Key Takeaways
- Venezuelan, Ukrainian, Afghan, and Russian engineers launch tech startups as asylees
- No green card required — revenue-based evaluation
- Fund SaaS, IT services, software development, and consulting firms
- SBA citizenship rule eliminated asylees — Bankable is the private alternative
- 48-hour decisions for tech businesses with recurring revenue
Among all immigrant groups, asylees are disproportionately represented in the technology sector. Venezuelan software engineers who left Caracas's collapsing economy brought world-class development skills to US tech firms — and many eventually launched their own SaaS companies. Ukrainian tech professionals who arrived after 2022 have founded IT service firms, cybersecurity consultancies, and software development agencies. Afghan engineers who worked alongside US forces built careers in IT and launched managed service providers. Russian and Turkish developers fleeing political persecution contribute to the US tech ecosystem at every level.
Tech businesses often generate strong recurring revenue but face a catch-22: they need capital to hire developers and build product, but revenue-based funders want to see existing revenue. Bankable works with tech founders who have passed the initial revenue threshold and need capital to accelerate growth.
Tech Business Types We Fund
- SaaS companies with monthly recurring revenue (MRR)
- IT managed service providers (MSPs)
- Software development agencies
- Cybersecurity firms (see cybersecurity funding)
- Digital marketing agencies
- Data analytics and AI consulting firms
- E-learning and edtech platforms
- Mobile app development studios
Why Revenue-Based Funding Works for Tech
SaaS companies with MRR are ideal candidates for revenue-based funding because their revenue is predictable. A company doing $50K MRR has high confidence in next month's revenue — which makes lending against that revenue low-risk. Repayment comes from a percentage of monthly revenue, not a fixed amount. During a growth phase where you're reinvesting heavily, lower repayment percentages can be negotiated.
Minimum: $15,000/month in revenue (MRR for SaaS, monthly billings for services), 6 months operating, US entity, EAD or work authorization.
Using Bankable Capital for Tech Growth
The most common uses for tech startup funding are: hiring developers (reducing reliance on offshore contractors), increasing your paid acquisition budget, infrastructure and cloud costs during rapid growth, sales team expansion, and product development to enter new market segments. Bankable does not restrict how you deploy capital — you know your business better than we do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Asylee tech founders with work authorization (EAD), a US business entity, and at least $15,000/month in revenue qualify. We fund SaaS, IT services, software development agencies, and other tech businesses.
No. We are a revenue-based funder — existing revenue is required. Pre-revenue startups should look at angel investors, accelerators, or grants. Return to Bankable after reaching $15K/month in revenue.
We look at monthly recurring revenue (MRR), churn rate, growth trend, and months of operating history. Strong MRR with low churn qualifies for the best terms.
Yes. Payroll and contractor costs are among the most common uses for tech startup funding. We do not restrict how you deploy capital.
Revenue is revenue. If international clients pay into your US business bank account in USD, that revenue qualifies. We look at your US business bank statements.
Yes. Prior employment history as an engineer is valuable context but not a formal requirement. What matters is your business's current revenue.
Yes. Government contract revenue counts. However, contracts that require security clearances may create complications for asylees pending permanent residency — consult a clearance attorney separately.
We require at least $15,000/month in revenue for 6+ months. SaaS companies at this level typically qualify for $15K-$30K in initial working capital, scaling up as MRR grows.