From Outdated Methods to Instant Results: The Rise of ZippedScript
In an era where speed and accuracy are paramount, credential verification remains one of the most antiquated and time-consuming processes in hiring. ZippedScript, a Toronto-based technology company, has set out to change that by developing an instant, global verification platform for education and employment credentials using blockchain. Now, with a total of $3.15 million in funding secured across two rounds, ZippedScript is poised to redefine how employers and individuals manage verification data.
A Mission to Modernize Credential Verification
Founded in 2021, ZippedScript emerged with a clear goal: to eliminate the inefficiencies in credential verification. Traditional methods — reliant on call centers, manual requests to registrars, and third-party intermediaries — resulted in slow, costly, and often inconsistent verification processes.
Recognizing this problem, ZippedScript assembled a team of expert developers to build proprietary technology capable of verifying degrees from institutions worldwide within minutes. What once took days or even weeks can now be accomplished in real-time, delivering unprecedented efficiency to hiring workflows.
“We saw an industry that was stuck in the past, using outdated and inefficient methods,” said Chris Harper, CEO of ZippedScript. “Our goal was to create a seamless and global verification process that gets results in minutes, not days or weeks.”
A Leader in Instant Global Verifications
Today, ZippedScript stands as an industry leader with a database of over 20 million pre-verified degrees, serving background check companies and recruiters. This database is an innovation in the screening industry as it delivers truly instant results — a capability that has never been successfully achieved at this scale before.
$3.15M in Funding to Fuel Growth
ZippedScript’s funding journey began with a $750,000 pre-seed round in December 2021, which laid the foundation for its core verification platform. Backed by notable early-stage investors, including Arcanum Capital, Right Side Capital, and New Stack Ventures, this initial investment enabled the company to build its robust technology stack.
James McDowall, Founding Partner at Arcanum Capital, emphasized his confidence in ZippedScript’s leadership: “I had known Chris [Harper, CEO] for several years prior to him launching ZippedScript, and he is quite simply the most driven, visionary, and hard-working founder I have ever met. I invest in people, and I have full faith in Chris and the team he has built around him to execute their vision and grow ZippedScript into a world leader in the background check industry.”
Building on this momentum, ZippedScript secured a $2.4 million seed round in Summer 2023, led by Work-Bench with continued participation from New Stack Ventures.
“The ZippedScript team has an intense fire in their commitment to rethinking the future of education verification and building a market-transforming company here. We’re thrilled to support them,” said Jessica Lin, Co-founder and General Partner at Work-Bench.
Nick Moran, Founder and General Partner at New Stack Ventures, highlighted the broader significance of ZippedScript’s innovation: “ZippedScript is innovating at the intersection of three critical technology trends — Digital Identity, Intelligent APIs, and Democratized Authentication. Companies like Plaid have empowered individuals to connect their financial institution data with a few clicks. ZippedScript empowers individuals to connect their educational institution data with a few clicks. Chris, David, and the team are building the foundation for professional digital identity and verification. We are thrilled to call ourselves investors in ZS’s ambitious and bold vision.”
Scaling for the Future
Raising this seed round amid the volatility following the Sam Bankman-Fried scandal underscores CEO Chris Harper’s resilience and skill in navigating an increasingly cautious venture capital landscape.
Over the past three years, ZippedScript has refined its technology to eliminate reliance on outdated verification methods while ensuring speed, accuracy, affordability, and global coverage — an achievement that has long eluded traditional providers.
“With this funding, we are not only scaling our current offerings but also laying the groundwork for our expansion into employment verification,” Harper added. “We want to make verification seamless for employers and employees alike, giving individuals control over their own data while ensuring businesses can make informed decisions faster than ever before.”
With an ambitious roadmap ahead, ZippedScript plans to expand its employment verification offering in 2025, addressing one of the most pressing challenges in hiring. This comprehensive solution will streamline hiring decisions while saving businesses time and resources. The company is also actively exploring partnerships with major HR tech providers and background check firms to integrate its solutions into broader hiring workflows.
“The days of waiting weeks for verification are over — ZippedScript is here to set a new global standard,” said Harper. As businesses increasingly demand instant, reliable verification solutions, ZippedScript is not just keeping pace — it’s leading the way.
