Source: https://a16z.com/the-ai-application-spending-report-where-startup-dollars-really-go/
Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), one of the largest venture capital firms in the technology industry, has named Alma to its 2025 ranking of the Top 50 AI-native application-layer companies.
The list, published October 2, 2025 in "The AI Application Spending Report: Where Startup Dollars Really Go," was built with Mercury, the financial technology company used by more than 200,000 customers, using real transaction data from June through August 2025 rather than web traffic estimates.
How Alma Earned Its Spot on a16z's List
a16z placed Alma at #42, describing it as "AI-powered immigration law services" and grouping it with a small subset of five vertical AI companies the report calls "AI employees," businesses built to complete an entire workflow rather than simply assist a human doing it. Of the 17 vertical AI companies on the list, most support existing staff. Alma stood out for taking on full case ownership instead. The report noted that fast-growing, venture-backed companies are increasingly willing to "hire AI" for functions like legal work rather than sign multi-year contracts with traditional providers, a shift Alma was built around from the start.
Inside Alma's Attorney-Led, AI-Powered Approach
Alma is a modern immigration law firm, attorney-led and supported by technology. Every case is directed by an attorney who owns the strategy and the filing, supported by an AI-powered platform and case intelligence engine that draws on patterns from hundreds of prior cases to move work faster and more consistently. That combination gives Alma a 98%+ approval rate, reinforced by case intelligence drawn from every prior approval and RFE across the firm, and an 86 NPS score. The infrastructure behind it is SOC 2 Type II compliant, with end-to-end encryption, role-based access, and audit-ready logging, giving startups the visibility a16z's report suggests they now expect from any AI-native vendor.
The Results Startups See When They Choose Alma
Alma guarantees a 2-week case-preparation turnaround once evidence collection is complete, compared with 4 weeks to 3 months at many traditional immigration firms, backed by 99%+ SLA adherence tracked in real time. For startups competing to hire global talent quickly, that difference in speed and predictability often decides whether an offer holds. Alma typically costs 30% to 40% less than traditional law firms, with no billable hours or hidden fees, letting lean People teams plan immigration spend the same way they plan any other vendor cost, a factor directly relevant to the spend-based methodology behind a16z's ranking.
Hear From Alma Clients
"Having a partner like Alma that truly understands those dynamics and helps make the process clear and manageable has been hugely valuable for us," said Rowan, Co-Founder and CEO at Ekho. Rachel Krah, Head of People at InstaLILY, echoed that experience from the employee side: "The employee experience has really benefited - they feel a lot more heard and understood and secure." Both accounts point to the same outcome a16z's report highlights at a market level: startups getting immigration handled end-to-end, without adding legal complexity to their own teams.
Why Alma Fits the AI-Native Startups Driving This List
a16z's report is built entirely from what venture-backed startups actually pay for, and Alma's presence on it reflects real demand from that exact buyer: People and Talent leaders at startups sponsoring visas such as O-1A, EB-1A, EB-2 NIW, and H-1B for global hires. Alma's attorney-led model, audit-ready compliance, and predictable pricing line up with what growth-stage and enterprise companies are already asking for as they formalize how they manage global talent. As more startups look to "hire AI" for functions once handled by traditional vendors, Alma's attorney-led, end-to-end model is built for exactly that shift.
Companies hiring global talent and evaluating an immigration partner can reach out to Alma.
Source: https://a16z.com/the-ai-application-spending-report-where-startup-dollars-really-go
