How It Began

1up, co-founded by George Avetisov and Manoj Abraham, is an AI-powered sales enablement tool. It was born out of George’s experience at HYPR, where he saw the need for better communication tools on the sales floor.

Another lesson carried over from HYPR was the importance of reliable back-office support. “I remember when we were using Gusto in the early days at HYPR. It was kind of painful,” he recalled. 

After our Series A, we switched to Justworks, and the experience was night and day. It was a lot smoother, a lot easier. It felt like it was catering to more of a startup like us.

That experience made a lasting impression. “I’ll always be a Justworks customer,” George said.

When the time came to choose an HR solution for 1up, his mind was made up. “People said, try ADP, the usual suspects, and Rippling was starting up, too. I said, I don't have time to waste on all this. I know how [Justworks] works. I'm happy with it. It's a plug-and-play system. We're using Justworks,” he shared.

The Challenge: Growing Fast, Hiring Faster

In two years, 1up has tripled in size, raised $8 million, and started hiring in multiple countries. The ever-evolving AI industry moves fast, meaning speed of hiring and onboarding is make or break. 

“Being able to send an offer, onboard someone, get them enrolled into Justworks, and into the system quickly is half the battle,” George shared. This helps 1up hire without losing momentum. 

Even offboarding, a tough but inevitable part of working in AI, is handled gracefully. 

George said, “I’ve heard from folks who haven’t stayed on with us in this journey that their offboarding experience was positive, and I attribute that to Justworks.”

The Solution: Making Big Transitions Feel Simple 

Through key milestones, including paying first bonuses, offering health insurance, and navigating major life events like childbirth, Justworks has been there to support 1up. Even unplanned moments that require fast thinking and even faster action. 

When an employee unexpectedly relocated from New Jersey to South Korea, 1up was able to bring them on as their first international hire without delay.

“It was surprising how quickly we could transition them into a contractor role and keep paying them,” he said. 

The Results: From Quick Fix to Competitive Hiring Edge 

The AI industry in the U.S. is concentrated in the Bay Area, driving up salaries and competition. But for 1up, international hiring has become a strategic advantage. Today, 1up has built an international team across the U.S., the U.K., Brazil, and South Korea.

Having a tool like Justworks makes it easy to hire contractors, onboard people if they want to become full-time, or pay them as consultants. That opens up our hiring orbit rather than being stuck paying, in some cases, overpaying for talent in the Bay.

- George Avetisov

And it’s clear from 1up’s rapid growth that this is just the start.