- Founded: 2011
- Ceased Operations: 2015
What did Zirtual do?
Zirtual was a virtual assistant service that provided remote administrative and personal support to individuals and businesses. Zitual aimed to help busy professionals manage their workload by outsourcing tasks to dedicated virtual assistants. Zirtual operated on a subscription-based model, where clients paid a monthly fee for a certain number of hours of assistance.
Zirtual had several investors during its operation, including Tony Hsieh, having reportedly invested around $5 million in the company. Their initial angel investment campaign aimed to raise $1.1 million in funding and was oversubscribed, with investors pledging over $2 million.
Who started Zirtual?
Maren Kate Donovan, who served as CEO, and Erik Jensen
Why did Zirtual go out of business?
Zirtual’s rapid expansion and aggressive growth strategy ultimately strained the company’s financial resources. As a result, it struggled to meet payroll obligations, leading to severe disruptions in service and ultimately the closure.
Zirtual’s sudden closure left many of its investors, as well as its clients and virtual assistants, in a state of uncertainty and frustration. Following the shutdown, Zirtual’s assets were acquired by Startups.co, a company that provides resources and support for entrepreneurs and small businesses.