Govtech Fund What is your occupation?

Jonathan Ende I am CEO of SeamlessDocs. I make sure that everything that goes on at SeamlessDocs is in line with our vision.

Chachi Camejo As the CTO of SeamlessDocs, I’m responsible for building a robust yet easy to use application that will change the way the government collects data and thinks about forms.

GF How did you two meet?

CC I was working freelance at the time and came across a job listing for a paralegal outsourcing company. It was New Years Eve of 2010 so I didn’t expect to hear back until the following week, but I received an email almost immediately from Jonathon asking if I could come in that day for an interview. I started the following Monday and we’ve been working as a team since.

GF In 2012 you founded SeamlessDocs. Where did you get the idea?

JE While working at my outsource paper processing company, I saw firsthand the terribly inefficient process of completing and submitting paperwork. We initially set out to build a TurboTax for any doc and then realized that the PDF was fundamentally broken.

GF Why docs?

JE While everything else has seemed to go to the cloud; storage, hosting, word processing; PDFs are still processed the same way they were 20 years ago. We are excited to do for PDFs what Google Docs did for word processing.

GF We know SeamlessDocs’ product + purpose. What’s it’s mission?

CC Our mission is to become the new standard in government forms. We live in a time when you can practically do anything from the comfort of a lawn chair using your smartphone. You can control your thermostat or your house lights but you can not complete simple government forms. With SeamlessDocs we make it possible for you not only to complete, sign, and exchange documents, but you can also track document activity, integrate them into your existing workflow and so much more.

GF What is the greatest opportunity you see in government?

JE Paperwork plagues both government and citizens alike. But with government it isn’t just about the incredible inefficiency and budgetary burden; a government form being processed one way or the other can alter someones life.

GF The startup govtech ecosystem is just emerging. What’s your role?

CC We are passionate about building innovative tools for government. As a company, we are among the pioneers developing usable solutions with modern technology that will not only make government more efficient, but also easier to use for our fellow citizens and visitors alike.

GF And it’s gaining momentum. What does it mean for government? for Americans? for you?

JE We believe that five years from now the act of having to download a PDF, fill it out by hand, and mail it in should be extinct. For government it means analytics, efficiency, real time data, reduced processing times, and reduced costs. For citizens it means a better government experience.

CC It means having to fill out a government form without cringing.

GF What’s SeamlessDocs’ greatest success?

JE We have made PDFs smart and connected which is not an easy feat. And in the process we have also made them beautiful and elegant. I will never forget the first government that added our forms to their website.

GF You have a quote from grandma on your site. Is she your go-to for user testing?

JE My grandmother is one of my inspirations that always encouraged me to pursue my entrepreneurial spirit. She used to be scared of tech but now we actually do a video Skype call every Monday morning. We’re usually just catching up but every once in a while I convince her to do some user testing.

GF It’s 2020. Tell me about SeamlessDocs.

JE SeamlessDocs has replaced the PDF.

GF Why did you choose to partner with the Govtech Fund?

JE Having an investor that understands your business and your market are crucial ingredients for success. The Govtech Fund gets both and has invaluable, deep insight into the space. It is incredibly inspiring to see a fund with the vision to join and support the govtech movement.

GF Who’s your hero?

JE My father is superman. He came to this country with nothing and worked overtime to build up a big business and incredible family. He was able to do so much with so little; the bar is high for me to compete, but with our current team and resources I am confident I will meet and exceed his expectations. He is the truly the perfect business and personal role model.

CC My father. He was a master of patience, simplicity, and integrity. For as long as I could remember I’ve always looked up to him not only as a father, but as an idle, my hero. I would mimic his style and design techniques, using his character as an inspiration for my way of life. After losing him to cancer in 2007, I vowed to do everything I could to follow in his footsteps and surpass his expectations.