Foreigners start almost half of us’s most innovative firms, research finds

Almost half of America’s top 50 cutting edge companies have been founded by foreigners, according to a new report released by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP).

The biggest group come from India, followed by Israel, Canada, Iran and New Zealand. Other founders and cofounders were born in Italy, South Africa, Greece, Norway, Germany, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Switzerland and France.

‘Immigrants are increasingly important in driving growth and innovation in America, as evidenced by the role played by foreign born founders and key personnel in the nation’s breakthrough companies,’ said the report’s author Stuart Anderson, NFAP’s executive director.

‘One of the lessons of the research is that America wins when we are open to talented individuals. Policies that help retain talent in the United States are likely to yield both more start up companies and the personnel needed to create more jobs and innovation in America,’ he added.

Source: ExpatForum.com