Indian artificial intelligence startups are weighing the costs of establishing a presence in the United States as they seek access to American investors and enterprise customers, with high hiring expenses, visa hurdles and difficulties winning initial clients complicating expansion plans.
Venture capital firms, including Antler India and All In Capital, have launched programmes to help Indian startups enter the US market, offering support with customer introductions, local networks and operational requirements, according to Business Standard.
While some startups have shifted their headquarters to the US, secured customers and raised follow-on funding, others are retaining their engineering and product teams in India while building sales and business operations in America.
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Ashish Bhatia, founder and chief executive officer of India Accelerator, identified securing the first few US customers as one of the biggest challenges for Indian startups entering the market.
“First, US buyers want references, so the first two or three logos are the hardest to win. Second, security, compliance and architecture expectations are much higher. Third, hiring US sales and business development people is expensive, and visas for founders who travel back and forth add friction,” Bhatia told Business Standard. Startups also struggle to find product-market fit in a new market and build relationships with local customers, investors and potential employees. Without an established network, founders may struggle to obtain advice on hiring, pricing, legal structures and investor introductions.
Venture capital firms build US entry programmes
Antler India launched its Embark programme in May 2025 to help startups establish a foothold in the American market. More than 50 startups have participated across four editions, including over 15 from India.
Raghav Goyal, director of investments at Antler India, said 75% of participants had secured paying customers or active pilots in the US, while more than half had raised their next funding round.
Almost 50% had moved to the US, established their holding companies as US entities and obtained O-1 visas for their founders, Goyal said. Most participants secured their first American customer within three to four weeks of joining the programme.
Startups that have shifted their headquarters to the US include Dodge, KuboCare, Nudge and Aina.
All In Capital launched its Golden Ticket programme in January 2026 to support Indian startups seeking to expand into the US. The programme received more than 750 applications in its first 10 days and aimed to select 20 to 30 startups.
Its portfolio includes Vasuki AI, which develops artificial intelligence solutions for commodity hedging desks; Tross, which is building data and application programming interface infrastructure for healthcare AI agents; and Mowito AI. Mowito has established an office in Detroit, launched pilot projects with US customers and raised a follow-on funding round from a Canadian investor.
The programmes reflect a broader effort by venture capital firms to provide operational assistance alongside financing, helping founders navigate market entry and establish relationships with prospective customers.
Relocation does not guarantee success
Kushal Bhagia, cofounder and partner at All In Capital, said startups should evaluate their progress based on the quality of customer engagements and pilot projects. They should also consider their ability to demonstrate value in specific business workflows. Rather than simply counting users.
Antler India’s Embark programme facilitates introductions to American customers and provides hands-on support for early sales. It also works with service providers, including Deel, Rho, Alma and Inkle, to help startups with visas and the establishment of US entities.
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However, relocating a company’s headquarters does not necessarily require moving its entire workforce overseas.
“Some startups keep their engineering and product teams in India while building out their US teams, so the move is about being close to customers and capital rather than leaving India behind,” said Jasnoor Gill, director of investments at Antler India.
Some startups that participated in expansion programmes have also reversed their relocation decisions, with their core customers or teams better served from India, Gill said.
Nevertheless, she added that more commonly, founders develop greater ambitions for the US after spending time with American customers and investors. For Indian AI startups, the decision to relocate therefore depends on more than access to venture capital. Customer acquisition, operating expenses, immigration requirements and the need to maintain product development capabilities in India all factor into how companies structure their international operations.