Irish employee benefits platform Kota has unveiled a pension platform to help employers deal with the upcoming introduction of auto-enrolment pensions.
The platform is designed to offer employers an easier way to sign workers up for a pension scheme that fits their needs.
Developed for the Irish market, Kota’s solution enables HR and finance teams to set up a compliant occupational pension with Irish Life within minutes, plugging into existing HR systems to sync employee data, set minimum contributions, and have eligible hires automatically enrolled.
Staff, meanwhile, can use the platform to easily view and manage their savings.
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The move comes as the deadline for the implementation of the State’s pension auto-enrolment scheme approaches on January 1st, 2026.
This will see workers between the ages of 23 and 60 earning more than €20,000 automatically signed up to a scheme called My Future Fund.
Companies that already have occupational schemes must put arrangements in place to cover workers who have opted out of the existing workplace scheme or have not signed up to a company plan after starting employment.
Businesses risk being forced to run two pension schemes simultaneously.
Luke Mackey, a co-founder of Kota, said its platform integrates with existing HR systems, signing staff up from the time they commence employment, and connecting with the pension provider directly, thereby eliminating paper-based systems that brokers have traditionally used.
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“We are very well positioned to allow companies be ready without having to constantly pass files and data back and forth, where errors are made,” he said. “Our goal is to make compliance effortless in just a few clicks, while giving employees the transparent, mobile‑first experience they expect.
“We believe this is the easiest path for companies that want to do right by their employees without the unpredictable workload that often accompanies compliance.”
The move to auto-enrolment has been well flagged, but a recent survey by Aon found one in four companies was not yet prepared for the change in the pension regime.
“We’ve spent thousands of hours working alongside Irish employers as they prepare for the upcoming changes,” said Trevor Gardiner, head of benefits at Kota. “Auto-enrolment has been a really positive catalyst, prompting Irish employers to talk seriously about retirement benefits. But from our conversations, it’s clear the State scheme won’t work for everyone.”
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Kota is undertaking a roadshow to enable companies to discuss their preparations and undertake readiness checks. It will cover 13 locations, including Cork, Maynooth, Limerick, Drogheda and Dundalk, and will run from September 2nd until October 23rd.
Formerly known as Yonder, Kota raised $14.5 million (€12.8 million) in funding earlier this year to bring globally accessible and frictionless employment benefits for employees. That brings the total funding raised by the company to $22.9 million over three rounds.
