Draftea

About Draftea

Draftea started with a simple idea that had big legs: bring fantasy sports to Spanish speaking fans with an experience made for their language, culture, and interests. As the first daily fantasy sports platform in Spanish, the company saw a clear gap and moved fast. Alán Jaime Misrahi founded the project after spotting the chance to adapt fantasy sports to Mexican soccer and build something that actually felt local. The idea caught fire quickly. In less than a year, Draftea raised a seed round of $13.2 million, backed by Kaszek, Sequoia, and the founder of FanDuel. Soon after, it announced a partnership with the NFL and raised another $20 million with support from major investment funds and names from the sports industry.

That kind of growth opens doors, but it also brings a lot of boxes to carry. The team was growing quickly, and the internal operation had to keep up. Hiring talent is one thing. Making sure payroll, registrations, benefits, and compliance do not turn into a traffic jam is another. In fast growing companies, the business can move like a sports car, while admin processes sometimes show up on a bicycle with a flat tire. Draftea needed its internal structure to move at the same speed as the company.

What challenges were they facing in payroll management?

As Draftea kept expanding, payroll became one of the areas with the most pressure. New people were joining often, which meant more registrations, payroll payments, IMSS requirements, and compliance tasks. Every new hire needed the right documents, proper registration, and payments done on time. Without a clear system, those tasks can quickly start stacking up like dishes after a party nobody wants to clean.

“We were growing very quickly and needed a tool that could keep up with us without losing order or compliance.”

The Mexican regulatory side added another layer. Draftea may have an international mindset, but payroll in Mexico needs local knowledge and careful execution. IMSS, tax obligations, payroll payments, and employee records all had to be handled correctly. There was no room for guesswork. The team needed a solution that could run payroll well and also give them confidence as the company kept hiring.

In what areas has Runa impacted the operation?

Runa helped Draftea grow without adding more pressure to the internal team. Processes that used to need a lot of coordination became faster and easier to manage. One of the biggest changes was onboarding. When several people joined in the same week, registrations could be handled quickly, helping the business keep moving without admin delays slowing everyone down.

According to Andreas, “Runa was side by side with us during a period of truly accelerated growth.” Beyond payroll, the platform helped improve the employee experience by making benefits easier to manage. Draftea could offer health insurance and other useful programs without turning the process into a paperwork obstacle course. Having everything in one place made daily work simpler for employees and admins. The team gained more visibility and control, while payroll, compliance, and employee administration became easier to trust as the company scaled.

Why did they decide to work with Runa?

From the start, Draftea needed more than a regular payroll provider. The company wanted a partner that understood rapid growth and could support expansion in Mexico with technology, local knowledge, and practical help. Runa brought payroll management, compliance support, employee benefits, and guidance on local rules in one place. It did not just process payroll. It gave Draftea a clearer way to operate while the company kept moving fast.

Support also mattered a lot. Having a team that could answer quickly, explain rules clearly, and help solve issues made the growth stage easier to manage. As the team puts it, “For us, Runa did not just solve a payroll issue; it became a strategic ally in supporting our long term growth.” Today, that partnership helps Draftea keep expanding with more control, stronger compliance, and a better employee experience. As the company looks ahead, reliable internal processes will keep playing a key role in helping it build one of the leading fantasy sports platforms for Spanish speaking fans.