Backing Resilient
Immigrant Founders

14%

of US population are immigrants

25%

of US startup founders are immigrants

45%

of Fortune 500 firms are founded by immigrants

55%

of unicorns are founded by immigrants

Headquartered in Houston, TX, the most diverse city of the United States, Born Global Ventures invests in early stage tech startups led by resilient immigrant entreprenures through the combination of the Born Global Fund, the Born Global Studio, and the Born Global Community by providing intellectual capital, human capital, social capital, and financial capital.

The Born Global Fund invests in pre-seed and seed stage tech startups led by resilient immigrant entrepreneurs addressing some of the most pressing global issues such as sustainability, climate action, energy transition, education, healthcare, and decentralization.

The Born Global Studio provides integrated services including market research, business strategy, product development, legal, finance, and HR, etc. for entrepreneurs to conceive, validate, design, develop, launch, and grow their startups. .

The Born Global Community (a non-profit) is the vibrant movement we initiated with the mission to onboard diverse entrepreneurs and investors and to interconnect local and international ecosystems through thought leadership, educational programs, and network expansion. EVERYONE is invited to join this inclusive community and build human connections full of authenticity and opportunities.

Our Guiding Principles

Maximizing Return

Through rapid experimentation and market validation, our systematic and rigorous venture building process ensures product-market-founder-investor fit, addresses the major reasons startups fail, and increases the chance of success.

Reducing Risk

Our holistic and integrated approach to active participation in venture building as an institutional cofounder avoids unnecessary waste of time and energy coordinating fragmented services and thus maximize return on investment.

Creating Impact

All of our ventures address the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 not only because of the products we develop, but the people we work with, the prosperity we bring, the planet we serve, the partnerships we develop, and the peace we cherish.

Championing Diversity

We value diversity beyond the way we look but the way we think, with brilliant entrepreneurs coming from various upbringings, cultures and backgrounds. This is the true engine of innovation that brings value to untapped high potential global markets.

Our CORE commitments

To FOUNDERS

We have our skin in the game. We are with you from ideation to validation to growth. We are bold and blunt as your sounding board. Our resources are at your disposal throughout. We care about your individual and organizational well being for ultimate success.

To INVESTORS

We value integrity and transparency. We have the gut and grit though ups and downs. We bring to you highly vetted ventures as a diversified portfolio. Our expert support ensures maximized capital efficiency with reduced risk and better returns. Our impact focus brings you greater good on the global market.

Our CORE commitment

To Founders

We have our skin in your game. We are with you throughout your journey from ideation to acceleration to exit. Our resources are at your disposal throughout the venture building process.

To Investors

Our rigorous process of idea validation to product development enhances the chance of success of our new ventures. Through our curated portfolio of ventures, investors gain exposure to startups at a higher equity, better ROI and improved chance of success.

Join US and make the changes you want to see

Founders

Turning brilliant ideas into scalable businesses and making an impact in this world? We would love to learn more!

Investors

Maximize your ROI with minimized risk? How about faster and stronger startups at a lower cost? Find out what we are working on.

Builders

Are you a talent seeking an opportunity? We’d love to have you onboard our exciting projects.

Mentors

Are you a mentor willing to share your expertise? We’d love to have your support for our early stage startups.

Thoughts from Our Team

Z LAB Ventures is your pit crew, cheer squad, support network and co-founder for your venture. We provide all you need to scale and grow your venture into a successful business.

Sandip Bordoloi, PHD

General Partner, Z LAB Ventures

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Stay connected to learn more about our startups!

What we are building

Events and Programs

Venture Lab Wednesday

Women in AI USA Partnership

Born Global Venture Lab at the UST Center for Science and Healthcare Professions

Connect with us and stay in the loop!

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Victor Koosh
Advisor

Victor Koosh serves as Managing Director for ACT Capital Advisors and has built and sold multiple businesses over his 35-year career. As a former founder, Victor is sympathetic to the challenges business owners face and brings a creative approach to finding the best solutions. He served as CEO of Caesar Systems-PetroVR, an oil and gas software business acquired by Aucerna. He was also the co-founder & CEO of Meedio, a premier provider of digital lifestyle software acquired by Yahoo! in 2006.Victor’s expertise in the software industry for more than 20 years gives him a unique perspective on the needs and demands of these companies. He strives for simplicity and leverages teamwork to integrate multiple points of view that illuminate opportunities. He also speaks Russian, Spanish, and German.Victor, a Native American Jump Start board member, studied business administration at the University of Houston. In addition, he’s received the NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award, the Centurion Award, and the Silver Beaver Award.

Marc Sharpe
Managing Partner

Marc J. Sharpe is the founder and chairman of The Family Office Association (“TFOA”), an organization formed in 2007 to provide a forum for education and networking and to serve as a resource for single family offices to share ideas and best practices, pool buying power, leverage talent and conduct due diligence. Mr. Sharpe’s career in the investment and asset management industry spans more than 25 years. He has held positions in investment banking for Wasserstein Perella & Co. Inc and Goldman Sachs Group Inc., in addition to founding a venture capital incubator in the UK and working for Dell Inc. He subsequently took a position as portfolio manager and research director for Galapagos Partners LP, a full-service multi-family office serving a select group of ultra-high net worth families. After successfully growing the firm and surviving the 2008 market crash with a positive net return, Mr. Sharpe joined SigmaBleyzer Investment Group, an international private equity firm specializing in control investments with assets valued at $1 billion. He was also a managing director for a boutique investment advisory firm providing alternative asset strategies to ultra-high net worth families and registered investment advisors. Marc is currently an Operating Partner with Satori Capital, LLC, a Dallas and Fort Worth-based investment firm founded upon the principles of Conscious Capitalism. Immediately prior to Satori, Marc served as Partner & Managing Director at LCR Capital Partners, responsible for building strategic partnerships and investment opportunities throughout the world. Marc holds an M.A. from Cambridge University, a M.Sc. from Oxford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Mr. Sharpe is active in the community and has served on the Board of the Holocaust Museum Houston, the HBS Angels, and on the Investment Committee for two Texas based foundations.

Rohit Mahajan
Advisor
Expertise
  • Serial entrepreneur
  • Tech ventures
  • Big data
  • Tech innovation
  • Tech thought leadership

Rohit is an experienced entrepreneur and leader with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and software industry. He has been providing innovative Data and Analytics solutions and products to clients in Healthcare, Financial Services, Retail, Automotive, Manufacturing and other industry segments.

He is skilled in business and IT strategy, M&A, Sales; Marketing and Global Delivery. He holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering, is a Wharton School Fellow and a graduate from the Harvard Business School.

He has completed executive education programs in AI in Business and Healthcare from MIT Sloan, MIT CSAIL and Harvard School of Public Health. He is completing the Global Healthcare Leaders Program from Harvard Medical School.

Rohit is currently the Managing Partner at Bigr.io and Saviance.

Davy Wang
Advisor
Expertise
  • Cloud computing/Architecture
  • Tech ventures
  • Business Development
  • Tech innovation
  • Tech thought leadership
Technology Leader and Cloud Computing Guru

Davy Wang currently works as the senior director at Oracle Cloud, responsible for top-tier customers. He was previously the founding team of AWS China and served as chief architect and solution director of Amazon AWS Greater China, the first batch of getting AWS expert certification. He has helped many of China's top Internet companies, making full use of cloud platforms and taking the advantage of technological innovation, and thus promoting the business model of innovation.

Davy was a senior technical expert at Ali Yun. He has many years of IT consulting and implementation experience. He was a Senior Architect Manager at IBM Global Services, where he was responsible for the promotion and service consulting of solutions such as SOA, enterprise systems integration, and cloud computing platforms in China and the Asia Pacific region.

Key Focused Areas:
  • Published two best-selling books about Cloud Computing and Application Architect (Both books have been sold for more than 100,000 copies)
  • Rich experience in Enterprise Level Application Architecture including strategy, design, implementation, and integration
  • Helped MNC design and implement Digital Transformation
  • Certified PMP for more than 15 years and expert at project management as the head of PMO
  • In-depth knowledge in global scalable infrastructure and helped a lot of multi-national companies design their infrastructure globally
  • More than 20 years experience working in IT Consulting and Cloud Computing Company, including IBM, AWS, Ali Cloud, Tencent Cloud
  • Frequent public speaker about cloud/DevOps/SaaS etc.

Stephen Read
Partner
Expertise
  • Family & Adventures
  • Investment Analysis
  • Behavioral Economics
  • Computer Programming
  • Creating and Compounding
Languages
  • English
  • Python

Mr. Stephen Read is happily married to his wife Sarah with whom he has 3 children (Nora, Isaac andMarcus). Stephen founded HIT Investments; the General Partner of the Hedge fund HIT Capital in 2011.

Mr. Stephen Read has spent the majority of his life researching, investing and learning how to compound wealth. His personal expertise lies in strategy, programming, behavioral finance, and investment analysis.

Stephen is a lifelong learner who believes the best way to learn is by doing. Since graduating from Missouri A&M with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering he has:


Worked 14 years at ConocoPhillips as a Drilling Engineer, Rig Supervisor, Development Team Lead, Exploration Project Manager, A&D Lead, Strategic Planning, Reserves Coordinator, Commercial Lead and Water Manager
Played professional baseball which was capped off with a Continental League Championship
Founded the investment firm HIT Investments and oversees +$10 million in AUM
Manages the hedge fund HIT Capital which has +14% CAGR since its 2013 launch
Saved and compounded enough $ for his family to reach financial independence by age 37
Built a website and writes a blog on personal and behavioral finance
Invested in startups since 2011, which includes one unicorn (and counting)
Developed and lead a Python programming program, producing more than 100 translators and coders

Stephen’s investment expertise lies in the markets available to the hard-working middle class: public equities, real estate, and early-stage startups. He is passionate about helping others save, invest, and follow their calling. Stephen is a registered Investment Adviser in the state of Texas.

One of Stephen’s favorite quotes is from 2 Corinthians 9:6 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”

Shuang Leng, JD
Partner
Expertise
  • Corporate Governance
  • Corporate Transactions
  • Data Privacy and Security
  • Commercial Transactions
  • Blockchain
Languages
  • English
  • Chinese

Shuang Leng is an attorney licensed in Illinois and Texas. She works with both startups and establishedcompanies and assists them with their ongoing business and legal needs. Her practice mainly focuses oncorporate governance and transactions, commercial transactions, data privacy and security, and blockchain-related matters. Shuang is also a certified information privacy professional (CIPP/US/E) with experience in boththe US and European data protection laws. The CIPP is the global standard in privacy certification, developedand issued by the International Association of Privacy Professionals.

Shuang is adept in contract review, analysis, and drafting, and has a deep understanding of corporatestructures and business entities. She is well-versed in corporate transaction deal structures (deal steps, equitystructures, fund flow, due diligence, and M&A taxation). She developed all essential algorithms for a taxcalculator, which compares and ranks tax liabilities and benefits resulting from all available deal structures(stock sales, assets sales, mergers, 338(h)(10) elections, etc.) for sales or acquisitions of C corporations, Scorporations, LLCs and partnerships.

Shuang works with tech companies on a regular basis. In addition to transactional work, she advisescompanies on securities regulations, capital raising activities, legal issues surrounding the Internet of Thingsand related legislative activities, and other compliance matters.

Education
J.D., University of Kansas, School of Law, USA
LL.B. Renmin University of China, Law School, China

Other Qualifications
CIPP/US (Certified Information PrivacyProfessional/US)
CIPP/E (Certified Information PrivacyProfessional/Europe)

Bar and Court Admissions
Texas
Illinois
China (Legal Professional Qualification Certificate)
Southern District Court of Texas

Sunny Zhang, PhD
General Partner
Researcher, Educator, and Practitioner
  • 20+ years focus on innovation, marketing, and psychology
  • 17+ years of business school teaching and consulting
  • Pioneering research on e-commerce since 2000 and social networks since 2005
  • Published in premium journals and spoke at international conferences
  • Tenured marketing professor at Cameron School of Business, Univ. of St. Thomas
Entrepreneur, Venture Builder, and Investor
  • Co-founded Z LAB Global in 2017, a global innovation studio
  • Full-spectrum integrated service provider to tech startups for the last 5 years
  • Investor and builder of TrueLeap, myEnergyBudy, and GeoChemPro
Community Advocate and Ecosystem and Builder
  • Founder of the Born Global Community for immigrant entrepreneurs and investors
  • Program Advisor of Women in AI USA leading startup development programs
  • Board of Advisor at George H. W. Bush Foundation of US.-China Relations
  • Established strategic partnerships with hundreds of organizations
Sandip Bordoloi, PhD
General Partner
Energy Industry Veteran and Venture Builder
  • 14 years in the largest Independent Energy Company in the world (both technical and leadership roles)
  • 10 years developing new ventures in the energy industry
  • Eagle Ford Shale Asset (US L48): Considered to be one of the biggest success stories for ConocoPhillips (Day zero technical team member)
  • European Shale Ventures: Led COP's first international Shale venture
  • Led venture projects with $1B+ in assets (Deepwater Gulf of Mexico)
  • Managed venture portfolio's with $100M+ in yearly budgets (Deepwater Gulf of Mexico, Poland Shales)
  • Managed major project exits (Deepwater Gulf of Mexico, Poland Shales)
Entrepreneur, Investor, and Builder
  • Co-founded Z LAB Global in 2017, a digital innovation studio
  • Full spectrum service provider to technology startups for the last 5 years
  • Full spectrum service provider to technology startups for the last 5 years

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