Techcrunch: For immigrant founders in the UK, office hours with VCs are rocket fuel

Lyubov Guk, Founding Partner at Blue Lake:

"A year ago I could not have imagined that alongside the top UK tech ecosystem players we will be launching the initiative that will change the early-stage startup-investment landscape.

Over the past three years I have been closely working with international founders in the UK and I know first-hand that

a) They build some of the most successful companies in the UK (about 46% of the UK's unicorns were founded by immigrants);

b) Their voice is not strong enough, especially at the early stages.

I wanted to change this. And I did.

Earlier this year together with fantastic people who share my vision we launched International Founders Open Office Hours connecting international founders in the UK or on their way to the UK with the top early-stage investors.

Now, as we completed the first pilot project, I am extremely happy and proud to share the first outcomes, reflections, thoughts about how it was and what is next. You can read the full story on the TechCrunch.

We are just getting started. So what comes next?

I want to invite:

If you are interested, please contact us.

We want to thank people without whom it wouldn't be possible:

David Gilgur Robyn Klingler-Vidra, PhDJuanita Gonzalez Uribe Josh Winfield Tech Nation Edoardo Gentili Natasha JonesPetra Mo.Leo Chandler Richard Baillie Angus Nodder Duran Cesur Robin Butler CFA Steven Margarida Garcia Hector Mason Jan Wyrwiński Eleonora Mantovani Shebin RawtherJeevan Sunner Chris Smith Henri Cotard Edward Stevenson Francis Wright Akash Bajwa David Boulton Dan Bowyer Toby Knight Rob Kniaz Mayowa Ogunremi Giovanni Calabrese Kanira Shah Tom Lambert Emma Ruth Phillips Paul Kvadsheim Elias Suliman Roei Samuel Daniel Glazer Department for International Trade (DIT)