Ponte Labor is a technology company.
Ponte Labor has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round.
Ponte Labor has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Ponte Labor has raised $3.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Ponte Labor's investors include Antiportfolio Ventures, Freestyle Capital, Harlem Capital, Y Combinator.
Ponte Labor is a Miami-based HR tech startup founded in 2023 that builds a platform connecting legally authorized Hispanic immigrant workers with U.S. employers facing labor shortages, primarily in hospitality roles like housekeeping, chefs, and waiters.[1][2][4] It serves hotels and restaurants (e.g., Omni Hotels & Resorts, Pyramid Global) struggling to fill over 10 million open frontline jobs, while helping immigrants overcome language, cultural, and access barriers to stable employment.[1][2][3] The platform solves acute labor gaps by pre-vetting candidates via an in-house AI recruiter on WhatsApp and voice interviews, matching them directly to employers without agencies, and handling onboarding—resulting in hires 20% faster than traditional methods at an average of 10 days.[1][2][5] Ponte has onboarded over 60,000 candidates, placed nearly 800 workers, secured 14 employer partners, and grown annualized net revenue from $70,000 in February 2024 to $550,000, with a $3M seed round at $15M valuation.[1][2][3]
Ponte Labor was co-founded by Stephanie Murra and Lorenza Vélez, two Colombian immigrants who met as early hires at Addi, a BNPL fintech in Colombia, before becoming Harvard Business School roommates.[1][2] The idea emerged during their final HBS semester in April 2023, spotting the mismatch between millions of work-authorized Hispanic immigrants and blue-collar job shortages in hospitality amid retiring baby boomers.[1][2] They launched the platform in November 2023, quickly gaining traction: onboarding 60,000+ candidates, placing 800 workers, and raising $1.5M from accelerators like Better Tomorrow Ventures' The Mint and NFX’s FAST, followed by a $3M seed led by Harlem Capital with BTV, The 81 Collection, and Wischoff Ventures.[1][2][3]
Ponte rides the U.S. labor shortage wave, with 10+ million open frontline jobs exacerbated by boomer retirements, while tapping an underserved pool of Hispanic immigrants facing barriers to formal employment.[1][2] Timing aligns with rising demand for efficient, tech-driven hiring in blue-collar sectors like hospitality, where traditional methods fail amid economic pressures like lost hotel revenue from understaffing.[1] Market forces favoring Ponte include AI advancements for scalable vetting, WhatsApp's dominance among immigrants, and investor bets on immigrant-focused fintech/HR tech amid diversification trends.[1][2][3] It influences the ecosystem by pioneering culturally attuned platforms, enabling economic mobility for immigrants and redefining access to "hard-to-fill" roles, potentially expanding HR tech's inclusivity.[3]
Ponte's momentum—revenue tripling to $550K annualized, major employer wins, and seed funding—positions it to scale nationally, expanding from hospitality into construction and elder care while layering on financial products and immigration support.[1][2][3] Trends like AI hiring automation, labor crunches, and Hispanic workforce growth (projected to drive U.S. demographics) will propel it, evolving from job matcher to full immigrant empowerment ecosystem.[1][3] Expect Ponte to capture more market share, achieve profitability, and inspire copycats, solidifying its role in bridging America's labor divide as it unleashes Hispanic professional potential.[1][2]
Ponte Labor has raised $3.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $3.0M Seed in March 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2025 | $3.0M Seed | Antiportfolio Ventures, Freestyle Capital, Harlem Capital, Y Combinator |