# Zain Zaidi

> Zain Zaidi is the co-founder and CEO of TransCrypts, a blockchain-powered credential and employment verification platform he started after struggling to access his own college transcript as an SJSU student. Backed by Mark Cuban, Pantera Capital, and Techstars, he has grown the company to 450+ enterprise clients and 4 million users across 9 countries, raised $18M+, launched JustScreen (the world's first free background check service), and earned a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2026 — all before turning 30. His platform has also helped over 4,000 Ukrainian refugees access medical records.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at TransCrypts
- **Organizations:** TransCrypts, Techstars (alumni), San José State University (alumni), University of Toronto Entrepreneurship (alumni)
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.S. Electrical Engineering, San José State University
- **Known for:** Forbes 30 Under 30, 2026 (Social Impact category), Raised $18M+ in venture funding including from Mark Cuban and Pantera Capital, Grew TransCrypts 15x in 24 months to 450+ enterprise clients and 4M users

## Career timeline

- **2020** — Co-founded TransCrypts with cousin Ali Zaheer while still at SJSU
- **2021** — Won $10,000 in the Silicon Valley Business Plan Competition at SJSU; graduated from SJSU
- **2022** — Accepted into inaugural Filecoin Techstars Accelerator cohort in Seattle; closed $1.4M pre-seed round
- **2023** — Raised $3.2M pre-seed led by Mark Cuban and Protocol Labs; helped 4,000+ Ukrainian refugees access medical records; expanded to Turkey earthquake relief
- **2025-07** — Launched JustScreen, the world's first free background check service for employers
- **2025-10** — Closed $15M seed round led by Pantera Capital; opened Toronto headquarters
- **2026** — Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 (Social Impact category)

## Achievements

- Forbes 30 Under 30, 2026 (Social Impact category)
- Raised $18M+ in venture funding including from Mark Cuban and Pantera Capital
- Grew TransCrypts 15x in 24 months to 450+ enterprise clients and 4M users
- Helped 4,000+ Ukrainian refugees access medical records during the 2022 crisis
- Launched JustScreen - the world's first completely free background check service
- Deployed credential verification technology in 9 countries
- Won $10,000 at the SJSU Silicon Valley Business Plan Competition
- Completed inaugural Filecoin Techstars Accelerator cohort (2022)
- Secured Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 enterprise clients

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in the Social Impact category following the $15M seed round and Toronto HQ launch
- **2025-10** — Closed $15M seed round led by Pantera Capital with participation from Lightspeed Faction, Alpha Edison, Motley Fool Ventures, and others; opened Toronto headquarters
- **2025-07** — Launched JustScreen, the world's first completely free background check service for HR teams and employers
- **2025-01** — TransCrypts reported 15-fold growth over 24 months, serving 450+ enterprise clients and 4M+ users across 9 countries

## Links

- Website: https://transcrypts.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/zainzaidi99
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/transcrypts_
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/transcrypts/

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/zain-zaidi
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-13