Vangst, the leading employment resource for the cannabis industry, today announced $2.5 million in seed round funding to accelerate its rapid growth, continue scaling and expand into newly legalized markets. The round was led by Lerer Hippeau, a New York-based venture capital firm that invests globally. Casa Verde Capital, a venture capital firm focusing on the ancillary cannabis industry, also invested in the round to support Vangst's mission of defining the cannabis job market.

Vangst will use the funding to continue growing their jobs marketplace in addition to improving their already state-of-the-art recruiting technology. The funds will also be used to improve Vangst's own internal infrastructure and future hiring missions.

"The cannabis industry lacks the tools and infrastructure that mainstream industries often take for granted," said Karson Humiston Founder and CEO of Vangst. "Vangst is committed to filling that void and becoming the go to resource for potential applicants who want the amazing and unique opportunity to work in the greater cannabis ecosystem. This new round of funding provides us with proper resources to help facilitate this vision."

Since launching in 2014, Vangst has harnessed its vast network to connect over 300 companies with over 5,000 employees to date. Vangst also founded and operates The Cannabis Career Summit, the largest and most comprehensive cannabis career fair in the world. With offices in Denver, Colorado and Los Angeles, California, Vangst is on a mission to add 10,000 employees to the cannabis sector over the next two years.

"Vangst's platform connects top talent with cannabis companies, which is critical to the success of the cannabis industry," said Eric Hippeau, Managing Partner at Lerer Hippeau. "They are the clear choice and talent resource for job seekers and companies in the cannabis industry. We are looking forward to supporting Vangst's growth."

"With the exponential growth of the cannabis industry, the need for top-notch staffing solutions is paramount and we are confident that Vangst will be at the nexus of this opportunity," said Karan Wadhera, Managing Partner at Casa Verde Capital. "At Casa Verde, we are focused on backing phenomenal founders and Karson is a shining example of that principle. We are very excited about our investment in Vangst and look forward to playing an active role in supporting the company."

For more information about Vangst, please visit Vangst.

About Vangst
Vangst is the world's largest talent agency focusing specifically on the booming cannabis industry. Launched by Karson Humiston in 2014, Vangst connects all manner of cannabis and ancillary businesses across the legal market with the skilled talent they need. From entry level to executive positions, Vangst has harnessed its vast network to connect over 300 of companies with over 5,000 of employees to date. Vangst also founded and operates The Cannabis Career Summit, the largest and most comprehensive cannabis career fair in the world. With offices in Denver, Colorado and Los Angeles, California (and more to come across the globe), Vangst is on a mission to add 10k employees to the cannabis sector between now and 2020.