The AI-native benefits and equity team for startups
Equity and benefits are a startup's best tool for winning talent, yet the most confusing. Journey's AI agents and dedicated experts answer every question and catch the moments that matter, so you keep your best people.
Total compensation
$250K
yearly
- Salary$170,000
- Equity$50,000
- Benefits$20,000
- Sign-on$10,000
Total compensation is your biggest investment in people. Most of it goes unseen and unused. Payroll lives in Gusto. Equity lives in Carta. Benefits live somewhere else again. Journey brings them together and does the work, so the comp you spend to win talent actually lands.
One team for every moment that matters.
Employees get clear answers when it counts. Employers see where attention is needed, and can act on it.
Equity Guidance
What their options are worth, when to exercise, and what it could cost. Clear answers, not guesswork.
Benefits Guidance
The right plan for their life, not just the default one.
Fable
Benefits
Utilization
89 employees enrolled this quarter.
Questions
347 HR questions handled this quarter.1
Offer Letters
Show candidates the full offer before they decide.
Offer letter
Fable
Chloe Livingston
Senior Software Engineer
Total rewards
yearly
$278K
- Salary$150K
- Equity$85K
- Sign-on$25K
- Benefits$18K
New Hires & Departures
Your HRIS moves people in and out. Journey catches the money moments it misses.
Retirement & HSA
The easiest money your people leave behind, and the tax-free account nobody invests.
Life Events
When things change, Journey handles the money decisions, from a new hire to an IPO.
Equity
Most employees have no idea what their equity is worth.
They can't value it, and they miss the deadlines that cost real money. Journey answers both, in plain language, the moment it matters.
- What their grant is worth, in plain numbers.
- When to exercise, and the window that closes if they leave.
- What exercising could cost, before they commit.
- A dedicated expert for the complex tax calls.
Vested
12,000
Unvested
8,000
Strike
$2.15
409A
$12.90
409A · last 4 revaluations
+500%
Estimated value
$215K
How Journey does the work
JIVA explains the grant, surfaces the key dates, and answers the everyday questions the moment they come up. When a decision gets into real tax territory, a dedicated expert steps in. Employees get guided through the moments that matter, without it landing on HR.
Employer view
- Equity questions, rising this month
- Vesting and exercise moments, coming up
- Right employees, nudged before anything slips
Your people keep the equity they earned. Fewer questions land on HR. And the grants you give actually do their job.
Offer letters
Candidates undervalue the offer they can't see.
A salary number hides the equity and benefits that make the offer real. Journey turns it into a live, visual offer that shows the whole package — so your best candidate says yes.
- Base, equity, and benefits in one clear view.
- Equity explained, not just a share count.
- The full number, not just the salary.
- Candidates explore it before they sign.
Offer letter
Fable
Chloe Livingston
Senior Software Engineer
New York · Reports to Elena Rodriguez
Congratulations Chloe!
We're excited to present you with this offer to join Fable as a Senior Software Engineer. Here you'll find a breakdown of your total rewards package.
Total rewards
yearly
$278K
- Salary$150,000
- Equity$85,000
- Sign-on$25,000
- Benefits$18,000
How Journey does the work
Journey turns your offer into an interactive page. Candidates see what their equity could be worth, how vesting works, and the value of benefits — with JIVA answering their questions before they sign. No spreadsheet, no guesswork.
Employer view
- Offer sent, opened, and explored
- Candidate questions, answered by JIVA
- You see where they hesitate
More offers accepted. Less back-and-forth. And candidates who join knowing exactly what they're worth.
Benefits
Most people pick the wrong plan and never touch the rest.
They default into a plan that doesn't fit and leave real money on the table. Journey picks the right one and puts the rest to work.
- The right plan for their life, not the default.
- HSA and FSA, set up and actually used.
- 401(k) match, none of it left behind.
- Answers the moment they have a question.
Journey recommends
HDHP + HSA
Lower premium
Based on your family and expected care.
How Journey does the work
JIVA looks at their situation, recommends the plan that fits, and sets up the HSA and 401(k) so nothing is left behind. It answers the questions as they come up. A dedicated expert steps in for the complex calls.
Employer view
Utilization
Questions
More employees use what you're paying for. Fewer questions land on your team.1
Employees use what you pay for. Fewer questions land on HR. And your benefits spend stops going to waste.
1 MetLife, 22nd Annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study, 2024.
Onboarding & Offboarding
The money moments your HRIS misses.
Your HRIS runs the process. Journey catches the money decisions inside it — the right plan on day one, the exercise window on the way out.
- New hires see their equity and pick the right plan.
- 401(k) and HSA, set up day one.
- Exit window flagged before it passes.
- A clear exit guide, sent for you.
Welcome, Chloe
Bookkeep AI
3 comp decisions to make
- Review your equity grant
- Pick your health plan
- Set your 401(k)
Journey · now
Maya leaves Friday. 12,000 vested options. 90 days to exercise.
Send her exit guide →
Day one
New hires see their equity, pick the right plan, and set up retirement in one place. JIVA answers the questions so they don't land on you.
Last day
Journey flags the exit window before it passes, so no one forfeits vested equity by accident. You send them off with a clear guide, not a shrug.
How Journey does the work
On day one, JIVA explains the package and walks each new hire through their comp decisions. On the way out, Journey flags the deadlines that cost real money, so nothing slips and no one leaves angry. Dedicated experts step in for the complex calls.
Employer view · scaffold
Maya · departure workflow
- Departure detected
- Exit guide sent
- Questions resolved
Placeholder. Swap for the real employer surface when the workflow view lands.
No one forfeits equity by accident. Fewer questions land on HR. And people leave talking about how you handled it.
Retirement & HSA
Turn benefits you already pay for into real wealth.
Employees miss part of the match, spend the HSA instead of investing it, and rarely know if they are on track. Journey shows what they have, what it could grow to, and what to do next.
- Capture the full match.
- Turn the HSA into a wealth account.
- See a clear path to retirement.
- An expert when the plan gets complex.
On track
$1.2M by 65
Age 30 → 65
How Journey does the work
JIVA shows each employee where they stand, finds the match they are missing, and explains how the HSA supports both healthcare and long-term wealth. When it gets complex, Journey connects them with a licensed expert to talk through the plan. No lectures, no jargon, just the next decision that matters.
Employer view
More people capture the full match. Employees know if they are on track. And the retirement benefits you pay for actually earn their keep.
Illustrative projection based on assumed contributions and investment returns. Actual results vary and are not guaranteed.
Life Events
Life changes. The money decisions shouldn't get missed.
A new hire, a new round, a new baby, an IPO. Each one changes what your people should do with their comp. Journey catches the moment and shows them the next step, before it passes.
- Equity events explained, from a round to an IPO.
- Tax breaks most people miss, like QSBS.
- Life changes handled: plans, dependents, leave.
- An expert when the stakes are high.
IPO
Journey · now
Your equity is about to be liquid. Here is the plan, the tax, and if your shares may qualify for QSBS tax treatment.
Liquidity plan ready
- Value shown
- Tax modeled
- QSBS flagged for review
Every moment that changes the math
Joining · New round · 409A change · New baby · Marriage · Moving · Tender offer · IPO · Leaving
How Journey does the work
Every time equity changes value, a round, a tender, an IPO, Journey shows what it is worth and what to do, including tax breaks like QSBS most people miss. When life changes, it updates the plan. When the stakes are high, Journey connects them with a licensed expert.
Employer view · Tender
Your people make the right call when it counts. The equity you granted pays off. And nobody floods HR when the big moments hit.
Setup in 15 minutes. Runs itself after that.
01
Built from your company’s data
Connect your existing tools, then add your plan documents. Journey builds the employee experience and keeps it current.
All sources connected
Stays current
Employee experience
Ready
02
AI agents and experts do the work
Journey’s agents answer questions, catch missed opportunities, and start workflows before anyone has to ask. Experts step in when decisions need judgment.
Work handled this week
03
You stay in control, without running it
See what’s handled, what needs you, and where to step in. Journey runs the work and keeps you in the loop.
Company Status
Handled automatically
Enrollment
Retirement nudges
Equity updates
Needs your review
11 campaign approval
Connected to experts
33 complex questions
Integrations
Works with the tools and docs you already use.
Why Journey
Comp is one of your biggest investments in people. Journey makes sure it lands.
Win with the full picture
Journey makes the full package visible before another offer resets the conversation.
2× more value placed on equity ¹
Take questions off HR’s plate
Journey’s agents handle the recurring questions year-round, so HR isn’t the help desk.
73% want more benefits help ²
Make comp a reason to stay
Journey makes sure the comp you already provide is understood and used.
Turnover can cost 0.5–2× salary ³
Win with the full picture
Equity valued 2× more when understood
Candidates judge an offer by the number they understand first: salary. Equity and benefits can carry real value, but only when someone can see and understand them. Journey makes the full package visible, so your best candidate sees what you’re really offering, before another offer resets the conversation.
¹ UBS found that equity plan participants who took planning, advice, and diversification steps valued their equity awards twice as much as those who took none. Source: UBS, “The Multiplier Effect.”
Take questions off HR’s plate
73% of employees want more benefits help
Benefits, equity, and comp questions never stop, onboarding, open enrollment, every raise and life event. Most employees want more help understanding what they’re offered, but HR is already spending around 12 hours a week on admin, with no room to take it on. Journey’s agents handle the recurring questions year-round, and experts step in for the judgment calls, so your team isn’t the help desk.
² Payroll Integrations, 2024 State of Employee Financial Wellness Report : 73% of employees want more education on company benefits, and HR managers spend an average of 12 hours a week on benefit and payroll administration.
Make comp a reason to stay
Turnover can cost 0.5–2× salary
When people don’t understand their comp, they undervalue it, and undervalued comp is easier to walk away from. Add missed matches, unused HSAs, and equity no one explained, and the package you pay for quietly underdelivers. Journey makes sure the comp you already provide is understood and used.
³ Gallup estimates replacing an employee can cost one-half to two times their annual salary, from lost productivity to hiring and ramp.
One platform. Two experiences.
Employees finally understand their comp. Your team finally stops explaining it.
Company status
This weekSupported
82
employees
Enrollment
74%
complete
Engagement
68%
benefits
Experts
24
sessions Q3
Work handled this week
Needs attention
1 campaign approval
2 plan documents to review
5 employees haven’t enrolled
Opportunities
11 missing 401(k) match
28 haven’t reviewed HSA
42 viewed the equity guide
Journey · now
11 employees are missing part of their 401(k) match. Want me to send a nudge campaign?
Benefits Hub
9 active plansOpen enrollment
74% complete · closes Oct 15
Medical, dental, HSA, fertility support, and more
Campaigns
Live401(k) enrollment campaign
Catch missed employer match by year-end
Sent to 34 employees on track to under-contribute
Reached
34
Nudged
11
Clicked
6
Waiting
1
Total Rewards
Ready to sendOffer statement
Sarah Chen · Senior Engineer
Base + bonus + equity + benefits summarized for candidate review
Analytics
Last 30 daysBenefits utilization
HSA engagement up 22%
Since the enrollment campaign launched
For your team
Runs itself. Reports to you.
Journey handles benefits, equity, onboarding, and open enrollment. You see what’s handled, what needs you, and where your team needs support, and step in when it matters.
For employees
See what you earn. Know what to do next.
Your salary, equity, and benefits in one place, what you have, what it may be worth, and what to do next. With AI guidance and an expert when it gets complex.
$215,000
Salary
$150K
Equity
$35K
Benefits
$20K
Bonus
$10K
Next step
You may be missing part of your 401(k) match
Recommended next steps
Capture your full 401(k) match
You have fertility support through Carrot
Review your HSA strategy
Understand your equity choices
Meet JIVA, your AI comp agent.
Catches what matters. Works both sides. Brings in experts when it counts.
Employee
Equity deadline · Just now
2,500 vested options.
Sarah Chen
Exercise window closes in 47 days.
No action yet.
Reviewing your grant
Context ready- 2,500 vested
- Strike checked
- 409A checked
- Cost estimated
- Questions prepared
Prepared by JIVA
Expert engaged
Context readyAlexander Briceno
Equity planning expert
Grant · vesting · 409A · exercise cost
Outcome
Equity review scheduled.
With Alexander · Fri 2 pm
Your team
Windows closing · This quarter
3
employees
Have equity deadlines coming up.
Ready to notify.
Team status
All notified.
3 of 3 employees received guidance.
No action for HR.
Update
Complex cases routed.
Expert support added where decisions need judgment.
No action for HR.
This month
0 actions for HR.
24 employee moments handled.
3 equity deadlines · 11 match nudges · 10 benefits reminders
Proactive
Catches equity deadlines, missed matches, and enrollment windows before anyone asks.
Works both sides
Guides your employees, handles the work for your team.
Expert-backed
Routes complex equity, benefits, and comp decisions to experts with context ready.
Common questions
What is JIVA?
JIVA is your AI comp agent. It catches the moments that matter — like an approaching equity deadline or a missed 401(k) match — guides employees to the next step, and brings in an expert when a decision needs judgment.
Does Journey replace our HRIS, payroll, broker, or equity platform?
No. Journey sits on top of the systems you already use. Gusto, Rippling, BambooHR, Carta, Pulley, and others stay in place — Journey layers guidance, notifications, and expert routing over the data you already have.
What tools does Journey work with?
Journey connects with over 24 tools today, including Gusto, Rippling, Carta, Pulley, Deel, and Justworks — and the list is growing fast. If a tool isn't yet integrated, Journey works from your eligibility files, CSVs, and plan documents. Same experience for employees, assisted rather than auto — no company gets left out because of a missing integration.
How is Journey different from a benefits broker, Carta, or a financial wellness app?
Brokers help you buy plans, Carta administers equity, and financial wellness apps focus on personal budgeting. Journey is different: it's the AI-native comp team that makes the benefits, equity, and compensation you already offer understood and used, for every employee, without adding headcount.
What does HR actually have to do?
Connect your tools (about 15 minutes), share plan documents for anything not integrated, then step back. Journey handles the ongoing work — catching moments, guiding employees, routing to experts — and reports back with aggregate status. Most weeks require no action from HR.
How long does setup take?
Most companies connect their existing tools in about 15 minutes. From there, Journey builds the full experience and keeps it current as things change.
How much does Journey cost?
Journey is in early access. Pricing depends on your team's size and needs — get early access and we'll walk you through it.
Can employers see employees' personal financial information?
No. Employers see aggregate, company-level information — like how many people have completed enrollment or captured their 401(k) match. An individual employee's personal details and any accounts they connect stay private to them.
Is Journey a financial advisor?
No. Journey provides education and information about compensation, benefits, and equity, and connects employees with independent licensed experts for personalized advice. Journey itself is not a registered investment advisor and does not provide personalized financial, tax, or legal advice.