Tofu Powers AI-Driven Global Accounting Platform with YugabyteDB for Zero-Downtime Operations

Tofu Powers AI-Driven Global Accounting Platform with YugabyteDB for Zero-Downtime Operations

At a Glance

01
Tofu is a comprehensive, AI-powered accounting platform serving top-10 accounting firms, including Baker Tilly. It processes 1M+ invoices monthly for 2,000+ bookkeepers worldwide.
02
Legacy monolithic databases couldn’t deliver zero-downtime operations, global GDPR compliance with data residency, or elastic scaling for AI-driven workloads with massive invoice processing spikes.
03
By adopting YugabyteDB’s distributed SQL architecture, Tofu built a truly 24/7/365 platform with multi-region compliance, PostgreSQL compatibility, and seamless scalability for AI workloads.

AI-Powered, Global Accounting Platform

Tofu provides top-10 accounting firms with mission-critical financial services. Their platform processes over 1 million invoices per month for 2,000+ bookkeepers, using AI to scan and extract detailed line-item data that drives next-level productivity.

The financial services industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, driven by AI, cloud-native platforms, and user demands for instant access.

Modern accounting platforms are no longer just end-of-year tax tools. They are 24/7/365 operational hubs that ingest and process thousands of invoices, manage global payroll, and provide real-time financial insights to clients worldwide.

This expansion has led to a surge in mission-critical data activity. For a platform handling sensitive financial data for global enterprise clients, downtime is not an option, and regulatory compliance is non-negotiable.

Challenges

01
Legacy single-node databases created single points of failure for mission-critical financial operations
02
Maintenance windows for upgrades are unacceptable for global 24/7 service requirements
03
Centralized databases couldn’t meet GDPR data residency mandates across the EU and other regions
04
Fixed vertical scaling limits forced expensive over-provisioning or risked system crashes during AI processing peaks

Key Database Requirements

Tofu needed a globally distributed database that could power their modern AI-driven accounting platform at scale. Their requirements included:

01
Zero-downtime operations for patching and upgrades to serve global clients 24/7/365
02
Multi-region, geo-distributed architecture to guarantee GDPR-compliant data residency
03
Elastic, horizontal scaling to handle bursty AI workloads processing 1M+ invoices monthly
04
100% PostgreSQL compatibility to accelerate development with familiar, powerful tools
“For our global clients, data is the product. Any downtime breaks customer trust and directly costs money. We needed a database that could deliver true 24/7/365 availability while meeting strict GDPR compliance requirements.”
Tofu Engineering Team

YugabyteDB Solution

High Performance
Zero-Downtime Resilience
YugabyteDB automatically replicates data across multiple nodes and data centers. Rolling upgrades apply patches node by node with zero application downtime, enabling continuous 24/7/365 operations for Tofu’s global clients.
You can geo-partition YugabyteDB clusters for compliance and low latency
Multi-Region GDPR Compliance
Row-level geo-partitioning enables Tofu to run a single logical database cluster that spans the globe, while pinning specific data to nodes in the required regions. This ensures EU data remains within the EU, eliminating the need for complex data silos.
YugabyteDB can scale reads and writes horizontally without limits
Elastic Horizontal
Scaling
Linear scale-out capability handles massive AI workload spikes by simply adding nodes. YugabyteDB automatically redistributes data and load, eliminating over-provisioning while ensuring invoice processing remains fast.
Monitor
Full PostgreSQL Compatibility
Wire compatibility with PostgreSQL allows Tofu’s engineering team to build AI and data-processing tools using familiar features. Applications, drivers, and ORMs work without modification.

Business Results

24/7/365 uptime: True zero-downtime operations for global clients

1M+ invoices processed monthly: Seamless AI-driven invoice processing at scale

Rapid time to market: Tofu named Xero Emerging App Awards finalist within three months of launch

Elastic scalability: Handle AI workload spikes without over-provisioning

Full GDPR compliance: Multi-region support with geo-partitioning ensures data residency

Accelerated development: PostgreSQL compatibility enables fast iteration with familiar tools

Mission-Critical Financial Services at Global Scale

Data is at the heart of innovation in accounting technology and plays a critical role in driving transformative experiences for bookkeepers and their clients. The legacy database layers that power many financial services force unacceptable trade-offs, including data consistency, availability, global compliance, and elastic scalability.

Within three months of launch on YugabyteDB, Tofu was named a finalist in the Xero Emerging App Awards for accounting software, reinforcing market traction and technical excellence.

Tofu’s platform now delivers a secure, resilient, always-on service to clients in New York, London, Tokyo, and beyond. Their engineering team can perform maintenance without interrupting service, ensuring their AI and productivity tools remain available while still meeting the strictest regulatory compliance requirements.

By adopting YugabyteDB’s distributed SQL architecture, platforms like Tofu can:

  • Handle peak AI and user traffic effortlessly, without downtime
  • Guarantee zero downtime for upgrades and maintenance
  • Eliminate single points of failure with multi-region availability
  • Deliver fast, low-latency performance to users worldwide
  • Simplify regulatory compliance (GDPR) with geo-partitioning
  • Accelerate development with 100% PostgreSQL compatibility

Download the Tofu Case Study White Paper