The Vertical, a digital platform established in March 2020, is dedicated to empowering and educating the vibrant community of immigrant tech entrepreneurs driving innovation in the United States. Through insightful articles, expert guidance, and real-world case studies, The Vertical strives to foster a future of innovation and prosperity, highlighting the profound impact of diversity on the global business landscape.

Breaking ground in understanding the landscape of immigrant-led startups in the U.S. venture ecosystem, The Vertical announces the release of its Immigrant Founders Report. This comprehensive report marks the first thorough examination of international talent in the U.S. startup scene in over a decade, aiming to illuminate the often underestimated contributions and potential of immigrant techpreneurs.

Victoria Zavyalova, Publisher and Co-founder of The Vertical, underscores the critical importance of such research, noting the significant gap in information regarding immigrant startup founders. The absence of robust data impedes a comprehensive understanding of the potential of immigrant tech entrepreneurs for both investors and policymakers. The report seeks to address key questions such as optimal regions for immigrant startups, challenges encountered, and success rates, shedding light on this dynamic market.

Over the past year, The Vertical has assembled a team of data scientists, journalists, experts, and analysts to delve into the role and influence of immigrant-led startups within the U.S. ecosystem. Through surveys involving over 5,000 tech entrepreneurs and nearly 500 one-on-one interviews with immigrant founders, investors, and key stakeholders across the nation, the research aims to provide a holistic understanding of the immigrant technopreneurial journey.

The research will cover various aspects, including identifying emerging U.S. hubs and industries attracting immigrant techpreneurs, evaluating the impact of government policies on immigrant entrepreneurship, exploring challenges faced by female immigrant founders in fundraising, examining billion-dollar “unicorns” founded by immigrants through case studies, and analyzing disparities between immigrant and native-born founders, among other key areas of interest.

According to the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), immigrants have been instrumental in the inception of 55% of America’s startup companies valued at $1 billion or more. Additionally, nearly 80% of billion-dollar ‘unicorn’ companies boast foreign-born co-founders, CEOs, or VPs. Immigrants have also contributed significantly to the founding or co-founding of almost two-thirds of the leading AI companies in the U.S.

The forthcoming Immigrant Founders Report 2024 promises unprecedented insights into the potential of immigrant techpreneurs. The Vertical aims to amplify diverse techpreneur voices through feature articles, interviews, profiles, vlogs, and podcasts.

The report was officially unveiled at ‘What Moves the Needle,’ an event hosted by The Vertical in Miami on March 21, sponsored by Citizen Concierge, Delta Air Lines, E-PR, and other partners. 

Speakers at the event included Alejandra Winter from the Cambridge Innovation Center, Shiri Sivan representing Google.org Accelerator, Julia Lucidi, the Founder of Tactics, Olga Ayo from Citizen Concierge, and Michael Burtov from The Vertical.