Since the war began in Ukraine, nearly one-third of startup founders have relocated. As the war continues, it’s become more challenging for Ukrainian founders to operate from home.

This is why we decided to expand to Ukraine now, rather than waiting for the war to end. 

Eight companies with roots in Ukraine have already reached unicorn status, including Creatio, Grammarly, GitLab, and People.ai. Now, Ukrainian founders are relocating to countries like the US, Canada, Poland, Portugal, and Spain, where they’re building world-class solutions that go beyond just defense tech.

We see a real risk that these talented entrepreneurs will become absorbed in other tech ecosystems and miss the opportunity to reinvest their success and knowledge back in the Ukrainian tech community. So Endeavor has stepped in. By launching an office now to support these founders, we can help Ukraine’s startup ecosystem bounce back faster and stronger after the war.

Across Greece, Romania, Lebanon, Türkiye, and beyond, we’re seeing the powerful effects of diasporas succeeding on the local communities. Just one successful entrepreneur can change an entire ecosystem.

And when more diaspora founders are willing to give back? That’s when innovation really can take off. 

Here are a few examples of diaspora Endeavor Entrepreneurs creating ripples in their communities: 

• After selling Türkiye’s largest food delivery company, Melih Ödemiş became one of the country’s leading angel investors, founding Galata Business Angels, and investing in over 50 businesses.
• Mudassir Sheikha, a Pakistani-born Silicon Valley grad, founded Careem in Dubai and now chairs Endeavor Pakistan, selecting the next generation of founders coming from the same roots as him.
• Karim Beguir, Tunisia’s AI pioneer, is training 10,000 African engineers through Projet Tatooine from his base in London.

Global hubs aren’t just in Silicon Valley, London, or NYC anymore. Our entrepreneurs are moving from Mexico to Miami, Bogotá to São Paulo, Islamabad to Dubai, and Jakarta to Singapore.

• Before Insider’s historic $500M Series E, Turkish entrepreneur Hande Cilingir and her co-founders gained experience working across the UK, China, Russia, and the Middle East.
• Nigerian fintech Moniepoint, co-founded by Tosin Eniolorunda, relocated headquarters to London to support international expansion and just reached unicorn status with a $110M Series C. 

As we adapt to this multipolar world, the power of networks is more clear than ever. Founders are forging connections across continents, creating unique communities as they grow and find new places to call home.

➡️ Timeshifter helps to naturally decrease the fatigue that comes with flying across the world with a custom plan tailored to your flights, guiding you on when to sleep, eat, and more for a smoother adjustment.

➡️ TymeBank co-founder Coen Jonker didn’t just scale to neighboring countries, but across continents—from South Africa to the Philippines. Hear his journey of building a true multi-country digital bank on The Enthusiast.

➡️ Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie tells the story of a Nigerian woman who moves to the US to study, then returns to Nigeria, only to feel like she doesn’t belong anywhere. It’s a powerful look at how different cultures shape identity.

➡️ Pachinko by Min Jin Lee explores themes of resilience, sacrifice, and the struggle for belonging. The story spans four generations of a Korean family living in Japan navigating war, discrimination, and cultural displacement.