VisaDoc secures six figure pre seed funding from NPIF II
This article covers VisaDoc, a travel startup that has secured a six-figure investment from NPIF II – Mercia Equity Finance in a pre-seed funding round to help meet growing demand ahead of a larger funding round planned next year. The funding will support team expansion, including a new base in Leeds, and the scaling of its platform that automates visa applications for business travellers and improves compliance visibility for large employers.
VisaDoc, a travel startup that automates visa applications for business travellers, has secured a six-figure investment from NPIF II – Mercia Equity Finance in a pre-seed funding round to help meet growing demand ahead of a larger funding round planned next year. The deal will fund team expansion, including a new base in Leeds, as the company scales a platform launched in March that aims to replace manual visa processes for corporate travellers.
Why it matters
Business travel is rebounding while many countries tighten visa rules, increasing compliance risk for employers. Companies that move staff internationally face operational delays, fines or worse when paperwork fails. Digitising visa workflows addresses a practical pain point for large employers and travel managers, and could reduce avoidable travel disruption for global operations.
Inside the product
VisaDoc’s platform automates the creation and validation of visa applications across more than 190 destinations and offers employers visibility over individual travel patterns and application status. The service, launched in March, is already used by over 100 global organisations, including Toyota, Anglo American, RELX plc and the Civil Aviation Authority — clients that signal traction with multinational corporate travel and compliance teams. The founders say the system replaces fragmented, manual processes and centralises compliance for business travel programmes.
Who are the investors?
The funding was provided by NPIF II – Mercia Equity Finance, part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II and managed by Mercia. NPIF II is a £660m programme covering the North of England that offers loans from £25,000 to £2m and equity investments up to £5m, intended to boost regional innovation and early-stage finance.
In the announcement, Mattia Scalabrin, of fund manager Mercia Ventures, said:
Visa application is complex and cumbersome with a high reliance on manual processes, whether by companies themselves or by external service providers. James and Oleh saw an opportunity to automate these process and their new platform has quickly taken off. We believe it could transform this part of the business travel market and are pleased to support them as they prepare to raise a larger funding round.
In the announcement, Sarah Newbould, Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank, said:
Through NPIF II we’re proud to be supporting innovative businesses such as VisaDoc to provide new services to international markets and some of the world’s biggest businesses. By backing these businesses we are stimulating job creation and regional growth in the North whilst also promoting international activity.
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Founder perspective
VisaDoc was founded by James Tomlin and Oleh Voronko, who previously held senior roles with a US-based multinational that provided manual visa services. The company plans to establish a team in Leeds following the investment.
In the announcement, James Tomlin, CEO at VisaDoc, said:
Millions of employees travel overseas on business each year and every big company has visa horror stories to tell. At best, staff may be denied entry to a country – at worst they can be fined, permanently banned or even end up in jail. Our platform helps companies ensure compliance with the rules, manage business trips more effectively and save time.
There is nothing like this on the market currently and we have had overwhelming demand. The funding will enable us to expand the team and roll it out to more customers as we start to scale the business.
The bigger picture
The investment follows a broader push to plug regional funding gaps in the North of England while targeting practical use cases for corporate travel. For the travel sector, the deal reflects growing interest from travel investors in tools that digitise compliance and operational workflows. As international travel rules evolve, vendors that streamline regulatory steps for employers may find steady demand from enterprise customers seeking to reduce risk and administrative overhead.
This deal also underlines continued public-private efforts — via programmes such as NPIF II — to channel capital into northern UK companies that can create jobs and export services. As VisaDoc prepares for a larger raise next year, observers will watch whether the company can convert early enterprise adoption into a broader category play across Europe.
They've invested in VisaDoc
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| Investors | Investment Focus | Startup Investments | Round Size | Connect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 NPIF II – Mercia Equity Finance( ) | ||||
 Mercia( ) Mercia is a venture capital firm focused on fuelling UK business ambitions throu... Manchester  | ||||
 British Business Bank( ) The British Business Bank focuses on enhancing finance accessibility for smaller... Sheffield | ||||
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