This YC-backed startup raised $2.7 million to speed up US visa applications with AI. Read the pitch deck.
Summary
Gale, a startup that uses AI to streamline the US visa application process for employers and workers, has raised $2.7 million in seed funding.Its cofounders, who are all immigrants, launched the startup out of Y Combinators 2025 winter cohort following their own frustrations navigating the US visa system.The trio Rahul Gudise, Rishabh Sambare, and Haokun Qin told Business Insider they found the process confusing, full of delays, and bureaucratic. "If I wanted a question answered about my visa status, it would take the attorneys like four business days to get back to me, minimum," said Gudise, who previously worked at Tesla and Nvidia.He added that the traditional approach of using law firms means cases can drag on for weeks unless clients are willing to pay premium fees. "Simple questions can take multiple steps to resolve because they have to be relayed up and down a chain of staff and attorneys," Gudise said.Gales web-based platform automates much of the administrative work involved in visa applications. Right now, the startup is focused on H-1B visas.Gudise said the goal is to make onboarding "as fast as possible" for applicants, and to free up time for lawyers by automating repetitive tasks. Building new partnerships with employers and immigration lawyers is also a key focus as the company scales, Qin told BI.