Mellow

Mellow is a global HR platform transforming how companies engage with contractors, moving from one-time task hires to incorporating them as integral members of the workforce. The company streamlines this process through a set of technological solutions and by assuming all risks and obligations associated with engaging contractors, such as misclassification or legal issues. At the same time, it benefits contractors by ensuring they are paid and receive benefits, bridging the gap between full-time and project-based work.

Mellow was founded in 2024 by Pavel Shynkarenko, an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in financial and legal technologies and client-contractor relationship automation. In 2014, he noticed a growing demand for payment and administrative assistance for businesses working with independent contractors, and this prompted him to launch his first HR tech company, Solar Staff. Initially, the firm provided solutions for service deal optimization. This gradually led to the creation of a multi-tool platform that capitalizes on Solar Staff's decade-long work in this field and responds to the growing demand for specialized solutions for long-term interaction with contractors. Thus, Solar Staff, as a global company, pivoted to Mellow, transferring to it an extensive base of clients in the USA and Europe. Mellow’s mission is to help companies prepare for the future of work, where contract relationships become a common alternative to full-time employment. The company’s CEO is Pavel Shynkarenko, who has stepped down from leading Solar Staff to fully concentrate on this new venture. Benefiting from Solar Staff's client base, Mellow is already working with more than 1,500 companies and 400,000 contractors from over 100 countries. It has a monthly turnover of €18M and an MRR of €800K.

Despite playing in a crowded field, Mellow stands out from its competitors. For instance, firms like Deel, Remote, and Oyster limit themselves to offering either Employer-of-Record (EOR) services for company staff members or tools like payroll management, but do not assume any legal risks. Other services, like Deel Shield, Worksome, and Talent Desk, focus exclusively on expensive Contractor-of-Record (COR) services. On the other hand, Mellow comes with a set of various contractor-related solutions within one contract, and a pay-as-you-go model that makes the non-employee engagement process convenient, transparent, and legally viable. This is the case even when companies are working with contractors from hard-to-reach regions.

The portfolio of Mellow’s solutions is centered on regional demand. The US-based tools, which feature Contractor-of-Record service and an AI-powered tool for finding the right talent by leveraging the hiring manager’s network, are focused on B2B audiences. The European solutions respond to the local demand for enhancing freelancers’ social security, including payment-related assistance, legal services for obtaining digital nomad visas, and tax support.

Mellow is headquartered in Limassol (Cyprus) and has offices in New York and London. The company has a team of 60 people and works with brands such as SumSub, Joom, G2G, Paltalk, Clickadu and Stocksy.

Pavel Shynkarenko, an entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in financial and legal technologies and client-contractor relationship automation