Russian immigrant Vlad Shipilov experienced firsthand the challenges and pitfalls of the visa application process when he moved to Portugal. Frustrated by the lack of affordable and reliable resources available to immigrants, Shipilov decided to take matters into his own hands. Alongside a Portugal-based friend, Sergey Kotlov, Shipilov founded MigRun, a startup aimed at simplifying the immigration process and providing personalized assistance to individuals moving to a new country.
Key Takeaway
MigRun, a startup dedicated to simplifying the immigration process, offers personalized assistance through a comprehensive platform and AI-powered conversational assistant. With a focus on affordability and reliability, MigRun aims to empower individuals from developing countries to navigate the immigration process on their own terms, avoiding costly scammers and inefficient resources.
Avoiding Scammers and Providing Affordable Support
Shipilov’s personal experience highlighted the presence of scammers and high-cost consulting agencies in the immigration market. To combat this, MigRun started by offering free guides, chat support, and low-cost or free consultations with immigration lawyers. The success of their initial efforts led to the establishment of MigRun as a full-fledged business.
MigRun stands out in the market due to its comprehensive platform and investment in automation. Unlike other platforms, MigRun caters not only to immigrants from specific countries but also to groups of people immigrating from one country to another. This personalized approach allows users to connect with individuals who have gone through similar immigration processes or interact with a conversational assistant trained on similar cases and visa requirements.
Data-Driven Assistance and Enhanced Decision-Making
One of MigRun’s key strengths is its extensive data set, which includes profiles of immigrants, visa application documents, chat logs between immigrants and assistants, and information on application outcomes. This wealth of data enables MigRun’s Virtual Assistance, an AI-powered conversational assistant, to provide specific advice tailored to individual circumstances. The assistant can even account for potential biases in immigration decisions, ultimately saving users time and money.
While storing sensitive data is a concern, MigRun assures users that their identities remain anonymous and that personal data is not shared with third-party providers without explicit consent. However, it is worth noting that MigRun retains user data for a period of at least 90 days, up to a maximum of one year.
Growth Plans and the Future of MigRun
MigRun, which has been bootstrapped thus far, is focused on growth. With over 3,900 customers and 16,000 monthly active users, the startup aims to expand its support to more countries, invest in AI assistant development and automation, and increase revenue to $3 million per year. By leveraging AI, automation, and reducing consultants’ roles, MigRun aims to capture a significant portion of the $12 billion immigration market, providing assistance to millions of professionals, entrepreneurs, digital nomads, and families.
