The Vertical Staff

Former Meta executives Devi Parikh, Dhruv Batra, and Abhishek Das have secured $15 million in funding for Yutori, an AI startup developing autonomous personal assistants.

The most significant development to watch is the introduction of a new extreme vetting process, which, according to legal experts, is a de facto travel ban.

As Europe faces stricter regulations on AI and technology, an increasing number of startups are seeking a more favorable environment elsewhere.

Elizabeth Maruyama, founder of America Visa Advisory, has opened a new pathway for Thai entrepreneurs in the U.S. — one that goes beyond traditional restaurants. She encourages them to “immigrate smarter” by launching innovative, high-margin businesses that succeed in today’s tech-driven economy.

Mira Murati, an Albania-born former CTO at OpenAI, has unveiled her new startup, Thinking Machines Lab. The company recruited about 30 top researchers and engineers from competitors including OpenAI, Meta, and Mistral.

Emmanuel Obasuyi, co-founder of Onye, is on a mission to bridge the digital divide in healthcare. He is now scaling his health-tech startup in his home country of Nigeria. Along the way, Obasuyi has also built an Africa Tech community in New York, connecting innovators and fueling new ideas.

When Erin Elliott first started her legal practice, she worried it would be all about ‘filing papers’ and lack excitement. Fortunately, she was wrong. Today, Erin is at the forefront of shaping immigration policies and driving Atlanta’s rise as a tech hub for international entrepreneurs.