96 U.S. Unicorns, $5 Trillion in Value: The Growing Influence of Indian Founders

Indian-origin entrepreneurs are playing an increasingly influential role in shaping the global technology landscape, with a new report showing that they now represent the largest group of immigrant founders behind America's billion-dollar startups. The findings highlight how Indian talent has become a driving force in innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation across the world's largest technology market.

According to a study by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) , Indian-born entrepreneurs have founded or co-founded 96 U.S. unicorns —privately held startups valued at more than $1 billion (around ₹8,500 crore ). This is the highest number recorded for any immigrant community in the United States, placing India ahead of Israel (60 unicorns) , the United Kingdom (47) and China (41) .

The report, titled Immigrants and U.S. Billion-Dollar Companies, found that immigrants have founded or co-founded 455 of America's 775 unicorns , accounting for 59% of all privately held billion-dollar startups in the country. When companies founded by children of immigrants are included, the figure rises to 66% , underlining the crucial role of global talent in the U.S. innovation ecosystem.

Among the prominent Indian-origin founders featured in the report is Aravind Srinivas , co-founder of Perplexity AI , one of the fastest-growing artificial intelligence startups in the world. The company is currently valued at $20 billion (approximately ₹1.7 lakh crore ). Other successful Indian-origin entrepreneurs have built companies across sectors such as cloud computing, enterprise software, cybersecurity and fintech.

The economic impact of immigrant-founded startups is substantial. NFAP estimates that the combined valuation of the 455 immigrant-founded unicorns stands at nearly $5 trillion , equivalent to more than ₹425 lakh crore . These companies create an average of 833 jobs each , generating hundreds of thousands of high-skilled positions in technology and related industries.

The report also highlights the importance of education and immigration pathways. It found that 183 U.S. unicorns were founded by entrepreneurs who first arrived in America as international students. Access to world-class universities, venture capital networks, research institutions and a large enterprise customer base has helped many Indian founders transform innovative ideas into globally competitive businesses.

While Indian-origin entrepreneurs have built 96 unicorns in the United States, India itself has emerged as the world's third-largest startup ecosystem with over 100 unicorns and more than 200,000 recognised startups . However, experts note that the U.S. continues to offer advantages in deep-tech funding, research commercialisation and access to large-scale venture capital.

The findings underscore a broader trend: Indian entrepreneurs are no longer just participants in the global technology revolution. Increasingly, they are among its architects, leading companies that are shaping the future of artificial intelligence , software, digital infrastructure and innovation worldwide.