Manan Mehta co-founded Unshackled Ventures specifically to solve U.S. immigration barriers for founders, building an infrastructure-heavy model that provides legal, visa, and employment support so immigrant entrepreneurs can legally start companies from day zero. As a former founder-CEO whose social media company was acquired by Smule, he focuses on backing founders pre-incorporation based on their execution history and personal connection to problems rather than traditional traction metrics.

• Unwavering support for immigrant founders and visa holders. He actively views immigrants as a national advantage and steps in to offer safety and resources, such as inviting visa workers worried about deportation after big tech layoffs to reach out directly for help.
• Specialization in extremely early-stage opportunities, often referred to as Day 0. He is comfortable funding teams that are pre-product, pre-revenue, and even pre-incorporation, openly admitting that making decisions at this stage relies heavily on subjectivity and imperfect information.
• Deep empathy for the emotional journey of entrepreneurship. He positions his firm not just as a financial backer but as a support system for the human side of building a company, offering to be a sounding board for founder frustration, fear, and anger during difficult times.
• Focus on tangible community building over superficial networking. He detailed the rigorous expectations for a community lead role, which included having over 500 conversations in the first year to build trust and design programs that founders cannot get anywhere else.
• Strong emphasis on team dynamics and diversity, particularly regarding women in venture capital. He frequently praises his colleagues publicly, highlighting specific traits he values in people he works with, such as a combination of humility, curiosity, and hustle.
• Interest in health and wellness startups that destigmatize human biology. He highlighted an investment in a hormone health brand for women, framing it as a necessary solution because hormonal issues are a fundamental part of being human.