WILMINGTON, DE — Immigrant entrepreneurs are at the forefront of America’s artificial intelligence (AI) innovation, raising 2.5 times more funding than startups led exclusively by U.S.-born founders, according to a new report from Dreem, an AI-powered immigration platform for tech talent. The report underscores the critical role of global talent in shaping the future of AI and driving economic growth.
Analyzing the top 100 privately held AI companies in the U.S., Dreem found that 62% were founded by at least one immigrant. These companies secured 71% of the total funding, amounting to $167 billion, compared to $68.1 billion raised by companies with U.S.-born leadership. Notable immigrant-founded companies include AI powerhouses such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Databricks, xAI, and Waymo.
Key findings from the report include:
- 62% of the leading AI startups have immigrant founders.
- Immigrant-founded companies raised $167 billion, dominating the funding landscape over the $68.1 billion collected by U.S.-born-only startups.
- India, Israel, and China lead among countries of origin for non–U.S.-born founders, contributing 23, 14, and 9 founders, respectively.
- California remains the epicenter of the AI sector, home to 66% of the top companies, with San Francisco alone accounting for 26%.
The report also highlights AI’s growing economic significance, with the industry poised to add over $15 trillion to the global economy by 2030. However, Dreem warns of mounting immigration challenges in the U.S. that threaten its leadership position. Visa caps, processing backlogs, and restrictive policies deter global talent and push innovators to startup-friendly countries like Canada, the UK, and the UAE, where fast-track visas and supportive systems are luring entrepreneurs.
“Immigrant founders fuel America’s AI dominance, raising 2.5 times more funding than U.S.-born founders, driving innovation, and creating jobs that power our economy,” said Dmitri Litvinov, CEO and Co-Founder of Dreem. “However, Trump’s immigration policies, particularly the restrictive country caps, severely limit the influx of global AI talent. These arbitrary quotas stifle progress and risk a brain drain, pushing visionaries to countries with less restrictive systems. The U.S. must abolish country caps and streamline skilled immigration to secure its AI leadership, or lose out on the next wave of breakthroughs.”
This report shines a spotlight on the indispensable contributions of immigrant founders to U.S. AI and the urgent need for immigration reform to sustain the nation’s competitive edge in a rapidly evolving global market.
For the latest news on everything happening in Chester County and the surrounding area, be sure to follow MyChesCo on Google News and MSN.