Virtanza Receives Green Light to Scale Sales Platform and Curriculum
$1.4 Million in Seed Funding Closed for Online Sales Program Manager
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif., Nov. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- One accelerator and seven angel investment groups have committed funding totaling $1.436 Million to Virtanza, giving the online sales program manager the working capital needed to scale its platform, curriculum and program management services in the higher ed space at a time when universities and colleges are desperate to implement virtual classroom solutions to reverse enrollment and revenue declines. After having to push the funding deadline multiple times to accommodate interest, the cash total of $1.136 Million, plus converted notes and SAFE of $300,000, was confirmed at this past Friday's closing from the following:
- Arizona Tech Investors
- Band of Angels
- Expert Dojo
- M&K Angels
- OSEA Angel Investors
- Pasadena Angels
- Tech Coast Angels – Orange County
- Tech Coast Angels – Los Angeles
- Tech Coast Angels – San Diego
Since initiating fundraising, Virtanza has grown its reach to sixteen universities and colleges across the U.S. who now offer sales curriculum to undergrad and adult learner populations. Learners aspiring to become successful sales professionals after college are joined by a growing number of entrepreneurs, business owners, department heads, and other business influencers keen on driving revenue, and who see the virtual, real-world training as fundamental to their success in the short- and long-term.
"Virtanza's virtual delivery of synchronous sales readiness training programs addresses the long-standing shortage of qualified sales-ready candidates to fill the 1.2 Million sales jobs currently open in the country1," says Debbie Holzkamp, Founder/CEO of the company. "Given the role sales professionals play in driving results to a company's bottom line and the resulting benefits of increased revenues, we are helping produce the fuel needed to drive the post-COVID-19 economic recovery."
Significant traction in the education technology space is planned for the start-up in the months ahead as higher education faces fundamental shifts in its business model and the modern workforce embraces upskilling, reskilling, and certification in in-demand skills necessary to compete in the global digital marketplace. Next steps for Virtanza's team of sales, marketing, content and technology developers, and education professionals include closing a healthy pipeline of new schools who recognize the opportunity to quickly and efficiently implement high-quality, in-demand instruction with little financial risk. As ACE CREDIT© recommended Professional Sales Readiness continues to enroll students from diverse populations, new curriculum to further build a Sales Career Pathway for interested learners is also nearing completion, including Sales Management 1 and 2, Sales Strategies for Entrepreneurs, and Selling & The Art of Persuasion. Employer-side, product- and service-focused Sales Bootcamps are already in session at multiple schools; these and future customized programs will deliver the apprentice-like, experiential learning environment that is growing in demand as higher ed institutions fight to stay competitive. Finally, the Employer Portal that auto matches program graduates to participating Employers with sales job openings is on schedule for debut in Q1 2021.
Virtanza can be found online at www.virtanza.com, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About Virtanza
Headquartered in Orange County, California, Virtanza white labels professional sales training in virtual, synchronous classrooms to universities and colleges. Products include the company's anchor program, Virtanza Professional Sales Ready Certificate©, recommended by ACE CREDIT®, as well as Professional Sales Management One and Two programs, Sales Bootcamps, and On-Demand materials. The company's proprietary Employer Portal scheduled to launch in Q1 2021 will complete the connection of highly trained sales professionals to open sales roles across the U.S. For more information, please visit www.virtanza.com.
Media Contact: Natalie Petersen, [email protected], 714-386-9176
1 Acclaim by Credly, 11/17/20.
SOURCE Virtanza
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