The physical security industry, valued at $50 billion in the U.S., has long grappled with fragmented operational systems that create unnecessary complexity in essential tasks like scheduling, payroll, and field operations. Security guard services companies, managing over one million officers across 8,000 businesses nationwide, face unique challenges in aligning complex client contracts with officer schedules, pay rates, and compliance requirements. Belfry has emerged as a transformative force in this space, offering an all-in-one platform that consolidates critical functions into a single, integrated solution. Their comprehensive suite includes the industry’s only fully embedded payroll system that transforms timesheets into payroll in just three clicks, while also providing smart scheduling tools, real-time dashboards, and an intuitive mobile app for security officers. The platform’s impact is already evident, with customers reporting significant improvements in operational efficiency, including 50% reductions in overtime and 8+ hours saved weekly on administrative tasks.
AlleyWatch caught up with Belfry Cofounder and CEO Jordan Wallach to learn more about the inspiration for the business, the company’s strategic plans, recent round of funding, and much, much more…
Who were your investors and how much did you raise?
We raised $12M in a Series A funding round led by Base10 Partners with participation from previous investors Bienville Capital and Aglaé Ventures. This brings Belfry’s total funding to $20M.
Tell us about the product or service that Belfry offers.
Belfry offers an all-in-one platform designed to simplify operations and increase efficiency for security guard services companies.
Historically, private security firms have struggled with piecing together operations with software tools that don’t integrate well, creating unnecessary complexity in essential tasks like scheduling, payroll, and operations.
Our comprehensive suite includes all parts of the daily workflow for security teams. It automates timecard reviews, provides alerts for discrepancies between timecards and schedules, and facilitates accurate, automated invoicing with simple ACH and credit card processing. Additionally, Belfry enables direct deposit payroll and tax filings without the need for third-party software—this is a huge plus as many of our competitors require third-party integrations for payroll.
We also offer an intuitive mobile app that is a game-changer for security officers, allowing them to clock-in/out, write and submit incident reports, manage benefits, request time off, view schedules, pick up open shifts seamlessly, and more.
Our team built Belfry with the insights of industry experts to deliver a solution that addresses real operational pain points while empowering companies to focus on their core mission: supporting employees and serving clients.
What inspired the start of Belfry?
My cofounder, Alex Tulenko, and I have a deep passion for building software for the industries and people that are critical to our country’s infrastructure, yet are historically underserved by technology.
The inspiration for Belfry came from the operational challenges we observed in security guard services. Managing a small back-office team responsible for a much larger field workforce is an uphill battle. These businesses deserve better tools and less administrative headaches.
Belfry was born out of this mission—to empower security companies to operate efficiently, drive profitability, and focus on what matters most.
How is Belfry different?
Belfry stands out in several ways, but our payroll module is a key differentiator. Security firms manage complex client contracts, where officer pay rates vary by client, location, time of day, etc.—even for the same employee. Belfry simplifies this by seamlessly aligning officer pay with contract terms, including holiday pay, overtime, and other nuances.
We’re the only platform in the space that completely handles payroll tax remittance and filings, direct deposit to employees, time off tracking, benefits administration, ACA compliance, and more, all within our platform. Competitors rely on third-party integrations for these functions, adding unnecessary friction for customers.
On top of our platform features, we provide guided onboarding to ensure the transition from fragmented legacy systems to our all-in-one platform is seamless. We deliver more than a product, we provide the tools and services for our customers to get the most from their investment.
What market does Belfry target and how big is it?
Belfry serves the security guard security market, a $50 billion industry in the U.S. with approximately 8,000 businesses employing over one million security officers.
Our platform supports both the back-end office operations (e.g., payroll, benefits administration, scheduling, timekeeping, billing, etc.) and the security officers themselves. Officers use our mobile app to complete tasks like clocking in and out, recording and submitting incident reports, and tracking GPS locations.
What’s your business model?
Belfry operates on a subscription model, charging its customers on a per-employee, per-month basis.
What factors about your business led your investors to write the check?
Our investors were drawn to the strength of our product-market fit, the expertise of our team, and the measurable impact Belfry is already having on the industry.
From the start, we focused on deeply understanding the unique challenges of our target market with guidance from a stellar group of industry advisors. This research-driven approach allowed us to build a product that resonates with—and most importantly—helps our customers.
Our ability to demonstrate early traction, backed by promising growth forecasts solidified investor confidence in Belfry’s potential.
What advice can you offer companies in New York that do not have a fresh injection of capital in the bank?
Focus on your customer! Build your business around solving their toughest problems and the capital will follow.
Where do you see the company going in the near term?
We’re excited to continue expanding our platform and addressing more operational pain points for the security guard services industry.
In the near term, the funding will fuel hiring efforts of top talent across product and engineering, customer experience, sales and marketing, and operations. Increasing our team size by 50% will enable us to scale and enhance our offerings faster.
What’s your favorite winter destination in and around the city?
Watching Rangers hockey at Madison Square Garden!