/ About this event
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.
This one will be special.
We’re bringing together three of the most active VCs backing immigrant founders in Silicon Valley - it's literally their thesis, and they're awesome people.
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.
Alexander Zemlyak — Partner, Geek Ventures A New York–based early-stage VC backing immigrant founders across AI, Robotics and Deep Tech. An immigrant himself, he has a decade of venture experience, investing in 40+ companies and deploying $100M+ from pre-seed to pre-IPO. Previously, he held investment roles at LETA Capital, Founders Factory and Magical Capital.
Mikola (Nick) Bilogorskiy — Co-founder of Dnipro.VC, a Palo Alto-based VC fund focused on AI and cybersecurity startups with Ukrainian ties. An active angel investor since 2012, his portfolio includes Uber, ZeroAvia, AppLovin, People.ai, Eclypsium and Petcube. Nick brings over 2 decades of operational expertise to his investments, having previously served as a Director of Trust and Safety at Google, a founding team member at Cyphort (acquired by Juniper Networks), and the chief malware expert at Facebook. He holds multiple security patents and is the Chairman of Nova Ukraine, a nonprofit charity that has raised over $200 million for humanitarian aid. In 2022, President Zelenskiy awarded him the Order of Merit (III Class).
Want to apply to pitch? Apply: https://airtable.com/appQk3fM8t3nTh3WW/pag8rxjgpE7OcNkaD/form
Only registered attendees' applications will be assessed.
Each pitch is strictly 2 minutes. With one way feedback from the judges. Follow up meetings / chats can be arranged following the pitch session.
Supported by Deel.
Deel is one platform for payroll, HR, benefits, mobility, performance, and device management across 150+ countries. Built on owned infrastructure, powered by AI, and supported by thousands of local experts, Deel helps businesses scale smarter, faster, and more compliantly. Trusted by 40,000+ customers, and created to become a global brand people love. Learn more at deel.com.
Hosted by the The Georgian Innovation Hub - a new platform in San Francisco dedicated to connecting Silicon Valley with Georgia’s fast-growing innovation ecosystem. It serves as a gateway for startups, investors, and tech leaders to collaborate, scale, and explore opportunities across the U.S. and Europe.
Refunds are not possible for this event. If you cannot make it, we can invite you to a future SG event.
This event is a part of #SFTechWeek—a week of events hosted by VCs and startups to bring together the tech ecosystem. Learn more at www.tech-week.com
