Mapping the first year: how immigrant founders find support
A qualitative study that follows newly arrived founders through their first twelve months, tracing which advice, networks and institutions they actually turn to — and which they never find.
What the study asks
Support for new businesses is usually designed around people who already know the local system: its language, its paperwork and its unwritten rules. This study asks what that system looks like from the other side — for founders who arrived recently and are learning it while they build.
Approach
The study follows a small cohort of founders over twelve months through repeated interviews and a shared diary of every source of help they use, from government portals to relatives, accountants and community groups. Each touchpoint is mapped to where it came from, what it cost and whether it helped.
Why it matters
Mapping the journey — rather than the programs — shows where support is missing, duplicated or simply invisible to the people it is meant for. The findings feed directly into the Lab’s leaflet series and its ecosystem directory.