Humanitix
Humanitix is a not-for-profit event ticketing platform that donates 100% of profits from booking fees to charitable causes focused on education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation. Founded in 2016 in Sydney, Australia by Adam McCurdie and Joshua Ross, it operates across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand with approximately $8.6 million in revenue and 78 employees. Winner of the 2018 Google Impact Challenge.
Score generated by AI agents based on publicly cited evidence and reviewed by the project maintainer. Not independently validated.
Score History
Timeline events are AI-curated from public reporting. Score trajectory is derived from documented events.
Humanitix was founded by Adam McCurdie and Joshua Ross as a social enterprise ticketing platform, self-funded through shared salary for 16 months. The initial product was a basic MVP built with a $25,000 NSW Government grant. The charity structure was formalized in May 2017 through ACNC registration, locking in the 100% profits-to-charity model from the start.
Humanitix won the Google Impact Challenge ($1M AUD), received $1.2M from the Atlassian Foundation, expanded to New Zealand, and migrated to Google Cloud. The influx of institutional support validated the model and accelerated platform development. The team grew beyond the two founders, and the platform began offering nonprofit-specific discounted rates.
The pandemic forced a pivot to virtual events, with Humanitix building a first-of-its-kind virtual event hub. Despite the crisis devastating the live events industry, the team of 18 grew revenue 250% year-on-year and channeled over $500,000 in cumulative donations to education programs. The company processed refunds for cancelled events, prioritizing organizer trust over short-term revenue.
Humanitix launched in the US with a Denver headquarters and $884K Colorado state grant, expanded to Canada, and registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Knowbility endorsed the platform as the most accessible ticketing system available. The company grew from 18 to approximately 40 employees and partnered with HubSpot and Code.org. Annual donations reached $1.6 million.
Donations accelerated dramatically, with $10 million donated in 2024 alone (ranking #32 on the Top Corporate Givers list) and cumulative giving exceeding $16.5 million. The platform proactively adopted all-inclusive pricing ahead of transparency laws. Humanitix launched in the UK via Edinburgh, reached 600,000 events hosted, and was processing 52,000 tickets daily with 78 employees across four countries.
Humanitix operates as the largest Australian ticketing platform and is expanding globally across five countries. With $8.6 million in revenue, 78 employees, 52,000 daily ticket sales, and over $16.5 million donated to charity, it represents a rare case of a tech platform that has scaled without extracting value from users, organizers, or workers.
Alternatives
Mobile-first ticketing platform focused on eliminating scalping with non-transferable digital tickets. Strong for music and entertainment events. No booking fees for attendees in some markets. Moderate switch — different UX approach but similar organizer tools.
The dominant event ticketing platform with broader global reach and more advanced marketing tools (Eventbrite Boost, AI features). Higher fees than Humanitix and profits go to shareholders, not charity. Easy switch — similar feature set, but Eventbrite may display competing events on your event pages.
Dimensional Breakdown
Summaries below were written by AI agents based on the cited evidence. They are editorial interpretations, not independent research findings.
Dimension History
Timeline (34 events)
Humanitix Founded as Social Enterprise Ticketing Platform
High school friends Adam McCurdie and Joshua Ross founded Humanitix in Sydney, Australia, after a pact made hiking in Sri Lanka in 2009. McCurdie left his consulting job while Ross stayed at his hedge fund position, sharing Ross's salary to self-fund the startup for 16 months on a handshake agreement.
NSW Government MVP Grant Funds Platform Development
Humanitix received a $25,000 Minimum Viable Product grant from Jobs for NSW to develop its ticketing platform. The grant was instrumental in building the initial product, enabling the two founders to create a functional ticketing system that could compete with established platforms.
Humanitix Registered as Public Benevolent Institution
Humanitix was officially registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) as a Public Benevolent Institution. This formal charity registration cemented the 100% profits-to-charity model in the organization's legal structure, preventing future deviation from the social mission.
NSW Government Building Partnerships Grant of $100,000
Humanitix received a $100,000 Building Partnerships grant from Jobs for NSW to scale operations. The funding allowed the company to hire new staff, refine its software, and continue to scale with new customers and event organizer partners across Australia.
Atlassian Foundation Provides AUD$1.2 Million Grant
The Atlassian Foundation provided Humanitix with an AUD$1.2 million grant, becoming one of its earliest and most significant backers. The partnership extended beyond funding to include charity partner selection guidance and technical support for security penetration testing.
Named Westpac Top 20 Business of Tomorrow
Humanitix was named one of the top 20 Westpac Businesses of Tomorrow from 200 outstanding Australian businesses. The award included a tailored $50,000 professional services package, one-on-one mentoring from former Wallabies captain John Eales, and an exclusive two-week study tour to Silicon Valley.
Founders Named Social Entrepreneurs of the Year
Adam McCurdie and Joshua Ross were awarded Social Entrepreneurs of the Year at the Third Sector Awards, recognizing their work building a viable commercial ticketing platform structured as a charity that channels 100% of profits to education and healthcare causes.
Won AUD$1 Million Google Impact Challenge
Humanitix won first place in the 2018 Google Impact Challenge Australia, receiving an AUD$1 million grant from Google.org. The win catalyzed Humanitix's migration to Google Cloud and accelerated platform development. Co-founder McCurdie noted the grant allowed them to 'accelerate growth with certainty.'
UNSW Business School Publishes Research on Humanitix Model
UNSW Newsroom published research examining Humanitix's not-for-profit ticketing model, analyzing how the company found 'the golden ticket' by offering nonprofits rates less than half of what for-profit platforms charge while channeling all profits to charity partners.
Humanitix Launches in New Zealand
Humanitix expanded to its first international market, New Zealand, partnering with the Manaiakalani Education Trust to support Maori, Pasifika and disadvantaged students. Event organizers in NZ could choose from three education projects for their booking fee donations to support.
Migration to Google Cloud Boosts Development Speed 15x
Following the Google Impact Challenge win, Humanitix migrated to Google Cloud Platform, adopting App Engine, BigQuery, Firebase, and Cloud CDN. The move enabled a one-day release cycle and an estimated 15-fold boost to development productivity, using Google Cloud infrastructure and AI Platform.
Vision Australia Partnership for Screen Reader Accessibility
Humanitix partnered with Vision Australia to make its ticketing platform compatible with screen readers, designing the platform with disability inclusion as a priority. The partnership ensured event pages included information about venue accessibility features for attendees with disabilities.
Next Foundation Backs New Zealand Expansion
New Zealand's Next Foundation invested in Humanitix from 2019-2021 to help establish a sustainable business model in the NZ market. The foundation's education director noted Humanitix's long-term sustainable funding model and alignment with reducing inequality in education.
First Ticketing Platform to Integrate Canva Button
Humanitix became the first event-management platform to integrate the Canva Button API, enabling organizers to design event banners, host profiles, and ticket images directly within the platform. The native integration eliminated the need to switch to external design tools.
Virtual Event Hub Launched During COVID-19 Pandemic
Humanitix launched a virtual events hub to help thousands of organizers transition events to digital format during COVID-19 lockdowns. Co-founder McCurdie called it 'the first of its kind.' The platform processed refunds for cancelled events, temporarily sacrificing booking fee revenue and charitable donations.
Platform Growth Reaches 250% Year-on-Year Despite Pandemic
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down in-person events, Humanitix grew roughly 250% year-on-year by pivoting to virtual events. The team of 18 employees channeled over $500,000 in cumulative funding to educational programs by mid-2020.
Humanitix Launches in Canada
Humanitix expanded to Canada as its third international market. The launch followed its NZ expansion model, establishing local charity partnerships and adapting the platform for Canadian event organizers with CAD currency support.
Austrade Landing Pads Program Prepares US Market Entry
Co-founders McCurdie and Ross participated in Austrade's Landing Pads program in San Francisco, networking with other Australian scaleups and refining their US market entry strategy. The program provided connections and resources to sharpen their approach to the American ticketing market.
Knowbility Endorses Humanitix as Most Accessible Ticketing Platform
Knowbility, one of the world's leading accessibility charities, switched all event ticketing to Humanitix, calling it 'the most accessible ticket sales and registration system they had ever seen.' The endorsement recognized Humanitix's integration of accessibility from the ground up.
Denver Selected as US Headquarters with $884K State Grant
Colorado announced Humanitix selected Denver as its US headquarters, beating out Texas and Pennsylvania. Humanitix received a Strategic Fund Grant of $884,000 from Colorado for creating up to 136 jobs over eight years. The company registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the US.
HubSpot Integration Launched for Event CRM
Humanitix partnered with HubSpot to integrate event ticketing with CRM, enabling organizers to synchronize contacts and track registrations throughout the customer journey. The free integration leveraged HubSpot's custom objects for seamless attendee data management.
Code.org Partnership with $100,000 AUD Initial Donation
Humanitix announced Code.org as its newest US Impact Partner, making an initial donation of $100,000 AUD. The partnership expanded Humanitix's charitable reach into computer science education, supporting Code.org's mission to provide access for all students regardless of background.
US Market Grows from Zero to 2,000 Customers in First Year
Within 12 months of launching in the US, Humanitix grew from zero to 2,000 customers and hired 10 employees at its Denver headquarters. The rapid US growth demonstrated the viability of the charitable ticketing model outside its Australian home market.
Annual Charitable Donations Reach $1.6 Million
Humanitix donated $1.6 million to charitable organizations in 2022, funding programs through Room to Read, Yalari, Manaiakalani Education Trust, and Code.org. The cumulative donation total reached approximately $2.5 million since founding.
Box Office Feature Enables Tap-to-Pay Ticket Sales at Door
Humanitix launched its Box Office feature, turning mobile phones into payment terminals for at-the-door ticket sales with no extra hardware required. The US Gaelic Athletic Association Finals Tournament was one of the first events to use it, selling $15,000 in tickets via Tap-to-Pay.
Annual Charitable Donations Reach $4 Million
Humanitix made its then-largest annual donation of $4 million AUD in 2023, its biggest single-year contribution to date. This brought cumulative charitable donations to $6.5 million since founding, supporting Room to Read, Manaiakalani Education Trust, Code.org, and The Life You Can Save.
Tap to Pay on iPhone Goes Live in Australia and USA
Humanitix expanded its Box Office feature with Tap to Pay on iPhone support in Australia and the USA. Event organizers could now take in-person contactless card and digital wallet payments using only an iPhone, eliminating the need for separate payment terminal hardware.
Record $4 Million AUD Single Donation to The Life You Can Save
Humanitix made a $4 million AUD ($2.6 million USD) donation to The Life You Can Save, the largest single donation in Humanitix's history and the largest unrestricted donation The Life You Can Save had ever received. Co-founder Adam McCurdie presented the cheque at Blackbird's Sunrise festival.
All-Inclusive Pricing Adopted Ahead of Transparency Laws
Humanitix voluntarily switched to all-inclusive ticket pricing display, showing total cost upfront before being legally required to do so. The change aligned with California's Honest Pricing Law (SB 478) effective July 2024 and similar global legislation. No fees changed; only the display format was updated.
Annual Charitable Donations Reach $10 Million
Humanitix donated $10 million in 2024, more than doubling its previous year's donations. The cumulative total reached over $16.5 million since founding. The $10 million annual figure ranked Humanitix #32 on the Top 50 Corporate Givers List, alongside Canva and ahead of Qantas and IAG.
Platform Reaches 600,000 Events Hosted and 95% Customer Satisfaction
By the end of 2024, Humanitix had hosted over 600,000 events since its founding. Customer satisfaction maintained a 95% positive CSAT rating, with over 350 Trustpilot reviews at 4.7/5. The platform processed approximately 20 million tickets annually.
UK Launch in Edinburgh with Scottish Enterprise Support
Humanitix launched UK operations in Edinburgh, creating 30 jobs with support from a £325,000 Scottish Enterprise grant. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes attended the launch at the National Museum of Scotland. The company announced a £500,000 annual prize for UK social enterprises and charities.
Revenue Reaches $8.6 Million with 78 Employees
Humanitix reached $8.6 million in annual revenue with a team of 78 employees across four countries. The platform was selling over 52,000 tickets per day and welcoming 19 million attendees annually to events ranging from small workshops to major festivals.
Stanford University Partners with Humanitix for Student Events
Stanford University's Office of Student Engagement partnered with Humanitix as one of two approved ticketing options for student organizations. VSOs receive discounted rates and ticket revenue is deposited directly into their accounts, reflecting Humanitix's growing institutional adoption in the US.