"“There is more demand in the U.S. today than there is in Europe,” he told Fortune. “Especially if you're selling towards enterprises with some kind of AI-native product. That is pulling people to do the U.S. expansion faster than ever before.”"
"AI firms captured 61% of global venture capital in 2025-and 80% to 81% of total global venture capital in the first quarter of 2026. The overwhelming majority of that demand lives on American enterprise procurement budgets."
"Receipts from Creandum's own portfolio make the case. Lovable, the Swedish vibe-coding startup Creandum backed early, crossed $400 million in ARR in February-adding $100 million in a single month with 146 employees-and sits at a $6.6 billion valuation. The company's growth is nearly entirely digital and borderless, a model Fritjofsson describes as “bottoms-up from day one”-no boots on the ground required, as U.S. users have flocked to the platform without a U.S. expansion plan."
"Last September, the administration imposed a $100,000 fee for new H-1B applications -a more than 6,500% cost increase. For founders, the practical workaround has been the O-1 visa, the “extraordinary ability” category that Fritjofsson describes as working pretty well. For the team members they want to bring along? The path is murkier."
European founders are expanding to the United States faster than before due to stronger U.S. demand, especially for AI-native enterprise products. AI companies captured a large share of global venture capital, with most demand concentrated in American enterprise procurement budgets. Creandum’s portfolio example shows borderless, digital growth without a U.S. expansion plan, including Lovable reaching over $400 million in ARR and a $6.6 billion valuation. For enterprise-focused startups, U.S. readiness often requires placing founders in the country, and immigration policies add friction. A $100,000 fee for new H-1B applications increases costs dramatically, while O-1 visas can be a workable alternative for founders. Bringing additional team members remains more difficult, though AI-related regulatory tailwinds are viewed as outweighing immigration headwinds.
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