Salt Lake City, UT, August 14, 2023 – Rasa Legal Public Benefit Corporation, a national leader in affordable criminal record expungement, has announced that it has raised an additional $1.1 million in an over-subscribed pre-seed extension funding round. New investors include leading social impact investors Acumen America, Sorenson Impact Foundation, Dream.org, and GoodLight Capital.
“I couldn’t ask for a more passionate set of investors, and feel directly aligned with their goals to increase access to justice, eliminate poverty, and create economic mobility for justice-involved Americans,” said Noella Sudbury, Founder and CEO of Rasa. “This funding shows that investors believe in our mission and our ability to scale our impact to help people both inside and outside of Utah.”
“Rasa and Acumen America are mission-aligned in our commitment to eliminating poverty and building a more equitable world through greater access to opportunities for all Americans,” said Catherine Casey Nanda, Director of Acumen America.
Since it launched in September 2022, Rasa has helped more than 8,000 people with Utah records determine their eligibility for expungement, and the company has more than 2,000 cases currently moving through the criminal record expungement process. Clearing these records has opened up opportunities for jobs, higher wages, access to housing, and a better quality of life for justice-involved individuals. With an initial focus on Utah, Rasa will now expand into several more states, creating access to justice through technology for millions of people.
“Having a criminal record shouldn’t keep hard-working Americans out of a job, without a home, or with a lower paycheck. Dream.Org is proud to support Rasa’s innovative approach to making the expungement of criminal records affordable and giving justice-involved Americans the second chances they deserve. We look forward to their expansion into Arizona,” said Janos Marton, Vice President of Political Strategy for Dream.Org.
Rasa’s innovative technology is changing the game for accessibility and affordability of the expungement process. In under 3 minutes, Rasa helps a person review their criminal record and understand what may be eligible for expungement, now or in the future. If an individual has eligible records, Rasa is able to represent them for a flat rate of $500 (for up to 3 records). This time-saving
technology solution makes second chances possible for those who can’t afford the expense of working with a traditional attorney to navigate the expungement process.
“Rasa is showing that the law can and should work for all people. By clearing criminal records and opening doors to opportunity, Rasa is transforming the future of work, providing needed talent to address our labor shortage, as well as economic mobility to millions of low-income Americans. Rasa fits perfectly with the GoodLight Capital thesis of concentrating our resources towards solving the greatest challenges of our time,” said Jacques-Philippe Piverger, Founder of GoodLight Capital.
“Enabling access to better jobs, housing and financial services, clearing a criminal record is a profound lever for impact. Rasa is using technology to make this process accessible, affordable, and scalable, and the Sorenson Impact Foundation is excited to support the company as it expands across the country to help millions of Americans with criminal records move forward with their lives,” said Eliza Roady, Managing Director of Impact Investing for Sorenson Impact Center.
