VSQ News: January 2021
We’re glad you’re here. We’re sharing a monthly round-up of VentureSouq updates, ecosystem-building initiatives and content. There’s much to share when things move fast!
Virtual FinTech Roundtable
We are excited to host a Virtual FinTech Roundtable on February 16, from 8-10PM (GST). Suneel Gokhale, Founding Partner at VentureSouq, will be joined by two international FinTech experts, Sam Hodges (co-founder and CEO of Vouch Insurance) and Peter Ackerson (General Partner at FinVC), to discuss regional and global FinTech trends, and how the MENA ecosystem is expanding. If you would like to attend, please register here
World FinTech Festival
Suneel Gokhale, Founding Partner at VentureSouq, was invited to speak at the World Fintech Festival’s VC & Funding Session organised by the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in partnership with the Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF). He was joined on the panel by leading VCs from the region including Khaled Talhouni from Nuwa Capital and Ivan Jakovljevic from STV Capital. The panel was moderated by Noor Sweid from Global Ventures.
Conscious Capital: Investing in the next change of changemakers
Sonia Weymuller, Founding Partner at VentureSouq, moderated a panel on conscious investing at the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival 2020. This unique panel brought together Anousheh Ansari, CEO of XPrize and the world’s first female private space explorer, Ned Tozun, CEO and Founder of d.light, the well-recognized off-grid solar solutions company, and Dimple Sahni, Managing Director of Impact Funds Portfolios at Anthos Fund and Asset Management, a leading family office in the Netherlands. The panel led to some remarkable insights on the evolution and promise of conscious investing. Reflecting on perceptions around impact investing, Dimple shared: “As the markets get more efficient, you will see more commercially oriented social impact funds emerging. It may feel good to be doing good for the world, but the fact is it is also a very solid business model for our times.”
You can access the full video here.
FinTech Abu Dhabi 2.0
Sonia Gokhale, Founding Partner at VentureSouq, recently spoke at FinTech Abu Dhabi alongside leading VCs to discuss the secret ingredients to spot winning startups in the region. If you missed it, you can watch the discussion here.
Fundraising in the Middle East
Startup Bootcamp Dubai is running their third FinTech cohort. Suneel joined the session to share fundraising strategies and best practices with the startups.
Middle East Venture Capital Association (MEVCA) Panel
Sonia W was invited to speak on a panel discussion organised by the Middle East Venture Capital Association about current market valuations, maintaining capital and exciting tech spaces. She was joined by Karim Hussein from Algebra Ventures and Rami Rahal from Blue Cloud Ventures. The panel was moderated by Noor Sweid from Global Ventures.
Dubai’s digital recovery
Thomson Reuters recently shared a report on a smart recovery for Dubai after COVID-19. Suneel shared his thoughts about the technology and regulatory landscape of the region moving forward.
Conscious Investor Fellowship 2021
In December 2020 we wrapped up the first edition of our Conscious Investor Fellowship with an exceptional cohort of 30 Fellows from the UAE, KSA, Bahrain and Egypt. We’re now gearing up for the second cohort of Fellows for 2021. If you’re interested in joining us and learning about investing into mission-driven companies, reach out to our team.
Virtual Office Hours
We’re hosting virtual office hours together with Bahrain Development Bank and Al Waha Fund of Funds. Bahrain is a vibrant startup ecosystem in the GCC, and we’re looking forward to connecting with the Kingdom’s entrepreneurial champions!
We wish you all a restful and pleasant week ahead.
Warmly,
Team VSQ