modern API architecture, Central's team can quickly prototype and launch new features—something that wasn't possible with legacy accounting systems. This keeps them ahead of the curve in a competitive fintech environment.

‍

"Puzzle has significantly streamlined our bookkeeping processes," says Wymer. "The seamless integration with our Slackbot has allowed us to create something just not possible before—an entire accounting back office based in Slack using ChatGPT and Puzzle."

Looking Forward

Central and Puzzle's partnership continues to evolve—"We're automating everything needed to operate a compliant startup," Wymer explains. By offering a unified place for back-office tasks, Central reduces the risk of missed deadlines or fines and frees up founders to focus on growth.

‍

As more startups demand real-time insights, less manual data entry, and integrated compliance, Central is positioned to deliver an ever-expanding suite of AI-driven back-office services. By building on Puzzle's developer-friendly APIs, Central can push the boundaries of what an all-in-one back-office solution can do—eliminating "back-office BS" for good.

‍

-

Learn more about Central at centralhq.com