In 2025, Indian entrepreneurs are not just participating in the U.S. startup scene—they’re leading it. According to a report from the National Foundation for American Policy, immigrants have founded 55% of America’s startup unicorns, with Indian nationals being the most common among them.
A Look at the Data
PitchBook data from 2024 shows that Indian-origin founders now account for more than 10% of early-stage venture-backed startups in the United States. Their influence is strongest in Silicon Valley, Austin, Boston, and growing innovation hubs like Atlanta and Raleigh.
Funding Momentum
- Bessemer Venture Partners closed a $350 million India–U.S. fund in 2024.
- Elevation Capital and Lightspeed back founders with roots in both regions.
- Sanjay Mehta, co-founder of LeapScholar, scaled his education startup to over $800M valuation.
- Deepak Sekar‘s AI edtech venture Prof Jim raised $15M in 2024.
Cultural Edge
Indian entrepreneurs often have:\n- Engineering backgrounds (IITs, BITS Pilani, MIT, Stanford).
- Bicultural fluency across markets.
- The frugal innovation mindset (“jugaad”) now celebrated by Silicon Valley investors.
Support Ecosystem
Networks like TiE, Desi VC, and South Asian Women in Tech are pivotal. They host pitch days, provide mentorship, and run early-stage accelerators. U.S. university incubators like Berkeley SkyDeck and MassChallenge are common launchpads.
Challenges
Visa delays and green card backlogs affect founders’ ability to fundraise and settle. Also, Indian representation at board level is growing—but still underrepresented compared to Chinese or Jewish American peers.
What’s Next
Expect Indian founders to dominate in Web3, AI infrastructure, climate tech, and healthcare SaaS. If you’re Indian and building a startup in the U.S.—2025 is your breakout year.
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