Arc

Arc is making it easier to find remote work.

It’s a career platform that connects developers with companies looking to hire. Through this platform, candidates can find jobs, verify their technical skills, and provide community support to fellow developers.

Though it launched just two years ago, Arc has already made significant progress:

• It’s used by notable companies including Spotify, Y Combinator, hims, and Chegg.

• It’s raised $3 million from investors including Techstars, 500 Startups, and Fabrice Grinda (Forbes’ No. 1 angel investor).

• And it’s reached profitability, creating a $3.8 million annual run rate.

Arc was built on a simple idea: the best developers aren’t just in Silicon Valley — they’re everywhere.

Its rise coincides with the monumental shift to remote work, thanks in large part to the coronavirus pandemic.

Even as things start to get back to “normal,” it’s increasingly evident that remote work isn’t going away.

• “Remote work is here to stay,” said The New York Times in March 2021.

• “One year into Covid, working from home is here to stay,” noted CNBC last month.

• And the Wall Street Journal recently claimed, “Remote work is here to stay. Bosses better adjust.”

As of December 2020, more than 41% of the American workforce works remotely. And though that number is expected to fall slightly, data projects that more than 36 million Americans will be working remotely by 2025.

For developers, securing a remote job is hard. Remote job searches are complicated and tedious. Each role receives thousands of applications from all over the world. And it can be hard to get noticed with unfamiliar names of companies and schools on a resume. (Imagine a hiring manager in California recognizing a small college in Vermont or even France.)

Companies face similar challenges when trying to hire for remote positions. They receive applications in bulk, with no easy or quick way to sift through and find the best candidates.

Arc solves the problems for both parties. As the company says, its platform isn’t for freelance work, or temporary employment. It’s designed to help people find real remote work for real careers.

The platform features a job search experience that aggregates openings from more than 10,000 remote hiring companies. It then recommends the ones users are most likely to receive offers from based on their skills and background. This saves developers time by only identifying opportunities relevant to them.

In addition, Arc offers a digital space to connect with other developers to learn new skills and share personal experiences in the job market.

Arc grew out of the world’s largest online developer mentoring platform: Codementor. Codementor launched in 2014 and has more than 750,000 members. Since its inception, it’s connected more than 110,000 developers from 205 countries to mentorship opportunities.

In 2019, Arc launched to connect developers with great remote opportunities. Shortly after, it was featured in TechCrunch, a tech-focused media outlet, and completed Y Combinator’s accelerator program.

Note: An investment in this opportunity includes an equity stake in both Arc and Codementor.

Arc generates revenue through three streams:

• First, it charges mentors a fee for using the Codementor platform.

• Second, it charges companies searching for contract hires. This fee is up to 30% of what the developer will make.

• Third, it charges companies a placement fee of up to 20% of the developer’s annual salary for posting available positions.

With funds raised, Arc plans to launch the second version of its platform.

Team Background

Gage Tseng - Co-Founder & COO

Gage has a strong background in software development.

Prior to co-founding Arc, he was Director of Product with Codementor, the mentoring network for developers started by Weiting. Before that, he was a software engineer and software development manager with Genie Capital, a Taiwan-based internet services company.

Gage began his career as a front-end engineer with Yahoo!. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics from National Chung Hsing University and a Master’s degree in Computer Science from National Taiwan University.

Weiting Liu - Co-Founder & CEO

In addition to starting Arc, Weiting is the Founder of Codementor, the world’s largest mentoring network of developers.

Prior to starting these companies, he co-founded Mr.6 Inc, a China-based provider of social media marketing software. Notable clients included 7-Eleven, Citi, and Acer.

Earlier, Weiting worked for Cardinal Blue Software, a software development company. Before that, he co-founded SocialPicks, a venture-backed internet services company.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from The University of British Columbia and a Master’s degree in Management Science & Engineering from Stanford.

Michael Fossi - Vice President of Sales

Michael has experience in the networking and hiring sectors.

Before joining Arc in March 2020, he was a sales manager with Hired, Inc., a service matching candidates to tech-focused job opportunities. Prior to that, he spent two years as an account executive with LinkedIn, a career-focused networking platform.

Earlier, he was a sales representative with Salesforce, a customer relationship management platform. Before that, he worked as a legislative correspondent at the U.S. House of Representatives.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Christine Orchard - Head of Marketing

Most recently, Christine was Head of Marketing at Codementor, the mentoring network of developers. Before that, she was a marketing content manager with Perfect Corp., a technology company using Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality to create tailored recommendations for cosmetics.

Earlier, she was a product communications specialist with CyberLink, a computer software company. Prior to that, she was a strategy consultant at The Wharton School, the business school affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania.

Christine earned a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Washington University in St. Louis and an MBA from National Taiwan University.

Co-Investors

TechStars

Prominent accelerator for tech companies. Investments include Uber, ClassPass and Twilio.

500 Startups

Prominent seed fund and accelerator program founded by PayPal and Google alumni. Investments include AngelList, Unbounce, and Behance.

Marc Bell Ventures

A VC firm that's invested in Poshmark, Life360, and AltspaceVR.

FG Angels

Angel Investments from the Foundry Group

WI Harper Group

A venture capital firm investing in China-based emerging startups.

Fabrice Grinda

Angel Investor in over 150 startups, including SeatGeek, Boxed, Alibaba, FanDuel, & Betterment