Seattle-based immigration startup Legalpad has been acquired by Deel, a global payroll company headquartered in San Francisco.
A Deel spokesperson said Legalpad has more than 70 employees, all of whom will be joining Deel, which now has more than 1,200 employees. The companies aren't disclosing the financial terms of the deal.
“Talent, not birthplace, should decide job opportunity," Todd Heine, Legalpad CEO, said in a statement. "Our team has years of experience helping companies hire the best people around the world. Being part of Deel will accelerate these efforts to more countries, companies and people.”
The spokesperson added that the companies haven't yet decided what will happen to Legalpad's brand.
Legalpad, founded in 2018, helps immigrants navigate the complexities of working for U.S. companies. The company connects workers with a variety of temporary work visas, and it offers plans for workers who want to move to the U.S. permanently. According to Legalpad, the company has worked with more than 500 companies. Legalpad raised $2 million in 2018 and $10 million in 2020.
Deel, meanwhile, was founded in 2019. The company helps clients onboard, pay and manage expenses for employees around the world. According to its website, Deel works with Shopify, Dropbox and Airtable. In a blog post announcing the acquisition, Deel said it will integrate Legalpad's tech with its current immigration organization, and that Legalpad has helped "thousands of global workers."
The Deel spokesperson said company co-founder and CEO Alex Bouaziz actually used Legalpad to obtain an O-1 visa that he used to start Deel.
“Deel and Legalpad see the world very similarly — that location shouldn’t stand in the way of working for your dream company. Together we can break down immigration complexities in more countries and unlock big talent pools in the process,” Philippe Bouaziz, co-founder and CFO of Deel, said in a statement.
