🌍 Immigrant Founders + Investors Mixer (with Unshackled Ventures & One Way Ventures & Fusion Fund)
Silicon Valley was built by immigrants.
From first-time founders to repeat entrepreneurs and the investors who back them, immigrant builders have shaped the most iconic technology companies in the world.
The Immigrant Founder & Investor Spring Mixer brings together immigrant founders, VCs, angels, operators, and ecosystem partners for an afternoon of high-quality networking, storytelling, and deal-flow — hosted in the heart of Menlo Park.
This one will be special.
We’re bringing together three of the most active investors backing immigrant founders in Silicon Valley for an honest conversation about building and funding startups as an immigrant in the U.S.
Joining us:
Manan Mehta — GP, Unshackled Ventures
The first VC fund built specifically to back immigrant founders and help them secure visas while building their companies. Unshackled has become one of the most important launchpads for foreign-born founders in the U.S.
Eugene Malobrodsky — Partner, One Way Ventures
One Way invests exclusively in exceptional immigrant founders at the seed stage and has backed dozens of breakout companies started by founders who came to the U.S. from around the world.
Lu Zhang - Founder + Managing Partner, Fusion Fund
Fusion Fund invests in promising start-up companies who have technology barriers in their business models. We invest in many industries including connected industries (robotics, mobility), network technologies (connectivity, security), artificial intelligence (computer vision, NLP), and digital health/medical devices. Our sweet spot are the Seed and Pre-A rounds.
These are three of the best investors in the Bay when it comes to immigrant founders.
If you’re building a startup in the U.S. as an immigrant — or investing in the talent coming from all over the world — you’ll want to be in this room.
What to Expect
🎤 Headline Panel: "Making it in America - Immigrant Entrepreneurship and Success"
A candid panel chat with a successful immigrant founder in Silicon Valley, sharing:Their journey to the US
Early challenges and inflection points
Lessons on fundraising, hiring, and scaling
Advice for founders navigating visas, capital, and growth
🤝 Founder & Investor Networking
Meet fellow immigrant founders, angel investors, VCs, and operators in a social, open-air setting.🚀 Founder Exhibit Opportunities
Selected immigrant founders will have the opportunity to:Exhibit with roll-up banners around the perimeter of the venue
Showcase their product, traction, and hiring needs
🍸 Drinks, Sunshine & Real Conversations
A bar area, open networking zones, and a fun, social atmosphere — this is not a stiff conference.
Who Should Attend
Founders
Immigrant founders + builders
Actively building, fundraising, or scaling
Technical, product, or GTM-led teams
Investors
Angel investors & syndicate leads
Seed & early-stage VCs
Family offices & scout programs
Operators & Ecosystem
Experienced immigrant operators
Startup advisors, accelerators, and platform leaders
Partners supporting founders (legal, finance, talent, infra)
Founder Exhibit Applications
Immigrant founders can apply to:
🏷️ Exhibit with a roll-up banner in the networking area
Space is limited and selection is curated to ensure quality and relevance for investors.
👉 Purchase a Startup Exhibitor ticket and we'll be in touch
Why Attend
Meet people who understand the immigrant founder journey
Build real relationships — not just collect business cards
Get visibility with investors who actively back immigrant founders
Leave with introductions, insight, and momentum
Expect a relaxed, high-energy setting with great conversations, meaningful connections, and founders actively building and raising.
Non-immigrants welcome? Of course!!
Thanks to our partners for this event:
Canopy: Discover concierge-style amenities and world-class design at boutique CANOPY coworking spaces in Silicon Valley.
Our Menlo Park flex office and coworking space encompasses community space, customizable private offices, outdoor patio workspace, and conference facilities.
Springline: Springline is redefining downtown Menlo Park. Bringing a resort-style campus with culinary destinations, creative offices, modern residences and a mix of outdoor experiences. It’s a destination and a journey – a place where you can collaborate and innovate, host clients, meet new people, live modern, share drinks and dinner, escape or encounter, and be a local in the coolest new neighborhood around.
Aspire: Aspire is the finance stack for global founders. We help founders build, run, and scale in the US and beyond. Multi-currency, multi-market, multi-timezone — Aspire does business like you do.
Headquartered in Singapore, Aspire serves 50,000 clients globally across 30+ markets and is backed by top-tier investors, including Sequoia, Lightspeed, Y Combinator, and PayPal.
Deel: Hire, manage, pay, & equip anyone, anywhere.