Rasa Legal Raises $5 Million Late Seed Round to Scale Criminal Record Clearance Nationwide

Led by Rethink Education, with participation from Halogen Ventures, Social Finance, and the Richard King Mellon Foundation

SALT LAKE CITY, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Rasa Legal, a mission-driven legal technology company making it simple and affordable for eligible people to clear their records and access new opportunities, today announced it has raised $5 million in a late seed funding round. The round was led by Rethink Education, with participation from Social Finance, Halogen Ventures, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, and others.

The funding will enable Rasa to expand its leadership team, accelerate product development, and scale its affordable criminal record sealing and expungement services across America.

Founded by attorney, former public defender, and access-to-justice advocate Noella Sudbury, Rasa leverages technology to streamline criminal record sealing and expungement services under applicable state laws, to the 1 in 3 Americans struggling with a criminal record. Since launching its platform in September 2022, more than 26,000 people have used Rasa's tools to understand what is on their record and determine eligibility for clearance. To date, over 5,000 cases have been successfully cleared through Rasa's services.

Originally launched in Utah, Rasa now operates in Utah, Arizona, and Pennsylvania, with plans to expand nationwide. It was the launch in Pennsylvania—with an initial focus on Pittsburgh—that helped attract investment from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, which works to advance prosperity across the region.

"I started this company four years ago, with a dream to build an app to help people clear their criminal records and access new opportunities in life," said Sudbury, Founder and CEO of Rasa Legal. "This fundraise is a key milestone for our company, and I am excited to see how these new strategic partners and dollars will help us scale our impact across America."

Investor Perspectives

"Rasa sits at the intersection of education, workforce access, and justice," said Amy Nelson, Partner at Rethink Education. "By combining technology with legal expertise, the team is building scalable infrastructure that removes barriers to education, employment, and opportunity. We're proud to lead this round and support their national expansion."

Jesse Draper, founding partner of Halogen Ventures, said: "Roughly thirty percent of Americans have a criminal record, representing a significant and often overlooked portion of our country's people. Helping people clear their records and get into the workforce strengthens our economy and reduces homelessness and recidivism by giving people lawful pathways to support their families and rebuild their lives. Rasa Legal is positioned as the most credible technology to tackle this issue and Halogen couldn't be more excited to double down on this investment."

Vinesh Kapil, Director of Impact Investments for Social Finance adds, "We aim to put capital to work in ways that expand opportunity and create measurable, positive outcomes for individuals and communities. Rasa Legal's technology-enabled approach to record clearance directly addresses one of the greatest barriers to economic mobility — access to meaningful career pathways."

Proven Traction and National Recognition

Rasa's platform includes a mobile-friendly eligibility tool that provides instant legal information about a person's criminal record and potential eligibility for sealing or expungement under state law. Beyond record clearance services, the platform has the capability to connect users to scholarships, education, health insurance, and fair chance hiring opportunities.

The company's technology has been highlighted by the American Bar Association and recognized by the American Legal Technology Awards as the Best New Legal Tech Startup in America. Rasa has partnered with NBA teams to power community record clearance clinics and has worked alongside employers such as Flagger Force to connect individuals with records to fair chance hiring opportunities and record clearance support.

Sudbury, a former public defender, previously led Utah's successful Clean Slate campaign, resulting in automated record clearance relief for more than 500,000 Utahns. Her work has been recognized locally and nationally. Noella was named Woman of the Year by Utah Business Magazine and selected by Inc. Magazine as one of the Top 200 most dynamic female founders in America. Noella is a passionate advocate for using technology to bridge the access-to-justice gap, which she notably shares in an October 2024 TedX Talk.

Scaling Impact

It is estimated that 1 in 3 Americans–close to 100 million people–have a criminal record, creating barriers to employment, housing, education, and economic stability. Many are legally eligible for record clearance but lack affordable, accessible legal support. While having a criminal record holds people back long after their time in the justice system, clearing a record has an almost immediate transformative impact, especially when it comes to jobs. People without records are 63% more likely to get a job interview and average wages go up by over 20% within one year of record clearance.

"This round gives us the fuel to move from proving the model to scaling it," Sudbury added. "We believe technology can dramatically expand access to justice and new opportunity — and this is just the beginning."

About Rasa Legal

Rasa Legal is a mission-driven legal technology company making simple and affordable record clearance a possibility for everyone. Through innovative tech and AI tools and a streamlined legal process, Rasa's lawyers provide criminal record sealing and expungement services in Pennsylvania, Utah, and Arizona, with plans to scale nationwide. Since launching in September 2022, more than 26,000 people have used Rasa's tools, and over 5,000 have successfully cleared their records. Rasa's platform also connects platform users to jobs, housing, and health care resources. For more information, or to check eligibility for sealing or expungement services, visit rasa-legal.com.

SOURCE Rasa Legal