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JANUS SIGNAL
Welcome to the Signal.
We’re building a different kind of startup conversation, one grounded in lived experience, sharp thinking, and unapologetic ambition. Every two weeks, we’ll share what’s really working for immigrant founders and what still needs rethinking.
Spotlight Theme:
Immigrants in AI & the Global Shuffle
When AI meets immigration, things get… algorithmically interesting.
Main Story: AI talent, visas, and a global brain drain remix
The world’s obsession with AI isn't just about training larger models or fine-tuning prompts. It’s also about the people behind them and increasingly, where those people choose to live and work.
In recent months, Canada, the UK, and the UAE have all rolled out tech-focused immigration schemes designed to woo global talent, especially AI researchers, engineers, and founders. Canada’s “Tech Talent Strategy” allows expedited work permits for H-1B visa holders. The UAE’s “Golden Visa” offers long-term residency for AI professionals. Meanwhile, the UK’s “Global Talent Visa” has quietly become a favorite among researchers escaping the rigid U.S. immigration maze.
Why the global shuffle? Because the U.S., once the undisputed magnet for top tech talent, is increasingly dropping the ball. The backlog for green cards is daunting, and many international founders feel stuck in legal limbo just as their startups begin to take flight.
Zoom In:
This talent migration isn’t just about who gets to live where; it’s shifting the epicenters of innovation. Startups once headquartered in San Francisco are now testing the waters in Toronto, London, or Dubai. Countries are beginning to realize that winning the AI race isn’t just about chips and data, it’s about people. And immigrants, once again, are the secret weapon.
By the Numbers:
The UK saw a 258% increase in Global Talent Visa endorsements for tech professionals from 2019 to 2023, with 1,620 endorsements in 2023, and AI specialists among the leading applicants.
The UK saw a 45% increase in Global Talent Visa applications in 2024, with AI professionals topping the list.
Dubai’s AI ecosystem surged (2023-2025) with 600+ firms (+35%), backed by 39,500 tech Golden Visas (2023) driving 40% of 2024 AI startups, and AI Strategy 2031 with $500M funding.
What stands out:
SteadyPay focuses on providing financial stability to gig workers who often face unpredictable income streams.
Real Founder: John Downie – Smoothing Income for Gig Workers
John Downie is the CEO and Founder of SteadyPay, a fintech platform designed to provide income smoothing and financial support for gig economy workers. Recognizing the financial instability faced by freelancers and gig workers, SteadyPay offers practical credit solutions, including loans and tools to improve loan eligibility. These services are accessible directly through their app or integrated into partner platforms via APIs.
What catches the eye?
By addressing the ups and downs of freelance income, SteadyPay offers gig workers a more stable financial path.
The platform offers embedded finance solutions, allowing partners like ANNA Money to provide credit services to their customers.
Industries include retail, hospitality, healthcare, transport, logistics, grocery, and even the British army.
Tools That Actually Help
Notion AI - Your all-in-one workspace just got smarter. Notion AI turbocharges your note-taking, brainstorming, and project management with AI-powered summaries, content suggestions, and workflow automation. Whether juggling tasks or crafting killer presentations, this tool helps you get more done with less hassle.
Perplexity.ai - Meet your new AI-powered research assistant. Perplexity.ai scours the web to give you concise, trustworthy answers in natural language, perfect for founders who need quick intel without diving into endless Google tabs. It’s like having a personal analyst on call 24/7.
The Founder’s Dilemmas by Noam Wasserman - Not just a book, but a blueprint for every entrepreneur. Wasserman digs into the hard choices founders face, from co-founder conflicts to equity splits, backed by research and real-world stories. A must-read if you want to avoid common startup pitfalls and build a strong foundation.
Founders’ Radar
Got a bold idea and an immigrant hustle?
JANUS Innovation Hub just opened applications for its second cohort, and if you’re building something big (or dreaming of it), this is your cue.
The deadline? September 1.
The journey begins? November 17.
Expect hands-on mentorship, accountability with a pulse, and a founder community that actually gets it.
Spots are limited, ambition isn’t.
ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)
California Drops $7.5M to Boost Immigrant Entrepreneurs
California’s $7.5 million SEED 3.0 program (2025-26) empowers immigrant and LEP entrepreneurs with microgrants, training, and technical support via community groups, driving innovation and startups (building on $30M supporting 650+ businesses since 2020).
More immigrants, more innovation, more startups.
That’s the California way!
“If You Want to Make a Leap, This Is Your Chance” – Sharif Tabebordbar on Biotech, Risk, and Starting Up as an Immigrant
In this exclusive JANUS SIGNAL interview, Sharif Tabebordbar, co-founder of Kate Therapeutics, shares how he moved from Iran to Harvard, left a stable academic career to build a biotech startup from scratch, and what it takes to turn personal passion into a billion-dollar impact.
Meet Sharif Tabebordbar
Sharif is a biotech entrepreneur and scientist focused on developing therapies for genetic diseases. After completing his PhD at Harvard, and working in biotech, as well as at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, he launched Kate Therapeutics, a gene therapy company with a deeply personal mission. In 2024, Kate was acquired by a major pharma company in a billion-dollar deal, and Sharif now leads Cell & Gene Therapy Development at the parent company.
From Tehran to a $1B Exit: Why Biotech?
Aras: Sharif, you could’ve taken the big company route early. Why the startup risk?
Sharif: As a teenager, I decided I’d devote my life to helping people born with genetic diseases, because I saw it up close in my own family. These individuals don’t get to choose how they are born. That felt like the ultimate unfairness to me. I wanted to do anything in my capacity to change that.
I studied gene and cell therapy, worked in academia, and even joined a startup to learn. But I realized: if I want to make a real impact, I need to help build an entity with a focused mission. I had to go all in.
The Startup Leap: From MIT Lab to Uncertainty
Sharif left the lab at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, moved cities, and started building. No long-term job security, no roadmap, but the potential to build a great team with a singular vision.
Sharif: Academia was safe. But startup life? It’s a roller coaster. No guarantees. You sacrifice stability for the chance to bring a therapy to market and to make a real impact. That chance was enough for me.
What Failure Taught Me
Aras: There must’ve been times you almost gave up. What kept you going?
Sharif: You need deep conviction, you have to believe in what you’re doing. You also need the ability to get up after every failure and adjust. That’s not optional.
You have limited resources, so you can’t experiment freely like in academia. Business strategy plays an important role. You learn to balance science with business and adapt fast.
Traits Every Immigrant Founder Needs
Conviction – Believe what you’re building matters.
Resilience – Expect failure. Build muscle around it.
Leadership – Inspire a team with limited resources.
Strategic Thinking – You must hit milestones on time with minimal waste.
Adaptability – Change is constant. Comfort with uncertainty is a must.
Sharif:
“If you need everything planned, startup life isn’t for you. But if you can live in ambiguity and still lead, you can thrive in a startup.”
Work-Life Balance (Or the Lack of It)
Aras: It’s Sunday, and you’re still in the office. Do you ever rest?
Sharif: (Laughs) I try. I play soccer and cook, cooking’s actually a real passion of mine. But it’s not as balanced as I’d like it to be. I just do my best to make space for what recharges me.
Advice to First-Gen Immigrants
Sharif:
Coming to the U.S. in your twenties is a shock. The culture, the visa stress, and losing your community. You start from zero.
But the U.S. rewards competence. If you’re good, you get opportunities. So:
Start your immigration process early, and stability gives you freedom.
Don’t isolate yourself. Blend into the broader culture.
Learn the new playbook: how people think, how decisions get made.
Most of all: believe in yourself. That took me time. At first, I felt out of place at Harvard. Everyone was brilliant. But I learned that I belonged. And you do too.
Final Words
“Your difference is your strength. You don’t need to hide it, you need to lead with it.”
Follow Sharif’s journey and stay tuned for more founder stories in JANUS SIGNAL.
Reality Check:
Tactical Financing from Non-Traditional Markets
When traditional funding feels out of reach, non-traditional routes can fuel your startup’s growth. Here’s the playbook:
Crowdfunding platforms like HamiJoo are shining, projects with clear videos and a strong story boost success rates by up to 70%. People want to back your vision, not just your pitch deck.
Angel investors care about grit. Events like Startup Weekend focus on the team’s hustle and execution, because 80% of angels bet on founders, not just ideas.
Blockchain tokenization is more than hype. Startups using tokens to represent assets have cut fundraising time by nearly a third.
And don’t overlook corporate partnerships. Strategic investments can bring cash and credibility, plus, open doors to new markets.
One local agritech startup blended these strategies and raised $80K showing that mixing traditional and new-school funding can pay off big.
What We’re Tracking:Geopolitics Meets Startups | US-China tensions are escalating, impacting startups with 145% tariffs, tech bans, and supply chain disruptions driving 30-40% cost increases. These aren’t just headlines; they’re reshaping global operations. Startups face restricted access to markets and talent. US bans on firms like Huawei (added to The Entity List, 140 firms in 2024) limit collaboration, while China’s Great Firewall isolates 90% of its internet traffic, hindering global integration. 28% of CEOs view deglobalization as a major risk, with 25% higher compliance costs and supply chain volatility. The solution? Diversify supply chains, target regional markets, and adopt digital tools (used by 65% of startups) to stay agile. Startups must adapt to these shifts or risk falling behind in a fragmented global landscape! |
Crack This!
I’m not a capital, nor an office space,
Yet in a migrant’s mind, I’m thinking of that race.
In foreign lands, with struggles to bear,
I build a future, from nothing to flair.
What am I?