Fieldguide, an agentic AI platform for the audit and advisory sector, has closed a $75 million Series C funding round led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives. This investment brings the company's total funding to $125 million and its valuation to $700 million. The capital will accelerate Fieldguide's mission to solve the critical capacity and talent shortages facing the accounting profession.
Addressing an Industry-Wide Talent Crisis
The audit and advisory industry faces a severe capacity problem, driven by increasing regulatory complexity and a shrinking talent pool. The number of CPA exam candidates has hit a 17-year low, while 75% of current CPAs are expected to retire within the next decade. These factors create an unsustainable environment where firms struggle to meet client demands.
This talent deficit has created an estimated 125 million-hour capacity shortfall, representing over $25 billion in unmet demand. Projections show this gap could widen to $230 billion annually by 2030, rendering traditional growth models obsolete. Firms must now look beyond hiring alone to scale their operations and maintain service quality.
A New Execution Model with Agentic AI
Fieldguide addresses this challenge with an AI-native platform that redefines how audit and advisory work is performed. The platform embeds agentic AI directly into engagement execution, allowing AI agents to operate as integral members of the team. These agents handle high-volume, repeatable, and data-intensive tasks across the entire engagement lifecycle.
By automating manual processes, Fieldguide frees practitioners to focus on high-value activities like critical judgment and client advisory. The platform is purpose-built for regulated environments, ensuring governance, traceability, and human oversight are integrated into every workflow. This approach enhances capacity without compromising on quality or compliance standards.
Investor Confidence and Market Validation
The investment from Goldman Sachs signals strong confidence in Fieldguide's vision for the industry's future. Harris Pollack of Goldman Sachs Alternatives noted that Fieldguide establishes a "new foundation for how the audit and advisory industry will operate." He emphasized that the future depends on effectively combining human judgment with AI-driven execution.
This confidence is mirrored by significant market adoption, with half of the Top 100 U.S. accounting firms, including KPMG, already using the platform. Brian Fields, Enterprise Innovation Leader at KPMG, stated the firm uses Fieldguide to "empower our professionals to deliver next-generation quality." This widespread use underscores the platform's proven value in real-world engagements.
Future Trajectory and Strategic Expansion
With the new capital, Fieldguide plans to accelerate its growth and deepen its impact on the profession. The company will expand its agentic AI capabilities across more practice types and build out its agent marketplace. According to CEO Jin Chang, this funding scales a model where AI and experts work together for a sustainable future.
Fieldguide's $75 million Series C funding is a milestone for both the company and the audit profession. It validates the urgent need for innovation to address the industry's profound talent and capacity challenges. As firms shift from experimentation to adoption, this investment solidifies agentic AI's role as an essential component in the future of assurance services.