Workiva
NYSE: WKAmes, US · Incorporated in Delaware · Public · 2 known investors
Workiva is a US public SaaS company providing a cloud platform for connected financial, regulatory, risk and ESG reporting.
Also known as WebFilings · WebFilings LLC · WK · Workiva Inc. · Workiva LLC
Founders & leadership
Investors · 2
Reported raises · per SEC filings
Form D private placements$689.3K disclosed across 1 of 2 rounds · 2012–2014
▶$689.3KraisedOct 2014 · 53 investors · Other Technology
- Martin J VanderploegExecutive Officer, Director
- Michael SellbergExecutive Officer, Director
- John Stuart MillerExecutive Officer
- Matthew M RizaiExecutive Officer, Director
- Jeffrey D TromExecutive Officer, Director
- Joseph H HowellExecutive Officer, Director
- Jill KlindtExecutive Officer
- Troy M. CalkinsExecutive Officer
- Offering amount
- $1M
- Amount sold
- $689.3K
- First sale
- Mar 2012
- Incorporated
- Limited Liability Company, Delaware
- Federal exemptions
- 04
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Workiva Inc. is a software-as-a-service company headquartered in Ames, Iowa that provides a cloud-based platform for connected reporting and compliance. The platform lets organizations collect, manage, report and analyze business data in real time, integrating content from disparate formats such as spreadsheets, presentation documents, emails and other unstructured data into a single cloud-based report, and enabling the preparation and filing of financial and compliance documents with regulatory agencies.
The company's first SaaS product was SEC reporting software that automated SEC filings through a proprietary system of document tags and linking, including electronic filing with the SEC using XBRL; a Workiva customer was the first company to file Inline XBRL with the SEC. The product line has since expanded to Sarbanes–Oxley reporting and Recovery and Resolution Plans, SEC and ESEF filing including EDGAR HTML conversion, internal audit, risk and sustainability reporting. Wdata, introduced to improve the usefulness of Wdesk, connects large datasets from enterprise resource planning systems, governance risk and compliance platforms, and other third-party on-premise and cloud applications; a September update added automatic updates, approval workflows, finance and accounting connectors, risk and control integration and improved controlled access tools. In April 2020 the company launched W for ESEF, available in 23 European languages, to help European companies meet European Securities and Markets Authority requirements for European Single Electronic Format reporting, and in September 2025 it launched an agentic AI platform called Workiva AI. [1][0]
Founding story
According to a secondary business-history source, Workiva was founded on August 7, 2008 in Ames, Iowa by Matthew Rizai, Jeff Trom, Martin Vanderploeg, Joe Isaacson, Dan Murray and Jerry Sitrats, a group that had previously worked together at Engineering Animation, Inc. (EAI); the team moved from 3D visualization to addressing error-prone SEC filings produced by manual copying between spreadsheets and documents, aiming for a cloud-based single source of truth in which linked data updates automatically across reports. The same source states development was bootstrapped for 18 months around a proprietary linking engine, with early funding from founders and private backers, before the subscription SaaS product WebFilings launched in 2010. Wikipedia gives a differing account, stating that in August 2008 the company was formed as WebFilings LLC in California by Jerry Behar and a team of five other entrepreneurs, and notes that Martin Vanderploeg co-founded EAI and served as CTO and executive vice president until EAI was acquired in 2000 by UGS Corp, now a division of Siemens. [0][1]
Business model
Workiva sells a subscription software-as-a-service platform to organizations for financial, regulatory, risk, compliance and sustainability reporting; a secondary source describes the subscription SaaS model as being launched in 2010 with WebFilings and notes customer expansion through additional seats and modules. [0][1]
Recurring subscription revenue from platform access. A secondary source states annual recurring revenue reached double-digit millions by 2013 and that net revenue retention was maintained above 115%, with existing-customer expansion funding much of the growth. Wikipedia reports 2024 revenue of $739 million and a 2024 net loss of $55 million. [0][1]
Traction
Wikipedia reports 2024 revenue of $739 million, a net loss of $55 million, total assets of $1.4 billion, total equity of -$41.7 million and 2,828 employees for 2024. A secondary source states hundreds of large-cap clients migrated SEC reporting to the platform by 2011, that ARR reached double-digit millions by 2013, that net revenue retention exceeded 115%, and that GRC and ESG revenue segments grew more than 30% year over year in 2025. [0][1]
Latest developments
In June 2024 Workiva acquired carbon accounting software company Sustain.Life for $100 million in cash to strengthen sustainability reporting. In September 2025 it launched Workiva AI, an agentic AI platform. A secondary source states that in 2025 GRC and ESG revenue segments grew more than 30% year over year. [0][1][2]
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Workiva is described as a global SaaS provider of connected reporting and compliance software, adopted across the Fortune 500 per a secondary source, and ranked fiftieth among all software companies in Deloitte's 2015 Technology Fast 500. Comparative sources position it against peers such as FloQast, Anaplan, Planful and Vena Solutions, while it also partners with FloQast and BlackLine. [0][1]
Sources cite patented cell-to-cell and document-level linking that keeps reports synchronized and reduces restatement risk and audit friction, an early integrated ESG reporting stack combining data collection, narrative, controls and assurance, and an integration fabric from the OneCloud acquisition enabling automated data flows across ERP, BI and specialist systems. [0]
Technology
The platform is built on a proprietary linking technology that maintains live relationships between cells, documents and datasets so linked data updates across reports in real time, supporting traceability and auditability. It supports XBRL and Inline XBRL filing with the SEC and EDGAR HTML conversion, and Wdata connects large external datasets from ERP, GRC and other on-premise and cloud systems. The 2021 OneCloud acquisition added integration platform-as-a-service (iPaaS) and data preparation capabilities, and the December 2021 acquisition of Mark V Systems Limited brought the author of an open source XBRL validation engine. In September 2025 the company launched Workiva AI, an agentic AI platform. [0][1][3]
Go-to-market
Direct enterprise sales supported by local sales and support hubs following international expansion, complemented by technology partnerships and integrations — for example with BlackLine for financial close data transfer and with FloQast for a reporting and compliance solution aimed at private and pre/post-IPO companies — and by connectors to ERP, GRC and other third-party systems. [0][1]
Public and large enterprise finance, accounting, audit, risk, compliance and sustainability teams, including Fortune 500 and large-cap companies filing with the SEC, and European companies subject to ESEF requirements. A partnership with FloQast also targets private companies and companies preparing for or following an IPO. [0][1]
Geography
Headquartered in Ames, Iowa, with offices reported in 12 U.S. cities and two Canadian cities, plus Amsterdam and London; offices in Frankfurt and Paris opened in May 2019. A secondary source also cites early offices in New York, Chicago and London and post-IPO expansion into EMEA and APAC. The 2022 acquisition of ParsePort ApS added a Denmark-based business. [0][1][3]
History
Formed in August 2008 as WebFilings, the company launched its first product in 2010 and, per a secondary source, saw hundreds of large corporations move SEC reporting onto the platform by the end of 2011, prompting hiring and offices in New York, Chicago and London. The company changed its name to Workiva in July 2014 and introduced Wdesk to extend beyond filings into internal audit, risk and sustainability reporting. It went public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: WK) in December 2014, reported by one source as December 12, 2014 with proceeds of roughly $100 million. Workiva ranked fiftieth among all software companies in Deloitte's 2015 Technology Fast 500 and won Best Software-Defined Product at the DevOps Excellence Awards 2019. It opened offices in Frankfurt and Paris in May 2019, launched W for ESEF in April 2020, appointed COO Julie Iskow to the board in November 2020, and in July 2021 became the first SaaS company to join the United Nations Global Compact CFO Taskforce. Acquisitions followed: OneCloud (July 2021), AuditNet, LLC (December 2021), Mark V Systems Limited (December 2021), ParsePort ApS (April 2022) and Sustain.Life (June 2024). Julie Iskow succeeded Marty Vanderploeg as CEO effective April 1, 2023. [0][1][2][3]
Risks & controversies
The Wikipedia article on Workiva carries maintenance notices stating it may have been created or edited in return for undisclosed payments in violation of Wikipedia's terms of use (February 2021) and that it contains promotional content (February 2025), which limits its reliability as a neutral source. Financially, Wikipedia reports a 2024 net loss of $55 million and negative total equity of -$41.7 million. A secondary source describes a strategic restructuring in 2022-2023 to prioritize profitable growth amid market volatility. [0][1]
Compiled by commissioned research from 4 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 18
launches, deals, and filingsWorkiva acquired carbon accounting software startup Sustain.Life to enhance sustainability reporting capabilities; an M&A database records $100 million in cash consideration announced and closed 2024-06-17 per 8-K 0001445305-24-000098.
$100M source ↗
Workiva announced that President and COO Julie Iskow would succeed Marty Vanderploeg as CEO starting April 1, 2023.
Workiva acquired all issued and outstanding equity interests in Denmark-based ParsePort ApS, a solution provider for the ESEF financial reporting mandate, for $99.2 million net of cash acquired of $1.6 million (cash consideration $100.7 million); an M&A database records the deal as $100 million in cash announced 2022-04-01 per 8-K 0001445305-22-000059.
$99.2M source ↗
Workiva acquired all stock in Mark V Systems Limited, author of an open source XBRL validation engine; the acquisition was not material to the consolidated financial statements.
Workiva acquired all membership interests in AuditNet, LLC, a global audit content and services provider, strengthening its risk and assurance offerings; the acquisition was not material to the consolidated financial statements.
Workiva acquired all equity interests in iPaaS company OneCloud to extend integration and data preparation capabilities, for $35.1 million net of cash acquired of $1.5 million; total consideration was $41.3 million including a previously held equity interest remeasured to $4.7 million.
$35.1M source ↗
Solution to help European companies comply with ESMA requirements for European Single Electronic Format reporting, made available in 23 European languages.
Workiva established a partnership with financial close management software company FloQast to offer a reporting and compliance solution for private companies and for companies before and after an IPO.
Workiva integrated its platform with financial close software producer BlackLine, allowing accountants to connect and transfer data between the two companies' products.
In Deloitte's 2015 Technology Fast 500 survey of the fastest growing technology companies in America, Workiva ranked fiftieth among all software companies.
Workiva went public in December 2014; one source states the IPO occurred on December 12, 2014 and raised approximately $100 million to fund EMEA and APAC expansion.
$100M source ↗
The company changed its name to Workiva LLC in July 2014; a secondary source describes the 2014 rebrand as accompanying the launch of Wdesk to extend beyond filings into internal audit, risk and sustainability reporting.
After roughly 18 months of bootstrapped development centered on a proprietary linking engine, the company launched WebFilings as a subscription SaaS product for SEC reporting.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
In the news
▸Research sources · 4
primary sources listed
- What is Brief History of Workiva Company? – businessmodelcanvastemplate.combusinessmodelcanvastemplate.com · web
4 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Workiva do?
- Workiva is a US public SaaS company providing a cloud platform for connected financial, regulatory, risk and ESG reporting.
- Who are Workiva's investors?
- Workiva's investors include Felicis Ventures, KOMPAS VC.
- How much funding has Workiva raised?
- Workiva has disclosed $689.3K raised across 1 of its 2 known rounds.
- Is Workiva publicly traded?
- Yes — Workiva trades on NYSE under the ticker WK.
- Where is Workiva headquartered?
- Workiva is headquartered in Ames, US.