Five Future Scenarios for the VC Ecosystem in MENA So, what is possibly next for the dynamic ecosystem in MENA? Having spent the week deep in conversations and panels, it is clear that there is a strong, optimistic momentum. Most people I’ve met have been clear on the future potential for growth and expansion. Taking […]
Over the past 7 years the MENA VC ecosystem has leapfrogged competing ecosystems, exploding from $400M capital deployed to $3BN, for a 7,5X growth. Looking ahead, there is a clear drive to continue to build out the region’s VC ecosystem. But what might that look like? What are the areas and what are the possible […]
I’ve Recently Reviewed A Series Of Emerging Fund Manager Pitch Decks. It Is Clear That Hours, If Not Years Has Gone Into Them. Yet, They Are All Missing One Key Item. The Limited Partners’ Value Proposition. Over the last 5 years, I’ve had the chance to work in-depth with emerging fund managers around the world. […]
The room falls silent as Sarah, a first-time fund manager from Nairobi, practices her pitch to a mock Norwegian DFI representative. She’s confident talking about her investment thesis and market opportunity, but when the “LP” asks about her fund’s unique value proposition beyond returns, she stumbles. This scene played out repeatedly in our 2X GP Sprint accelerator […]
(A story on exits in MENA. Based on the fictive fund DVP) The Transformation Was Stunning. When Dubai Venture Partners (DVP) closed their Fund I in 2021, they were another promising Dubai-based early-stage fund with big ambitions but limited exit experience. Fast forward to 2025, and their Fund II portfolio is generating the kind of exit momentum […]
Accelerator programs for venture capital and private equity are set to take off – is your ecosystem ready? We all know about startup accelerators; but what about accelerator programs for venture capital and private equity managers? They may be more popular than you think. Over the last five years, we have run 3 GP (General […]
In October 2024 we hosted a deep dive webinar, Building a GP accelerator, with Jonathan Hollis , founder of Mountside Ventures as guest speakers. Our topic: How to build great programs in the evolving field in Europe. Our tool: the GP Accelerator Business Model Canvas Read also part I: Building a GP accelerator The GP Accelerator Business Model Canvas provides […]
The Story Of Scaling Leo Bank From Idea To Exit In The Middle East. Part I: The Early Days (Start Up, Seed) Case study written for the upcoming launch of Scale Up MENA! (Aug 2025). Read part II: scaling up (Series A,B) and part III: Growth stage (Series C,D to exit) What does the journey of a new fintech startup […]
From Johannesburg to London, Panama to Dubai. This year 1.200 people will have gone through the Fund Manager! Simulation, learning how to run a VC fund from idea to successful 10-15 year operations. Today, Fund Manager! is used globally in business schools and Masterclasses, GP accelerators and VC education. But how did it get started? […]
In most venture capital ecosystems, the lack of exits and liquidity events form a massive challenge for LPs, GPs, founders, employees and the next generation of entrepreneurs alike. Yet, we see investors, like Silverback Holdings, being able to generate liquidity events along the journey. In our work with investment firms we have been able to […]