A recent study by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) has unveiled the significant contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs in shaping the U.S. billion-dollar AI startup landscape. The study reveals that immigrants from Israel have founded an impressive 54 billion-dollar companies, solidifying Israel's position as a leading country of origin for immigrant founders in the AI sector.
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Israel's success in the U.S. AI startup ecosystem places it second only to India in terms of the number of billion-dollar companies founded. The study highlights the entrepreneurial prowess of Israeli immigrants, showcasing their ability to thrive and innovate in the competitive U.S. market.
Among the notable Israeli-founded AI companies is Viz.ai, co-founded by Israeli entrepreneur David Golan. Viz.ai holds the top position among Israeli-founded AI startups, boasting a valuation of 1.2 billion dollars and a team of 320 employees.
Another noteworthy Israeli-founded AI startup is BigPanda, founded by entrepreneur Elik Eizenberg. BigPanda ranks at number 19 in the study, with a valuation of 1.2 billion dollars and a workforce of 269 employees.
Following Israel, the United Kingdom emerges as the third most prolific country of origin for immigrant founders, with 27 billion-dollar companies. Canada and China closely trail behind, with 22 and 21 billion-dollar companies respectively. These numbers demonstrate the global nature of AI entrepreneurship and the diverse contributions made by immigrants from various countries.
“Highly skilled immigrants accelerate American innovation, improve entrepreneurship, and create jobs,” as stated by the report’s analysts. This sentiment is reinforced by the considerable diversity among immigrant entrepreneurs in top AI companies. Founders hailing from 21 countries have played a pivotal role in shaping the AI landscape in the United States.
According to the research, Indian immigrants take the lead, having founded ten of the top U.S.-based AI companies. Immigrants from Israel and the United Kingdom follow closely behind, with three companies each. Additionally, immigrants from Canada, China, and France have founded two companies each, further illustrating the global contributions to the U.S. AI industry. Furthermore, immigrants from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Iran, Kenya, Lebanon, Taiwan, Syria, Poland, and other countries have also made their mark by founding or co-founding top U.S. AI companies.