The Challenge
The primary bottleneck for Fortuna AI’s target market was a reliance on outdated manual processes, which led to significant inefficiencies and missed opportunities for financial optimization. Navigating complex federal and state tax regulations required immense manual effort and expertise, while clunky interfaces and disconnected financial data from tools like QuickBooks and Xero hindered professional adoption.
Solution Implemented
Valere designed and implemented a unified AI-driven tax planning platform featuring automated strategy development and generative AI reporting. The solution includes a specialized Tax Planning AI Agent that interprets financial data to provide strategic recommendations. By integrating real-time data imports from major accounting software and deploying a modern, React-based UI, Valere transformed a fragmented process into a streamlined, enterprise-grade workflow.
About the Company
Mission
Fortuna AI is a fintech company dedicated to empowering mid-size accounting firms through the use of advanced automation and machine learning. Their platform focuses on leveraging tax-specific datasets to enhance operational efficiency and optimize tax strategies for businesses. By simplifying complex financial data processing, Fortuna AI allows tax professionals to maximize savings for their clients and move beyond the limitations of traditional, manual accounting methods.
Key Leadership
Bilal Mehanna, CPA, MST (Founder), brings over a decade of high-level tax expertise from Deloitte and his own firm, Mehanna Advisors. He founded FortunAI in 2024 out of a frustration with industry stagnation. “I didn’t build FortunAI to build software,” Bilal explains. “I built it because our industry is stuck.” Bilal chose Valere to build this bridge to address the gap between his deep tax knowledge and the technical requirements of building a truly AI-native platform.
The Challenge: Designing a Unified AI-Driven Tax Platform to solve manual planning and complex compliance bottlenecks
When Fortuna AI approached Valere, the tax planning industry was heavily burdened by manual data entry and analysis, which created a “ceiling” on how many clients a firm could effectively serve.
Technical Constraints
Inefficient Workflows and Data Silos
Traditional tax strategy development relied on time-consuming manual calculations. A significant hurdle was the lack of seamless integration with essential financial tools like QuickBooks and Xero, leading to fragmented data streams that required manual reconciliation.
Complexity of Regulatory Compliance
Navigating the intricate web of federal and state tax regulations required significant manual expertise. There was a critical need for an automated system that could ensure compliance while identifying optimization opportunities that human eyes might miss.
Market/Business Impact
These technical limitations resulted in missed opportunities for financial optimization and hindered the ability of firms to scale. Furthermore, clunky user interfaces were discouraging professionals from adopting new technologies, stalling Fortuna AI’s market penetration and user acquisition goals.
Why Fortuna AI Partnered with Valere to Design and Build their AI Native Solution Development
Fortuna AI selected Valere to translate complex tax logic into a high-performance digital application, focusing on three core differentiators:
Technical Depth in AI and Backend Architecture: Valere demonstrated expertise in building scalable backends using Nest.js and Node.js, combined with specialized knowledge in Generative AI and Agentic AI.
Product Development Partnership: Valere didn’t just act as a vendor; they conducted deep User Experience Research and Design to ensure the platform solved the “clunky interface” issue that previously hindered adoption.
Strategic AI Consulting: Valere guided the transition from manual processes to AI-driven workflows, ensuring the new AI agent could accurately interpret financial data for strategic recommendations.
"Tax planning stops between January and April. Then what? Clients wait until next year to hear from you? That’s not advisory. That’s seasonal work. We built something different... because tax advisory can be better, and I’m going to keep building until it is."
The Solution: Engineering an AI-Driven Tax Planning Solution with Workflow Automation and Agent Lara, a “first-in-class” AI research and advisory tool
Valere engineered a comprehensive platform that automates the end-to-end tax planning lifecycle, from data import to final strategy reporting.
Infrastructure & Architecture
The solution was built on a secure, high-performance stack designed for the sensitive nature of financial data:
- Frontend: React.js was utilized to create a dynamic and intuitive user experience that increased engagement.
- Backend: Nest.js and Node.js provided a scalable framework for managing complex tax logic.
- Data Layer: PostgreSQL on AWS ensures secure and reliable data management.
- Cloud Infrastructure: Fully hosted on AWS to provide the reliability and performance required for mission-critical tax work.
Specialized Workflow: Tax Planning AI Agent
Valere implemented a sophisticated AI agent workflow:
- Automated Strategy Development: AI analyzes client data to suggest tailored tax-saving strategies.
- Generative AI Reports: The system automatically generates comprehensive PDF reports for clients, summarizing strategies and compliance needs.
- Seamless Integration Layer: Real-time synchronization with QuickBooks and Xero to handle 95% of data imports automatically.
- The “Lara” Agent: Developed a specialized AI research layer (“Agent Lara”) that processes complex tax code and firm-specific datasets to provide instant, cited research answers.
- Real-Time Layer: Built direct API integrations with QuickBooks and Xero to move away from “last year’s numbers” and into live financial projections.
Phased Implementation
The project followed Valere’s structured delivery path:
- Discovery & Assessment: Identifying manual bottlenecks and tax-specific requirements.
- AI Strategy Development: Defining the logic for the AI Planning Agent.
- User Experience Research & Design: Rebuilding the UI to solve previous engagement issues.
- Application Development & AI Integration: Building the Nest.js backend and Generative AI features.
- Prototyping & Testing: Validating strategy accuracy and data import reliability.
The Results
The platform has fundamentally transformed how mid-size firms approach tax season, shifting the focus from data entry to high-level advisory.
Key Outcomes
Business Growth & Market Demand:
- $475,000 ARR achieved within the first 12 months of launch.
- Significant uptick in demo requests and a steady onboarding pipeline for mid-size firms.
Operational Efficiency:
- 60% reduction in manual tax planning time through intelligent automation.
- 95% automation in financial data imports from QuickBooks and Xero, virtually eliminating manual entry errors.
User Validation & Engagement:
- 70% increase in user interaction and engagement due to the streamlined, intuitive UI.
Real-Time Capability:
- Shifted firms from seasonal compliance to 365-day advisory.
Market Disruption:
- Launched “Agent Lara,” now recognized as a premier AI research tool in the accounting space.
The Client’s Perspective
"I say [Agent Lara] is the second most powerful tax research tool on the market for marketing. But between us? It might be first. This is just the beginning... we’re not done."
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