Startups are known to be international by nature, agile organizations with low hierarchies. Prevailing discourses on startups suggest that recruitment to a startup team or to employment is competence-based. Therefore, it seems that startups potentially offer an inclusive and lucrative route to enter the labour markets for high-skilled immigrants. In our ongoing research project (www.hiwe.fi) we have conducted approx. 60 life-story interviews with high-skilled internationals. The method of thematic analysis has been used. The transcribed interviews were first coded inductively and then various themes were identified to describe what concerns high-skilled internationals have about startups, why they choose to engage with startups, and what experiences they have about startups. These interviews portray some tensions and contradictions with regard to startups. On one hand, in larger cities startups offer low threshold opportunities to gain work experience, to get new contacts and to have the first experience in working in a Finnish company. However, sometimes that comes with a price. The findings depict also some horror stories, involving cases of sexism and other forms of discrimination. The low hierarchy and lack of structures in startups may be attractive on one hand but they may also exemplify practices that are perceived as exploitive by the high-skilled internationals. In the presentation, we will share our preliminary findings and ask, what is the role of startups in the labour market integration, and critically discuss the experiences of both inclusion and exploitation among the interviewees.