Funding will fuel further development of transformational technology to disrupt multi-billion dollar Immigration services market
CHICAGO, November 12, 2014 — VISANOW, a leading provider of online immigration services in the U.S., today announced funding from General Catalyst Partners, as well as the addition of Karen Mills (former cabinet member and Administrator of U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)), General Catalyst XIR Scott Griffith (former CEO and Chairman of Zipcar), and Brian Shortsleeve (General Catalyst Managing Director) to its board of directors. The funding and new board will be focused on accelerating the growth of the company, building the team and growing VISANOW’s share while transforming a multi-billion dollar market for immigration and visa services.
“VISANOW’s patented approach levels the playing field for consumers and small businesses by giving them access to high quality immigration services at a fraction of the cost of other options,” said Bob Meltzer, VISANOW founder and CEO. “VISANOW gives small businesses the tools and ability to affordably compete for talent with much larger companies, and gives individuals greater control over their own destiny.”
Focused on individuals and small to medium businesses (SMBs), VISANOW has extraordinary growth potential at a dynamic time in the market. VISANOW streamlines the tedious and confusing front end of the visa application process by automatically gathering required forms and documents, then dynamically generating a complete, accurate and personalized application, which is then filed. Customers have the ability to see the status of their application and respond to attorney questions in real-time. This unique combination of automation, transparency and high customer touch offers an unparalleled user experience.
“VISANOW’s unique approach has already been used by tens of thousands of sponsors and applicants and it sets a new standard in an industry that is ripe for disruption,” said Scott Griffith, who joins the board as Chairman. “VISANOW is well positioned to address the complex needs of a large and growing market with its transformative, tech-driven model that offers superior value and results.”
Current available options make visa applicants choose between cost and effectiveness. Traditional providers can be prohibitively expensive, whereas the less expensive options – online forms/templates or referral services are not as effective. VISANOW charges one flat fee based on the type of application or service required. There are no extra billings based on attorney time or fees for software subscriptions or customer service calls.
“It is critical that companies are able to attract and retain the best workers, but small- and medium-sized business often miss out on great employees because of the cost and complexity involved with the work visa process,” said Karen Mills. “VISANOW changes the game for these companies with a cost-effective, customized and time-efficient solution.”
About VISANOW
VISANOW is a leading provider of online immigration services in the U.S that integrates the best of both people and technology to provide cost-effective, transparent visa application services. Its patented online process guarantees fast response times, easy access to case information and comprehensive customer support. Since inception in 1998, the company has assisted tens of thousands of immigrants, business people, and international travelers. More information is available at www.VISANOW.com.
About the General Catalyst XIR Program
Exceptional businesses are built by exceptional people. General Catalyst’s XIR program combines experience, expertise and acceleration strategies to support founders building transformative businesses, enabling profitable, mid-market companies at the threshold of hyper-growth to realize their full potential. XIRs are proven entrepreneurs and experienced operators with deep domain expertise who have built and grown companies with hundreds of millions to over a billion dollars in revenues. XIRs work closely alongside founders and management teams to provide leadership, mentorship, operational and strategic support and guidance to help drive rapid scale, typically via an active board role. This collaboration is the X-factor that is designed to accelerate the trajectory and improve the eventual outcome of a business.
About General Catalyst Partners
General Catalyst Partners is a venture capital firm that makes early-stage and growth equity investments. The firm backs exceptional entrepreneurs who are building innovative technology companies that transform industries, including Airbnb, BigCommerce, Datalogix, Datto, Demandware, The Honest Company, HubSpot, KAYAK, Oscar, Snapchat, Stripe, and Warby Parker. The General Catalyst partnership leverages its broad experience to help founders build market-leading businesses. General Catalyst has offices in Cambridge, MA, Palo Alto, CA and New York City. For more information, visit: www.generalcatalyst.com or www.twitter.com/gcvp.