Mobile founders attract funding, but success differs across destinations

In October 2026, NBER circulated research by Paul A. Gompers and Henry Woo on global entrepreneurial talent flows. The abstract distinguishes funding from later success and reports that the advantages associated with internationally mobile founders vary by destination and pathway.

This is observational working-paper evidence. The abstract was read directly, but the full manuscript was unavailable for this review; detailed effect estimates are therefore omitted. The study should not be treated as proof that relocation causes success or as evidence about ordinary employee assignments.

Give mobility a defined objective

Organisations supporting founders could use the distinction to clarify what their programme aims to enable. Network access, financing, business formation and a successful exit are separate outcomes. A mobility service should identify its contribution without assuming responsibility for every subsequent commercial result.

A programme charter could state the population, intended purpose, support offered and accountable decision-maker. It should explain what happens if the plan changes and identify professional questions requiring separate advice. Procedures designed for a corporate assignment should not automatically be assumed suitable for a founder’s situation.

Plan continuity and return

Benefits teams could contribute by checking how individuals and accompanying families obtain information about cover, resolve administrative gaps and reach an adviser. These are proposed service questions; the research does not assess insurance or benefits products.

Return should also be considered a distinct transition, with its own objectives and support arrangements. Evaluation should preserve participants’ starting circumstances and avoid attributing outcomes to mobility without an appropriate analytical basis.

The practical value for global benefits professionals is a more precise conversation with talent and investment colleagues. Agreeing what success means would help distinguish support delivered from commercial outcomes that remain uncertain and depend on factors beyond the mobility programme.

Sources

NBER Working Paper 35943.

New research finds uneven outcomes for internationally mobile founders

NBER research bulletin

The Latest NBER Research — 26 October 2026; Henry Woo