Indian techie who once worked at Microsoft builds AI startup to simplify US visa process

An Indian techie has created a new way to navigate America’s notoriously complex visa system. Priyanka Kulkarni, a 34-year-old machine learning scient, spent nine years on a visa before deciding to use artificial intelligence to make employment-based immigration easier for others. A former Microsoft engineer from India created an AI platform that sped up US visa processing.(LinkedIn/Priyanka Kulkarni) According to a report Business Insider, her startup, Casium, provides employers with a digital portal to manage visa cases from start to finish, replacing outdated Excel sheets and reducing dependence on expensive law firms. The platform is designed for a fast-changing policy environment, especially after the Trump adminration introduced an executive order imposing a $100,000 fee for each new H-1B visa application. The change left companies scrambling and led to multiple lawsuits from business groups and the US Chamber of Commerce. A tech-driven fix for an outdated systemCasium is betting that a tech-first approach can add speed, accuracy, and transparency to the traditionally slow immigration process. As per Business Insider, the startup has already helped hundreds of applicants with assessments, compliance reviews, and filings, boasting a high approval rate. Some users reportedly moved from application to employment in under a month. Founded in 2024, Casium recently raised $5 million in a seed round led Maverick Ventures, with participation from AI2 Incubator, GTMfund, Success Venture Partners, and angel investor Jake Heller, whose company Casetext was acquired Thomson Reuters in 2023. How the platform worksApplicants start filling out an intake form. Kulkarni explained that Casium’s software deploys “agents” that automatically analyse public data sources like research journals and patents to build a detailed profile of the candidate. Within minutes, the platform produces a dossier that is reviewed independent lawyers and paralegals who recommend the most appropriate visa, such as H-1B, O-1, or EB-1A. One click, Kulkarni said, can generate a draft attorney letter outlining eligibility. Casium claims it cuts the document preparation process from several months to fewer than ten business days, while also reducing errors that could delay approvals. From Microsoft scient to startup founderBorn and raised in India, Kulkarni joined Microsoft straight out of college, spending nearly a decade shaping AI strategies for products like Office — all while working on an H-1B visa. “Honestly, it was exhausting, confusing, and at times can feel very career-limiting,” she told Business Insider. Her personal struggles inspired her to found Casium. When accepted into Seattle’s AI2 Incubator in 2024, she applied for the EB-1 visa, known as the “Einstein visa” for individuals with extraordinary abilities. Reflecting on her journey, she said, “Everything I’ve done has culminated to this point.”