Wamda - Podcast Details

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کافه بیزینس پرشین هورایزن پلی برای ورود به دنیای حرفه ای بین المللی کسب و کار از مفهوم تا سرمایه: مسیر تامین مالی استارتاپ در دبی## RSS Notes:عنوان: از مفهوم تا سرمایه: مسیر تامین مالی استارتاپ در دبیتوضیحات: رویای راه‌اندازی استارتاپ در دبی را دارید؟ در این اپیزود کافه بیزینس، گام‌به‌گام مراحل تامین مالی استارتاپ، از ایده اولیه تا جذب سرمایه خطرپذیر و ورود به بورس، را بررسی می‌کنیم. به همراه معرفی منابع ارزشمند در دبی مثل in5، Hub71، Wamda Capital و Dubai Startup Hub. اگر به دنبال فرصت‌های سرمایه‌گذاری یا راه‌اندازی کسب‌وکار در دبی هستید، این اپیزود را از دست ندهید!## Podcast Description:دبی، شهری پر از فرصت برای استارتاپ‌ها! اما تامین مالی، چالشی بزرگ در این مسیر است. در این اپیزود از کافه بیزینس Persian Horizon، به طور کامل مراحل تامین مالی استارتاپ در دبی را بررسی می‌کنیم:* چرخه عمر تامین مالی: از ایده و سرمایه شخصی تا جذب سرمایه خطرپذیر و عرضه اولیه سهام.* مراحل کلیدی: Seed Funding، جذب سرمایه بذری، سری A و مراحل بعدی.* نقش شتاب‌دهنده‌ها و سرمایه‌گذاران: in5، Hub71، Wamda Capital و Middle East Venture Partners.* راهکارهای افزایش شانس موفقیت: طرح کسب‌وکار قوی، تیم‌سازی، شناخت بازار و شبکه‌سازی.* منابع ارزشمند در دبی: Dubai Startup Hub و DIFC FinTech Hive.اگر می‌خواهید در دنیای استارتاپ‌های دبی موفق شوید، این اپیزود مخصوص شماست!📩 مشاوره مستقیم با تیم Persian Horizon: @persianhorizon_farsi | wa.me/971507025341 🌍 www.persianhorizon.com

2025-07-0805 min

2025-02-0844 min

2024-10-1751 min

VC React Podcast VC React Podcast (E8): VC Surge In July, Founders’ Harassment, Connected Founders, & Sunken CostVC React Podcast: Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, VCs, and investment rounds. Stay tuned for: expert analysis, independent opinions, and maybe some heated conversations! Host: Ahmad Takatkah, VCpreneur. Sign up to VCpreneur Newsletter on ⁠⁠https://www.vcpreneur.com/⁠⁠ Co-Host: Jamie Lane, FWDstart. Sign up to FWDstart Newsletter on ⁠⁠https://www.fwdstart.me/⁠⁠ --- Available on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube: VC React Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify: VC React Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple: VC React Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Amazon: VC React Podcast⁠ --- Guests: 1. Amal Dokhan, Managing Partner @ 500 Global - LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amaldokhan/ - VC Firm Website: https://500.co/ 2...

2024-08-1559 min

Delusional Podcast RCP #5 An alternative path to VC in MENA, with Tamer Azer [Shorooq Partners]Tamer Azer is a partner at Shorooq Partners, a prominent VC firm in MENA. Timestamps: (1:12) Finding your true investor self (4:30) Building reputation in a new geography (6:21) Is Egypt gonna recover, startup-wise? (9:31) Breaking down fintech models via P&L items (10:50) Why infra/API plays are tough to build in the region? (13:27) The 'western vs. local' VC disagreement around lending (16:56) The void venture debt funds aren't filling (18:29) Climatetech: too early for the region? (20:02) Alternative path to liquidity: owning the local mid-cap market? References: Shorooq Partners - https://www.wamda.com/2022/03/shorooq... Pemo - https://www.wamda.com/2022/05/pemo-ra... Nymcard - https...

2024-05-1622 min

Startup Istanbul Podcast The View from DubaiI recently had the pleasure of speaking with Daniel Dos Reis, Investment Director at Wamda Capital, about startups and venture capital in the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey.With over 15 years of experience spanning startups, corporates, government, and top VC firms, Daniel provided invaluable insights from an investor's perspective.In this post, I'll summarize key takeaways from our wide-ranging conversation on regional startup ecosystems, common founder mistakes, evaluating deals, managing portfolios, major exits, and more.As an entrepreneur and investor myself, I found Daniel's thoughts and experiences incredibly insightful. I hope this...

2024-01-3045 min

Alchemy of Transformation Alchemy of Transformation Episode 5: Alchemy of Venture Transformation with Walid FazaWaliid Faza is a Partner at MSA Capital as well as a Partner and COO at MSA Novo. He has previously been a Partner and Investment Manager at Wamda Capital, and has a plethora of experience investing in ventures across the MENA region. #VentureCapital #MiddleEast #NorthAfrica #StartupEcosystem #Entrepreneurship #HistoricalComplexities #CulturalComplexities #Amman #Wamda #Failure #Success #BusinessModels #MENA #Asia #ResilientCompanies #EmergingMarkets #Microfinance #ChineseBusinessModels #SystemDrag #Infrastructure #MunicipalServices #Adaptability #StrategicTeam-Building #ChineseLineageVentureCapital #SiliconValley #COVID-19 #GovernmentSupport #SustainableGrowth #EconomicPower #China Read more about him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/walidfaza (00:00) Exploring MENA Venture Capital and Startups (11:52) Entrepreneurship and Connections in Middle East (19:29) Lessons Learned From...

2024-01-1658 min

VC Evolve: Conversations About The Future of VC A Comprehensive Summary of MENA's VC History, The Most Fundable Startups In MENA, Liquidity In Venture, and more on VC Evolve Podcast with VCpreneur and Khaled Talhouni of Nuwa Capital.Khaled Talhouni is a managing partner at Nuwa Capital. He has a long history of investing in the MENA region with stops at Accelerator Technology Holdings, TwoFour54, and Wamda Capital before starting Nuwa Capital. He also worked with ABAN, an angel group in Dubai. Khaled has worked in almost all stages, angel, seed, early and growth. He has seen it all, he's been actively investing in MENA since 2007. Khaled is also a musician. If you follow him on social media, you will see him once in a while playing his guitar. Khaled on LinkedIn: https...

2023-11-1529 min

Edtech Insiders Week in Edtech 11/07/2023: Breaking Down Biden's AI Executive Order and Its Impact on Education Plus Special Guest Christian Byza of Learn.xyzSend us a textIn this episode of Week in Edtech, Ben and Alex discuss:1. AI + EDU Conference Replays held last October 26, 2023 are now live on the Edtech Insiders Youtube Channel.2. Stanford Accelerate Edtech Impact Summit3. Biden's AI Executive OrderFor AI in generalData PrivacyEducation4. Edtech Noon closes $41 million Series B - Wamda5. Interview with guest Christian Byza of Learn.xyz6. Funding Rounds/M&As...

2023-11-091h 17

cultureA The HR Management Software that Transforms Your Day to Day featuring alfii with Yousef AlbarqawiYousef Albarqawi is a serial entrepreneur with first-hand experience in multiple Middle Eastern markets. Today, Yousef joins me to give me insight (and a couple sneak peaks) on alfii; a simplified customer-centric HR Management tool that is sure to transform your day to day.Subscribe to cultureA podcast: www.cultureapodcast.comWhere to find alfii:websiteCompany LinkedIn pagealfii in the news:crunchbaseWamdaEntrepreneur Middle EastThe National NewsForbes Middle East This is...

2023-09-1240 min

Moghamra مغامرة #005 Khaled Talhouni | The History & Future of Startups/VCs in the MENA regionIn this episode, we have the honour of sitting down with Khaled Talhouni, the Managing Partner at Nuwa Capital, a radical investment platform located in the UAE that is redefining the future of founder-capital relationships. Having previously served as the Managing Partner at Wamda Capital, Khaled's impact on the MENA startup ecosystem is undeniable. He began his journey at Dubai International Capital, where he played an important role in supporting the development of the MENA region's first-ever seed capital fund, to heading investments at twofour54. Throughout his career, Khaled has consistently identified and nurtured disruptive ventures that redefine traditional...

2023-09-091h 22

Forecasting the Middle East with EGA Seeing Around Corners: What to Expect from the Middle East Startup EcosystemDespite rapid growth throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, 2023 has witnessed a massive contraction across the tech industry. Global tech leaders have significantly cut staffing, earnings have dropped, and the consensus outlook for the tech industry has been significantly moderated. That said, momentum and optimism remain high across the Middle East. In 2022, startups across the region saw a record-breaking $3.94 billion in investment. What's more, spending across the tech sector is expected to continue growing through 2023. But is the outlook for the Middle East tech sector as bright as investors may believe -- or is there more to this story? ...

2023-08-3131 min

The 966 The Saudi PIF Invests in Saudi football, Messi to Miami, and Saudi entrepreneurs Sara Bin Laden and Renad Aljefri join The 966Saudi entrepreneurs Sara Bin Laden and Renad Aljefri, recent WIN fellows, join The 966 from Jeddah to discuss their experiences and journeys to-date. Renad and Sara recently took part in the second cohort of the Atlantic Council’s Women Innovators Fellowship, known as the WIN fellowship - a program launched by the empowerME initiative of the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, by venture capitalist Amjad Ahmad. Before the conversation with Sara and Renad, the hosts discuss Richard's One Big Thing, the PIF's investments in Saudi football and the Saudi Pro League, as well as a discussion of the ne...

2023-06-091h 37

Angel Talks - Подкаст про венчурные инвестиции Как привлечь 13 млн$ за два года в Дубае? Леонид Довбенко - основатель YallaMarket и YallaHubYallaMarket в 2021 году запустили в Дубае Леонид Довбенко, Станислав Селезнёв и Вадим Дубровин. Сервис доставляет продукты и товары повседневного спроса из собственных дарксторов. К апрелю 2023-го YallaHub и YallaMarket привлекли более $13 млн от Wamda Capital, Doha Tech Angels, Fry One Ventures, AngelsDeck, Dubai Angel Investors, Regolith и бизнес-ангелов. В новом эпизоде мы поговорили с Леонидом Довбенко о том, как реально обстоят дела в привлечении инвестиций в Дубае. Кто на самом деле инвестирует в стартапы. Как он лично, за два года, привлек более 13 млн $ инвестиций в свой проект. Это колоссальный практический опыт и инструкция по фандрайзингу в стартапы. Ну и на что инвесторам обращать внимание при выборе компании для инвестиций. Все это в новом эпизоде. Тг канал Angel Talks: https://t.me/angeltalks_vc Ведущие: Сергей Беляев Тг https://t.me/belyaev_vc Inst https://instagram.com/belyaev.vc Роман Исаев Тг https://t.me/isaev_vc Inst https://instagram.com/isaev.vc? Леонид Довбенко https://instagram.com/leodovbenko

2023-06-051h 24

The 966 Captagon in the Middle East, Messi's history with Saudi Arabia, and a conversation with Norah Ortiz, owner of Riyadh's first authentic Mexican restaurantThe 966 Episode 85! The 966 hosts speak with Norah Ortiz, founder of the first authentic Mexican restaurant in Riyadh, Don Reuben's, which is located in the Diplomatic Quarter. Ortiz tells us her story as an American born in San Diego to Mexican parents and her journey to owning and operating the first authentic Mexican restaurant in a city increasingly becoming a hot spot for foodies. Before that discussion, the hosts talk about Richard's One Big Thing: a growing Captagon crisis in the Middle East and Syria's fall into becoming a narco state. Lucien's One Big Thing is Lionel Messi's long relationship...

2023-05-051h 35

INSEAD Emerging Markets Podcast Climate Tech Innovation with Jamil Wyne, founder of Climate Tech BootcampSend us a textJamil Wyne is an INSEAD 18J and advisor, investor, professor and author focusing on climate, entrepreneurship, technology and economic development around the world, including a strong concentration on climate change. Worked with World Bank, IFC, UN, Clean Energy Venture Group, Catalyst Investment Management, Schmidt Futures, Wamda, and Ashoka. INSEAD MBA, Johns Hopkins SAIS MA. Writing/research has been published/cited in SSIR, TechCrunch, World Bank, UN, Wharton, McKinsey, and Brookings publications. Based in Washington, DC.Find us on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, and Youtube.

2023-04-0840 min

The Remarkable Relationships Show Laurie McCants: A Life in the Bloomsburg Theater Ensemble: Be Open to Surprise, Part 1In our interview Laurie will tell us the story of her lifelong career that began in community theater and has spanned the globe. She began by following a renowned acting coach, Alvina Krause, to her retirement home in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, with classmates from Northwestern’s MFA in Acting program. They stayed and created an ensemble theater from which Laurie recently retired as an emeritus member. Her story is one of the magical mix of vision and grit shared in the ensemble, local cultural and financial benefactors and fertile soil in a welcoming community. The innate passions and talents of the...

2023-02-0856 min

The CTO Show with Mehmet Gonullu #15 CISOs between cut budgets and increase of attacks |Why IoT| Chat-GPT for ideation| AnnouncementIn this episode I cover: - The CISO fight to secure budget and secure against attackers - IoT your data collection weapon - Chat-GPT is not only for writing essays! - Startup News https://www.iotforall.com/consequences-of-not-including-iot-in-a-digitisation-strategy-for-2023 https://www.inc.com/stephen-shapiro/how-chatgpt-can-help-you-innovate.html https://www.techrepublic.com/article/cybersecurity-budgets-not-meeting-challenges/ https://www.wafeq.com/en/press-releases/media-center/wafeq-raises-dollar3-million-seed-round-led-by-raed-ventures-and-participation-from-wamda-capital

2023-01-2610 min

الفجر قصة انهيار جملونبعد سلسلة من شكاوى العملاء والاتهامات الموجهة لمتجر جملون المتخصّص في بيع الكتب، أعلن عن إيقاف نشاطه مخلّفًا وراءه الكثير من التفاصيل الغامضة. في حلقة اليوم نستعرض مسيرة جملون منذ انطلاقته في عام 2010 مرورًا بسلسلة الجولات الاستثمارية التي ساهمت في نجاحه إقليميًا وتجاوُز عناوين الكتب 10 ملايين، وصولًا إلى انهياره المتسارع وتصفية الشركة بشكل مفاجئ في منتصف عام 2022.فروع خطوة جمل. ☕️ جملون تغلق جولة تمويلية بقيمة 10 ملايين دولار — Wamda زيادة التكاليف المالية على الشركة — 7iber إعلان موقع جملون عن إيقاف نشاطه — Jamalon See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2023-01-1609 min

Step Podcast Femtech in Emerging MarketsHear out from incredible women leaders!Sophie Smith of Nabta Health, Emaan Abbas of Ketish, Baha Hamadi of Deep Knowledge Group, Chanda Lokendra of Lizzom, and Triska Hamid of Wamda discuss the rising awareness of women's health in emerging markets, the sub-sectors, and the role that technology is playing in promoting women's wellbeing and breaking taboos across all areas.

2022-05-3041 min

MEI Events Breaking the Mold: Can the MENA Region be a Leader in Inclusive Capital?In recent years, MENA has produced increasing numbers of unicorns as international companies like Yahoo, Amazon, and Uber acquire local firms like Maktoob, Souq.com, and Careem. These exits have injected billions into the region’s entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems. The ex-unicorn employees that are founding new generations of businesses and risk capital are defining the startup ecosystem in MENA. Some refer to these networks of ex-employees turned founders and investors as a “mafia” because they resemble an archetype: the “PayPal Mafia.” However, as entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems accelerate across MENA, how can its stakeholders make sure to move beyond tha...

2022-04-261h 01

Wamda Episode 45 - How can Mena build a deeptech ecosystem?Amr Awadallah is an Egyptian born computer scientist and entrepreneur based in Silicon Valley. What’s particularly interesting about Amr’s story is that he had no interest in becoming an entrepreneur. His plan was to become an academic and teach computer science back in Cairo. But while at Stanford University where he was doing his PhD, the startup bug hit him and he launched his first venture, Aptivia, back in 1999, which was later acquired by Yahoo. He went onto found Cloudera which went public back in 2017 in an IPO that raised over $4 billion. Now on his third venture, Zir...

2022-04-2132 min

Wamda Episode 44 - Can data ensure a startup’s success?As the UAE went into a strict lockdown in 2020, those offering mobility solutions suffered immensely, among them car-leasing and subscription app, Invygo. But the startup not only survived, it grew thanks to a watchful eye on expenses and close examination of user behaviour. In this podcast we spoke with co-founder Pulkit Ganjoo about Invygo's use of data and how it drives the company's decisions

2022-04-2133 min

Empowered to Grow Ep 120 - Unchartered Discussions - Wafa AlobaidatThe conversation with Wafa Alobaidat continues to unchartered waters…Reframing the experience of miscarriages. Analyzing how you can be a mompreneur and run a successful business.Our Founder & CEO, Wafa AlObaidat is the founder of PLAYBOOK, an edtech company that aims to accelerate women's careers. Wafa is an award-winning serial entrepreneur and Global Shaper, and has built successful businesses from the ground-up including the leading PR & Design Agency Obai & Hill. She hosts a number one rated show on Apple podcast, Women Power Podcast and has been named amongst the Top 50 Most Powerful Women by Business in Gulf. Wa...

2022-04-1828 min

Empowered to Grow Ep.119 - Wafa Alobaidat – On a mission to empower peopleChatting with Wafa Alobaidat brings up a lot of good vibes and commitment of oneself and others. Sharing her journey and mission in entrepreneurship. Analyzing how to start a business and scale up. Our Founder & CEO, Wafa AlObaidat is the founder of PLAYBOOK, an edtech company that aims to accelerate women's careers. Wafa is an award-winning serial entrepreneur and Global Shaper, and has built successful businesses from the ground-up including the leading PR & Design Agency Obai & Hill. She hosts a number one rated show on Apple podcast, Women Power Podcast and has been named amongst the Top 50...

2022-04-1116 min

Tech Made Fun | Tech Podcast By SK NEXUS TMF 011 - Truth Behind Trump’s AppThe world has a new the best, the most amazing, the greatest App - learn why you should care and why Trump isn’t in over his head. This and much more in today’s episode of Tech Made Fun.Hosted by Saqib Tahir and Khayyam JafriSupport the show: https://www.sknexus.com/supportChapters:01:07 Intro00:23 Donald Trump launches his own social media app called Truth Social 03:43 Is Trump’s Truth Social app getting the right traction?10:25 Has Google Pixel 6 failed as a cont...

2022-03-031h 03

Wamda Episode 43 - What is so special about Jordan?Almost a third of all the entreprenuers in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) are Jordanian, despite the country accounting for just 3 per cent of the region's total population. Jordan has become a major technology outsourcing hub thanks to its young, highly skilled population, bilingual in English and Arabic with a neutral accent; they are technologically savvy, highly educated, and eager to work at competitive wages. More than 50 per cent are under the age of 24, with 22 per cent holding degrees in IT, Computer Science, and Engineering. To get a better understanding of Jordan's startup ecosystem, we sp...

2021-12-2326 min

Wamda Episode 42 - How is impact measured?Most organisations around the world want to create “impact”, but what does this impact look like and what is the best way to measure it? Reem Khouri, co-founder of Jordan-based Whyise, believes the software solution she has developed can help companies and organisations track and measure the change they wish to bring. In this podcast we discuss the importance of tracking data and how to use it to bring about change.

2021-11-0338 min

Startup: lanciare e far crescere la propria impresa innovativa Leaks of the week, fughe di notizie, food tech, startup del Medio orienteQuesta puntata di Leaks of the week è dedicata ai fatti di cronaca relativi alla fuga di notizie sul comportamento di Facebook, all’andamento del processo contro la fondatrice di Theranos, alla Cina che blocca la candidatura di Wikimedia Foundation al World Intellectual Property Organization (Wipo). Maria Matloub e Emil Abirascid parlano poi della startup Ramp Network, del nuovo fondo di Five Seasons Ventures dedicato alle startup food tech europee e dei dati relativi agli investimenti nelle startup dell’area Mena, quindi Medio oriente e Africa del nord che, secondo quanto rilevato da Wamda, crescono in modo significativo. Buon ascolto.

2021-10-1117 min

Wamda Episode 41 - Should we pay closer attention to Pakistan?There has been a sudden spike in investment heading towards Pakistani startups, with Middle East investors leading a significant chunk of this trend. In the eight months to August, startups in Pakistan raised more than $200 million, an astounding amount when compared to the $66 million raised in total in 2020. Pakistan’s economy has all the right markings of a market with potential. It has a population of 200 million, 64 per cent of whom are below the age of 30. It has a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of $1260, internet penetration stands at 54 per cent and startups and SMEs account co...

2021-09-2947 min

The Business of Philanthropy Fadi Ghandour; A Conversation with Badr JafarFadi Ghandour, Executive Chairman of the Wamda Group, and Badr Jafar, Founding Patron of the Centre for Strategic Philanthropy, discuss the crucial role of entrepreneurship in marginalized communities and ways to strengthen the interactions between business and philanthropy.Also available on YouTube. Follow the link below:https://youtu.be/UdXkcPvpS6

2021-09-0625 min

Wamda Episode 40 - What is the main cause of stress for founders?Wamda recently launched a report assessing the state of mental health and wellbeing of entrepreneurs in Mena. Based on data collected from 101 startup founders, the report shows that more than a third of startup founders rate their mental as "bad". To further discuss the findings and the future of the mental health sector in the Middle East, we spoke with Ally Salama, founder and CEO of EMPWR.

2021-08-2922 min

Wamda الحلقة السادسة - كيف تطور سوق توصيل طلبات الطعام في مصر؟شهد سوق توصيل طلبات الطعام المصري نمواً كبيراً خلال جائحة كورونا، والتي ساهمت في ارتفاع معدلات الطلب عبر الإنترنت. وفقاً لموقع Statista، يقدر حجم سوق توصيل طلبات الطعام إلى حوالي 100 مليون دولار في 2021، ومن المتوقع أن تزداد قيمته السوقية لتصل إلى 145 مليون دولار في 2024، محققاً نمواً سنوياً بنسبة 13.5 في المائة. خلال عام 2020، حققت شركة طلبات مصر نمواً بأكثر من 80 في المائة، وفقا لما أعلنته المدير التنفيذي لشركة طلبات مصر "هدير شلبي" أثناء المؤتمر الصحفي الذي عقد في مايو الماضي بمناسبة إطلاق خدمة طلبات مارت، وهي خدمة قائمة على تلبية احتياجات العملاء من محال البقالة والسوبر ماركت وتوصيلها في زمن أقل من 30 دقيقة. تحدثنا مع هدير شلبي المدير التنفيذي لشركة طلبات مصر وهي إحدى العلامات التجارية التابعة لشركة دليفري هيرو الألمانية للاطلاع على خطط الشركة التوسعية و تأثير جائحة كورونا على سوق توصيل طلبات الطعام في مصر.

2021-08-0922 min

Wamda Podcast ‘Des’ Review: Depravity, Brought to You by David Tennant Part 10The “Doctor Who” and “Broadchurch” star plays the real-life serial killer Dennis Nilsen in a mini-series that asks why rather than showing how.

2021-07-2403 min

Wamda Podcast ‘Des’ Review: Depravity, Brought to You by David Tennant Part 9The “Doctor Who” and “Broadchurch” star plays the real-life serial killer Dennis Nilsen in a mini-series that asks why rather than showing how.

2021-07-2403 min

Wamda Podcast ‘Des’ Review: Depravity, Brought to You by David Tennant Part 8The “Doctor Who” and “Broadchurch” star plays the real-life serial killer Dennis Nilsen in a mini-series that asks why rather than showing how.

2021-07-2403 min

Wamda Podcast ‘Des’ Review: Depravity, Brought to You by David Tennant Part 7The “Doctor Who” and “Broadchurch” star plays the real-life serial killer Dennis Nilsen in a mini-series that asks why rather than showing how.

2021-07-2403 min

Wamda Podcast ‘Des’ Review: Depravity, Brought to You by David Tennant Part 6The “Doctor Who” and “Broadchurch” star plays the real-life serial killer Dennis Nilsen in a mini-series that asks why rather than showing how.

2021-07-2403 min

Wamda Podcast ‘Des’ Review: Depravity, Brought to You by David Tennant Part 5The “Doctor Who” and “Broadchurch” star plays the real-life serial killer Dennis Nilsen in a mini-series that asks why rather than showing how.

2021-07-2403 min

Wamda Podcast ‘Des’ Review: Depravity, Brought to You by David Tennant Part 4The “Doctor Who” and “Broadchurch” star plays the real-life serial killer Dennis Nilsen in a mini-series that asks why rather than showing how.

2021-07-2403 min

Wamda Podcast ‘Des’ Review: Depravity, Brought to You by David Tennant Part 3The “Doctor Who” and “Broadchurch” star plays the real-life serial killer Dennis Nilsen in a mini-series that asks why rather than showing how.

2021-07-2403 min

Wamda Podcast ‘Des’ Review: Depravity, Brought to You by David Tennant Part 2The “Doctor Who” and “Broadchurch” star plays the real-life serial killer Dennis Nilsen in a mini-series that asks why rather than showing how.

2021-07-2403 min

Wamda Podcast ‘Des’ Review: Depravity, Brought to You by David TennantThe “Doctor Who” and “Broadchurch” star plays the real-life serial killer Dennis Nilsen in a mini-series that asks why rather than showing how.

2021-07-2403 min

Wamda Episode 39 - Deepfakes: Who can we trust?Deepfake technology has rapidly developed over the past few years and while many will have experienced it through fun apps designed to edit their own faces onto famous movie scenes, the technology beholds a far more sinister side. In this podcast we spoke with Mark Little, founder and CEO of Ireland-based Kinzen, a media startup whose technology helps to identify fake news online, and Liz Gibbons, head of news at BBC World News, to explore the impact that deepfakes could have on society and our ability to trust what we see online.

2021-07-1153 min

Wamda الحلقة الخامسة: كيف تجمع تمويل قدره ١١٠ مليون دولار؟كان 2020 عاما عصيبا لملايين الأشخاص في العالم، ولكن ليس لضيفنا الذي استغل ذلك الوقت لبناء واحدة من أكثر شركات التكنولوجيا المالية الواعدة في الشرق الأوسط. تحدثنا مع السيد عبد المجيد الصيخان، المؤسس المشارك والرئيس التنفيذي لشركة التقنية المالية السعودية ”تمارا“، وأخبرنا عن شركته الناشئة لخدمات الشراء الآن والدفع لاحقا (BNPL)، والتي تمكنت في تسعة أشهر فقط من إغلاق جولة تمويلية تعد الأكبر ضمن مرحلة Series A في السعودية والشرق الأوسط بقيمة 412 مليون ريال سعودي (110 ملايين دولار) بقيادة شركة Checkout.com العالمية على شكل تمويل رأس مال جريء وتمويل دين. سوف يساعد هذا الاستثمار تمارا على تسريع وتيرة توسعها في جميع دول الخليج العربي بنهاية عام 2021. استمع إلى البودكاست الخاص بنا مع السيد الصيخان لمعرفة المزيد عن نشأة وتطور شركة تمارا.

2021-06-0733 min

Women Power Podcast with Wafa Alobaidat Unlocking The World Of VC Funding With Stephanie Nour PrinceIn this episode with Stephanie Nour, we learn everything there is to know about scaling a startup, VC funding and its ins and outs. Stephanie with over a decade’s experience in funding and investing tells us what it's like starting a company that focuses on bringing together and building a community that is contributing to a large appetite to invest in the tech industry across the MENA region. Stephanie along with her partner’s goal with Nuwa Capital is to transform the relationship between investors and founders and to build a better framework to drive value to the foun...

2021-05-1250 min

Wamda Episode 38 - What is growth hacking?It took Nader Sabry 139 attempts before he launched a prayer mat designed to alleviate pain using NASA technology. Once the prototype was ready, Sabry used several growth hacking techniques to fuel sales. After exiting the venture, Sabry has gone onto become a growth hacking expert, penning two books on the subject and advising startups on government on innovation and growth. In this podcast we speak to Sabry about his entrepreneurial journey and why “I don’t know” is the most important question to ask in growth hacking.

2021-05-0548 min

Women Power Podcast with Wafa Alobaidat From Seeking Asylum To Finding Purpose In Meaningful Careers With Triska HamidIn this inspiring episode with Triska Hamid, we touch upon experiences that will ignite purpose and inspiration in you to do the greater good. Triska shares her memoirs of life as a refugee, being displaced from her homeland and finding her way through the struggles and fulfilling her dreams and aspiration through strict perseverance and courage. Triska shares what it’s like to still recall the horrors of fledding a region that was afflicted with war and turmoil, the trauma that stays and having the will to fight it everyday. She also talks about scaling her career through multiple ven...

2021-04-181h 08

Wamda الحلقة الرابعة - كيف وصل "نواة" لصدارة الشركات الناشئة في مجال العلوم الطبيعيةيواجه الباحثون في منطقتنا العربية العديد من التحديات، تتمثل في عدم توافر التقنيات الحديثة، وقلة التمويل المخصص للأبحاث العلمية أو الطبية وغيرها، لذلك يضطر العديد من الباحثين للهجرة وترك أوطانهم بحثًا عن فرص معيشية ومهنية أفضل، إلا أن مركز نواة العلمي، لمؤسسه دكتور عمر صقر، قرر مواجهة تلك الصعوبات وبدأ بتنفيذ خطة عمل لاستقطاب النابغين من خريجي الكليات العلمية، والباحثين في مجال علوم الحياة، مع مساعدتهم في إتمام أبحاثهم العلمية برؤية جديدة وإمكانيات متطورة. تعتبر نواة هو أول شركة ناشئة تختص بأبحاث علوم الحياة، وهي تعمل على تقديم خدمات تتعلق بالعلوم الطبيعية من خلال منصته عبر الإنترنت. في مطلع هذا العام، اغلق "نواة" جولة استثمارية بقيمة مليون دولار امريكي، وذلك ضمن تمويل ما قبل السلسة أ، و من المتوقع أن يحصل المركز على تمويل السلسة أ خلال العام الجاري. و فى حواره مع ومضة، يطالعنا دكتور "عمر صقر" عن رحلتة والعراقيل التي واجهها وتغلب عليها في رحلة إنشاء منصة مركز نواة، والتى أصبحت من أنشط الشركات الناشئة التى تعمل فى هذا المجال فى منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا

2021-03-1620 min

Startup Hustle Middle East E50: Building the Middle East's largest Freelance marketplace | Ureed | Marwan AbdelazizIn this episode we catch up with the CEO of Ureed, the largest freelancer marketplace in the GCC. We discuss things like customer acquisition, building Ureed from scratch, raising funding from WAMDA capital and acquiring nabbesh.com Find out more about ureed here : https://ureed.com/ Ureed.com functions as an online platform that connects employers with freelance translators and editors. Using our platform enables employers to post their linguistic needs online, view available bids, and approve the most compatible applicants for their projects' deliverables and deadlines. In return, freelancers will have the opportunity to sift through online projects, submit...

2021-02-1057 min

Wamda Episode 37 - How can brands become TikTok famous?What started out as a lip-syncing and dancing platform has, in the space of just two years, become the fastest growing app in the world. TikTok, has evolved dramatically since its launch and is now the latest platform for brands to consider. But creating content on TikTok is fundamentally different to creating content for other social media platforms. Why does one video do exceptionally well, while others hardly get any views? How exactly do the algorithms work? And why is consistency so important? In this podcast, Rami Zeidan, head of video and creative at TikTok...

2021-02-0955 min

Wamda الحلقة الثالثة -كيف إستطاعت منصة مرني أن تكون احدى أكبر الشركات الناشئة في مجال معالجة أعطال الطريق؟في ديسمبر 2020، حصلت منصة مرني وهي منصة عاملة في مجال معالجة أعطال الطريق، على إستثمار جديد بقيمة 9.1 مليون دولار أمريكي (34 مليون ريال سعودي). منصة مرني حالياً تعد من أكبر الشركات الناشئة في الوطن العربي والسعودية تحديداً في مجال معالجة أعطال الطريق وتخدم أكثر من 600 الف عميل داخل المملكة العربية السعودية. تأسست مرني في عام 2014، وهي منصة متخصصة في مساعدة المركبات معالجة أعطال الطريق. من خلال تطبيق مرني، يمكن لمستخدمي المنصة الحصول على خدمات لوجستية متكاملة للمركبات في حالات الطوارئ؛ مثل خدمات السحب والإنقاذ، خدمات إصلاح الإطارات، شحن واستبدال البطاريات، التزويد بالوقود، وفتح الأقفال. كما ثقدم مرني أيضاً حلولاً شاملة لمتابعة واتخاذ الإجراءات الضرورية في حالة وقوع حادث. في هذا الصدد، يتحدث سليمان السحيباني، مؤسس شركة مرني، عن المنصة والهدف من تأسيسها وما العوامل التي ساهمت في إغلاقها إحدى أكبر الجولات الإستثمارية على مستوى قطاع الشركات الناشئة في الوطن العربي والسعودية لعام 2020 وما هي خطط الشركة المستقبلية.

2021-01-2416 min

Wamda Episode 36 - How will life change after the vaccine?When the pandemic first began to take hold, the development of a vaccination against the coronavirus wasn’t just a way to prevent its spread, but a means to go back to normality. Yet now that several vaccines have received approval and are being administered in many countries around the world, the route back to normality is looking rough and somewhat vague. With these vaccines, we are likely to see widening gaps between the countries that can afford it and have the infrastructure in place to administer it to their populations and the countries that do not. We...

2020-12-2349 min

Wamda Episode 35 - How did a high school dropout become a billionaire?The school dropout who becomes a successful entrepreneur seems like a typical Silicon Valley success story, but where the likes of Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of university, Nikhil Kamath left school at the age of 14 with no qualifications. Twenty years later, Kamath is among India’s most successful entrepreneurs, having built Zerodha, the country’s largest retail brokerage with a daily turnover of $10 billion and wholly-owned by Nikhil and his brother without any external funding. A serial entrepreneur, Kamath is also one of India’s youngest billionaires. In this podcast, we find out more about...

2020-11-2245 min

2020-10-3137 min

Wamda Episode 34 - How do you seize a market opportunity?Disaster for many evokes a sense of fear and danger and a desire to seek out safety and stability. But there are those who manage to seek out the opportunities in disasters. These people usually tend to be pioneers, innovators and risk-takers. This pandemic has caused a crisis unlike any other in modern history. Millions have suffered as a result, but there are those who have thrived and seized the market opportunities that the pandemic has brought about. For this podcast we speak with two companies, Sedar Global, a 128-year old company and Viromasks, a company that...

2020-10-1830 min

Antler VC Cast AVC11: Providing a pain killer e-commerce product with Hande CilingirIn this episode, we talk about creating a global product for e-commerce companies, identifying the right verticals, expanding globally vs Asia, and building and scaling with five co-founders.To discuss more, we speak to Hande Cilingir, co-founder and CEO of Insider, an integrated growth management platform that is changing the game for e-commerce businesses globally. Backed by investors such as Riverwood Capital, Sequoia, Wamda, and Endeavor Catalyst, Insider is helping over 800 global brands drive their digital growth through highly individualized multichannel experiences powered by AI. [4:25] Hande shares about Insider’s mission to become a pain killer for the current pains an...

2020-10-1549 min $Let\'s Grab Coffee Podcast ☕$

Let's Grab Coffee Podcast ☕LGC E90 - Loulou Khazen Baz | Exiting Nabbesh.com and becoming an angel investor in the UAEBaz is a seasoned executive with nearly 2 decades of experience in sales, marketing and management having worked with Accor Group, DaimlerChrysler Financial Services and ActiveM before launching Nabbesh.com in 2011, the region’s first and largest online marketplace connecting 120k independent contractors with 15k businesses. To date, over 20k projects were posted on Nabbesh.com, further cementing its position as a leader in the gig-economy. In 2017, Baz co-founded Kickstart Studio, an agency with a core team of design and tech experts to help non-tech entrepreneurs and SMEs build their MVPs. Baz also worked over the course of 15 mo...

2020-10-0141 min $Let\'s Grab Coffee Podcast ☕$

Let's Grab Coffee Podcast ☕LGC E90 - Loulou Khazen Baz | Exiting Nabbesh.com and becoming an angel investor in the UAEBaz is a seasoned executive with nearly 2 decades of experience in sales, marketing and management having worked with Accor Group, DaimlerChrysler Financial Services and ActiveM before launching Nabbesh.com in 2011, the region’s first and largest online marketplace connecting 120k independent contractors with 15k businesses. To date, over 20k projects were posted on Nabbesh.com, further cementing its position as a leader in the gig-economy.In 2017, Baz co-founded Kickstart Studio, an agency with a core team of design and tech experts to help non-tech entrepreneurs and SMEs build their MVPs. Baz also worked over the co...

2020-10-0141 min

Wamda Episode 33 - What's next for traveltech?The travel sector was the worst-hit during the lockdown and it will likely take years before numbers reach pre-Covid levels. Yet there are already signs of recovery and for some in the traveltech sector, opportunities have emerged to facilitate travel in this new age. In this podcast we speak with Amadeus Gulf managing director Ernesto Sanchez and Fundok founder Mohamed Nassar to get their take on the future of travel.

2020-09-1742 min

Wamda Episode 32 - Why are there so few Emirati entrepreneurs?Earlier this year Wamda published a report on the state of pre-seed startups in the Middle East and North Africa. What emerged from our research was that the UAE and in particular Dubai remains the hub of startup activity. Entrepreneurs from across the region flock to the UAE to set up base, but Emiratis make up less than 3 per cent of entrepreneurs. So why is this?

2020-08-1135 min

Wamda Episode 31 - How do you build a company to last?Mudassir Sheikha and Magnus Olsson founded Careem in 2012 initially as a transportation service for the corporate world. It soon became the premier ride-hailing service in the Middle East and within four years grew to become the region’s first technology unicorn. Last year, US-based Uber acquired Careem in a deal with $3.1 billion, it was an exit unlike any other and marked a poignant moment for the Middle East’s startup ecosystem. For Mudassir, the exit was merely the closure of Careem’s first chapter and he is now pursuing the company’s second chapter – that is horizontal growth, th...

2020-07-0745 min

Wamda Episode 30 - What happens when things don't go to plan?At the start of this year, Wamda launched the second cohort of its fellowship programme, Wamda X. The 13 startups selected embarked on a series of workshops, one-to-one mentoring and exclusive events to kickstart their businesses. But towards the end, lockdown measures were enacted in the UAE and so plans had to change. The remaining workshops were conducted online, so too was the demo day. For the fellows themselves, they also had to tweak their business plans to become "pandemic-proof". In this podcast, we speak to Wamda X's Annelies Docx and two of the startups that graduated...

2020-06-0638 min

The Global Startup Movement - Startup Ecosystem Leaders, Global Entrepreneurship, and Emerging Market Innovation A conversation with Chris Schroeder on emerging market innovationChristopher M. Schroeder is a Washington D.C. and New York City based entrepreneur and venture investor. He co-founded HealthCentral.com, one of the nation's largest social and content platforms in health and wellness, backed by Sequoia Capital, Polaris Ventures, The Carlyle Group, Allen & Company and IAC Corporation. The company was sold to the health media publisher, Remedy Health, in January 2012 where Schroeder remained a board advisor. Schroeder was invited to speak and mentor at the Celebration of Entrepreneurship in Dubai in 2010, one of the first major gathering of tech startups in the Middle East, and it began his journey t...

2020-05-2600 min

Wamda Episode 29 - How do you maintain the relevance of a brand?Jones the Grocer is a staple of the UAE's restaurant scene, but few are aware of the legal and financial difficulties faced by Yunib Siddiqui, the man who introduced the brand to the country, as he attempted to build the chain amid a competitive food and beverage market. Now, the Coronavirus pandemic has hurled yet another challenge at Siddiqui. In this podcast we explore the ways businesses can navigate unexpected difficulties and how, with limited resources you can maintain the relevancy of your brand.

2020-05-0737 min

Wamda Episode 28 - Is the world going into hibernation?The Covid-19 pandemic has caused an economic slowdown, one that risks a global recession. For many who have been sent to work from home, it may feel like going into hibernation, awaiting the moment when restrictions are lifted and life goes back to normal. But will we re-emerge to a familiar world? In this podcast we speak to an investor, an entrepreneur and a blogger helping the restaurant community about the impact of the Coronavirus on the Middle East's business community.

2020-04-0236 min

Wamda Episode 27 - How did Bahrain become a fintech hub?Bahrain’s government has made vital steps to encourage entrepreneurship to stimulate its economy and one area where it seems to be excelling is in financial technology (fintech) with the establishment of the Bahrain Fintech Bay in 2018. The government-backed incubator, accelerator and sandbox has been issuing pioneering licences for fintech, making it one of the most attractive hubs for fintech startup in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena). In this podcast we speak with Khalid Dannish, the chief executive officer of Bahrain Fintech Bay and AJ Nelson, co-founder of Rain, the first cryptocurrency exchange to receive a l...

2020-02-2731 min

Wamda Episode 26 - How do we create AI in Arabic?Jordan-based Mawdoo3, the largest Arabic online portal, realised the need for an Arabic digital voice assistant and so, it went about creating one. Given the complexities of the Arabic language and the many dialects spoken across the region, building an Arabic artificial intelligence (AI) tool is no easy feat. But now, after several years of research and engineering, the region has its own assistant: Salma. We spoke to Hussein Al-Natsheh, chief AI officer at Mawdoo3, about the company’s experience in building Salma, the need for more research and development and attracting talent back to the region.

2020-01-2726 min

Wamda Episode 25 - Can footsteps power our world?Sustainability has emerged as one of the most dominating trends this past year, with greater focus on clean and renewable energy. For Laurence Kemball-Cook, founder of UK-based Pavegen, which produces tiles that harness kinetic energy to power streetlamps, it is footsteps that can provide clean energy to power a city. In this short podcast, Kemball-Cook outlines his journey to create a prototype and launch his startup and the need to become more sustainable.

2019-12-2312 min

Wamda Episode 24 - Pivots and Failures with Repeat's Omer Aslan GurelOmer Aslan Gurel could have easily followed the path that was laid out for him – go to university and eventually join his family business. But he rebelled. Inspired by Richard Branson’s autobiography, Gurel decided to become an entrepreneur and launched his first venture in Dubai during his gap year. The success of his startup inspired him to continue and now, Gurel is on his seventh venture, Repeat, a smart loyalty platform for restaurants. In this podcast, Gurel discusses the lessons he has learned along the way, the timeline every startup should follow and why the M...

2019-11-2033 min

Wamda Episode 23 - Will travelling at speeds of 1000km/h change society?The hyperloop is a new form of transport that, in theory, can travel at speeds of about 1000 kilometres per hour. Spearheading the design and implementation of the technology is the Virgin Hyperloop One. The company was in Dubai recently, showcasing its travel pod at Gitex. We spoke with its executive director of strategy and growth, Tim Wilkinson who highlighted hyperloop's achievements so far, its challenges and how this form of transportation will change the way we live and work.

2019-10-1618 min

Wamda Episode 22 - Can artificial intelligence eradicate death?Ben Goertzel is one of the most prominent artificial intelligence (AI) architects in the world. He is the founder of singularityNET and the chief scientist at Hanson Robotics, the makers of Sophia, the humanoid. In this podcast, Goertzel discussed the future of AI and the impact it will have on societies, economies and political systems of the future.

2019-09-0830 min

Startup Minute Startup Minute News episode #23Educational toys startup founded by Lebanese female entrepreneur LittleBits, gets acquired by Sphero; Egyptian RiseUp acquires online startup and technology media platform MENAbytes; Trella, Cairo-based trucking marketplace, joins Y Combinator’s S19 batch; Saudi’s Nana Direct closes $6.6 million Series A for its online grocery platform co-led by Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP) and Impact46 with participation from Wamda Capital, Watar Partners, and Saudi Venture Capital Company (SVC); PUBG is getting cross-play for Xbox One and PS4 in October;

2019-09-0403 min

Wamda Episode 21 - The Food Tech Series with For the Love of BreadThe food and beverage sector is incredibly competitive in the Middle East, something that Rami Badawi and Amber Haque are only too aware of. The couple opened and ended up shuttering two restaurants before founding their latest venture, a wholesale bakery. In this last episode of the Food Tech series we discuss the challenges facing the food sector in the region and how Instagram has proven to be a crucial factor in garnering custom for the bakery.

2019-08-1832 min

Startup Minute Startup Minute News episode #19Coding education company CODED raises $1.3 million Pre-series A funding to teach the Arab world coding led by KISP Ventures with participation from 500 Startups, Sirdab Labs, Sharq Capital, Sijam Ventures, and Abdullah Al-Zabin; Careem’s food delivery service “Careem NOW” launches its delivery services in the holy city of Mecca; Noon.com partners with Chinese technology company Neolix to bring driverless delivery vehicles to Dubai; Clara, a London-headquartered legal tech startup that was born in Dubai, raises $2 million seed funding from Techstars, 500 Startups, Wamda Capital, Ventur...

2019-08-0504 min

Wamda Episode 20 - How to identify the ideal startup founderWamda X was launched earlier this year to find and identify the region's best startup founders. The fellowship programme attracted some 600 applicants, but just two startups managed to reach the four-month finishing line. In this podcast, Wamda X chief Fares Ghandour discusses the characteristics of a successful founder and Caravan founder Syed Karim discusses his experience as a fellow.

2019-07-2125 min

Wamda Episode 19 - The Food Tech Series with El GrocerThe Middle East is no stranger to online food delivery. Apps like Zomato, Deliveroo and Talabat are found on almost every smartphone in the region, but increasingly consumers are becoming more comfortable with purchasing their groceries online. Nader Amiri founded El Grocer to bring the same ease of ordering his dinner to his weekly shop. In this podcast we discuss his startup story and follow the online ordering process instore.

2019-06-2320 min

Wamda Episode 18 - The Food Tech Series with Pure Harvest Smart FarmsWe speak with Sky Kurtz, co-founder and CEO of Pure Harvest, smart farm in the UAE where they grow tomatoes hydroponically and how technology is changing agriculture.

2019-06-0924 min

Wamda Episode 17 - The Food Tech Series with LUNCH:ONLUNCH:ON was founded by Dana Baki and Mohammad Al Zaben in 2015, delivering lunch to office workers in Dubai. Since then, it has expanded its presence to Dubai and will no be launching in Saudi Arabia. So how does a company whose core business comes from lunchtime orders survive during Ramadan?

2019-05-1621 min

Streams of Progress Ep028 - Tarek Kabrit, SeezTarek Kabrit is the CEO and co-founder of Seez, an intuitive car selling, buying and lending app in Dubai and Kuwait, which has been cited by leading publications as a ‘tech game-changer.’By using artificial intelligence to gather and cleanse the jungle of car data online, Seez reduces the process of finding a car from 17 hours to 6 seconds. Tarek and his team also invented the world’s first A.I. car negotiation chat bot called Cesar, who finds you the best deals, estimates the fair value of the car, and even negotiates the price on your behalf...

2019-03-3040 min

Wamda Episode 16 - Google's policy recommendations for the UAE's tech entrepreneurship ecosystemThe United Arab Emirates (UAE) has managed to diversify its economy away from oil by becoming the leading business hub for international corporations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Its tax-free environment, developed infrastructure and easy access to two-thirds of the world's population, have made it an attractive destination for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) looking to scale. But it remains an expensive country for startups and relies heavily on a foreign workforce.

2019-02-1929 min

Startup Hustle Middle East E18: From building Aramex to launching Wamda X | Fadi GhandourIn this episode, Sid and Mamta speak to one of the most influential people in the Startup ecosystem in the Middle East, Fadi Ghandour, at STEP conference 2019. Fadi talks to us about what it was like to build Aramex more than 37 years ago and tells us about the purpose behind Wamda X, a grant-based programme to encourage entrepreneurs from the region. You can also watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/DbIqA3uoItQ Check out Wamda X here: https://www.wamda.com/wamdax Find out more about Fadi Ghandour here:

2019-02-1618 min

Wamda Episode 15 - The growth of e-groceries with InstaSallaInstaSalla is a Kuwait-based e-grocery company launched in 2016 by Smart Mart, an e-commerce platform. Today, InstaSalla is the leading e-grocery platform in the country, fulfilling some 500 orders a day. It has now set its sights on expansion, aiming to be in 10 countries by the end of 2020. Wamda's Sarah Abu Risheh spoke with Fayed Yousry, chief executive officer at InstaSalla about the company’s journey and experience selling groceries online.

2019-01-3131 min

Wamda Episode 14 - Increasing competitiveness in the Arab WorldThe Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region has the highest unemployment and youth unemployment rate in the world at 10 per cent and 27 per cent respectively, as well as the lowest female participation rate at 21 per cent. These rather sobering facts were identified in the Arab Competitiveness Report 2018, published by the World Economic Forum. Speaking to the region’s top 100 entrepreneurs, the study highlights the pitfalls of doing business in the region and the challenges and opportunities facing the private sector. Wamda’s Walid Faza spoke to Ali AbuKumail, senior private sector specialist at the World Bank and one of t...

2018-09-2528 min

Streams of Progress Ep018 - Fares Ghandour & Khaled Talhouni, Wamda CapitalFares Ghandour, Partner at Wamda Capital & Khaled Talhouni, Managing Partner at Wamda Capital sat down with us to discuss their investment ethos and the various initiatives Wamda is undertaking.Khaled comes from a career in private equity and venture capital professional with significant experience in value creation and realization. He has built unique experience in the MENA region originating, appraising, structuring, negotiating and executing private equity investments and venture capital transactions in the TMT space. He has a particular focus on digital, gaming, e-commerce, publishing, animation, TV production and social media. He has developed a strong...

2018-06-191h 19

Streams of Progress STEP2018 - Fadi Ghandour, Wamda CapitalShow Takeaways:On how the MENA startup ecosystem has evolved over the last few years…A few years back we would’ve only seen early stage startups, where as now we are seeing exits and substantial scale ups occurring, with the advent of the region’s first unicorns (e.g. Careem) and the acquisition of Souq.com by Amazon.On where the MENA startup ecosystem is heading next and the challenges they face…The markets are fragmented and the amount of VC money is still behind other markets (as a percentage of their...

2018-04-0707 min

Wamda Episode 13: Michael Arrington and Natalia Karayaneva hosted at WamdaSince 2005, TechCrunch, founded by Michael Arrington, has been a primary source for global tech and innovation news, trends, and updates. By end of 2017, Arrington kicked-off a $100 million hedge fund, Arrington XRP Capital, entirely based on cryptocurrency, making a turning point in his career path, and making a steady statement in the world of startup funding. Wamda Capital had the opportunity to meet with him in its Dubai offices, along with Natalia Karayaneva, the founder of Propy, a crypto-based real estate title registry startup, funded by Arrington XRP Capital. Together, they discussed how Wamda’s been...

2018-02-2239 min

African Tech Roundup Kenya's Twiga Foods Closes $10.3M Series A Investment Round Led By Wamda CapitalThe last few weeks have seen three promising African tech startups land significant investments-- namely, the Nigerian digital payments firm, Flutterwave ($10 million), the Kenyan mobile-driven food supply platform, Twiga Foods ($10.3 million), and the South African fractional investments service, EasyEquities ($7.5 million). In this installment of the African Tech Round-up, Andile Masuku and Musa Kalenga discuss the merits of the Flutterwave and Twiga deals, but somehow, we forgot to chat about the EasyEquities transaction on this episode (our bad). That particular transaction stands out somewhat, owing to the fact that 30% of the company was acquired by the South African financial services giant...

2017-08-211h 01

Wamda Episode 12 - How to face the fear of missing out in the workplace : Patrick McGinnis InterviewWhether we like it or not, we are constantly being affected by the ‘fear of missing out’ or ‘FoMO’, a term coined by investor Patrick McGinnis in 2004. Patrick McGinnis. (Image via Patrick McGinnis' Twitter) Our generation is increasingly desiring to be connected to what others are doing in order to avoid the loss of potential fun experiences. Social media is not making this easier explained McGinnis in Amman on August 1, during an event organized by Wamda and hosted by the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation Grant Program. This need of maximized level of experience is also felt in the work...

2017-08-2009 min

Wamda Episode 11 - When less is more: The 10% entrepreneur by Patrick McGinnisWe’ve all met those entrepreneurs who brag about dropping everything just to follow their dream and start their own business. You need to be fully committed they’d say. “But what happens when a year or two down the line you fail?” asks investor Patrick McGinnis. Patrick McGinnis. Unlike the mentors who preach the all or nothing at all mentality, McGinnis thinks that leaving your office job to build a startup is an uncalculated risk and too much of a burden to handle, specifically because failure in the startup world is not the exception. For most...

2017-08-1435 min

Wamda Episode 10 - Hiro Tamura on the state of tech and where it is headedDuring an event for Wamda Capital’s investors and partners earlier this year, Hiro Tamura gave a presentation on global emerging trends in tech, highlighting tools and opportunities in MENA. Tamura is a partner at Atomico, a London based fund that opened it’s doors in 2006 and that invests in tech opportunities around the world, mostly focusing on Europe. Atomico premise and focus is on investing outside Silicon Valley in disruptive tech companies with ambitious founders from series A onwards. The company espouses an entrepreneur driven formula based on symbiotic relationships between investors and investees. Tamu...

2017-07-1939 min

Wamda Episode 8 - Souq.com, Namshi, Careem Fireside ChatRonaldo Mouchawar, CEO of Souq.com, Faraz Khalid, cofounder and managing partner of Namshi, and Mudassir Sheikha, cofounder and CEO of Careem, as well as Wamda's Fadi Ghadnour are leading a discussion on the future of ecommerce in the MENA in light of Amazon's entry and AI's potential industry disruption. They discussed multiple key issues, including how they started and kicked-off their ventures, the challenges they faced, and how they overcame them, in addition to their market analysis and overview.

2017-06-2130 min

Wamda Episode 7 - Fintech in the Middle East [Podcast]Fintech is hot. Globally, investments in fintech have been rising since 2012, and while they might drop slightly in 2017, according to CB Insights, the amount invested so far this year is around $2.7 billion. For the Middle East, things are getting a little warmer also. In the last 10 years, as we outlined in our recently published State of Fintech report published in partnership with Payfort, there has been $100 million raised for fintech startups.Our research indicates that the number of startups launched and investments raised will more than double by 2020. As part of publishing the report, Wamda Capital hosted...

2017-06-0751 min

Wamda A look at Turkey's Entrepreneurial EcosystemJoin Wamda Capital's Turkey based Venture Partner, Kaan Kalıpçı as he discusses the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Turkey with Insider's Founder and CEO Hande Çilingir, and Founding Partner at Aslanoba Capital, Cankut Durgun.

2017-01-1141 min

Wamda Episode 5 - تطور ريادة الأعمال في المملكة العربية السعودية - KSA's Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Developmentإنضمو إلى فادي غندور في أول حلقة باللغة العربيه من صوتيات ومضة كابيتال حيث يتحاور مع رواد الأعمال مازن الضراب، المدير العام لشركة حركات للإنتاج،و سلمان السحيباني المؤسس والمدير التنفيذي لشركة مرني السعوديه وهم يتحاورون عن تطور وحالة ريادة الأعمال في المملكة Join Fadi Ghandour in our first Arabic podcast episode as he discusses the the development and state of the entrepreneurial ecosystem in KSA with his guests Mazen Al Darrab, the GM of Harakat production, and Salman AlSuhaibaney, the CEO and Founder of Morni KSA.

2016-09-0434 min

Wamda Episode 4 - Digital content and digital spend in the MENA regionKhaled Talhouni moderates Wamda Capital's 4th podcast episode with his guests Ali Nehme, Chief Strategy Officer at Publicis Media Middle East, Diana Baddar Head of MENA partnerships at Youtube, Elias Mouawad, Chief Growth Officer at Kharabeesh, and Abed Agha, Managing Director at Vinelab. As they discuss the state of digital content and digital spend in the MENA region.

2016-08-0756 min

Wamda Episode 3 - E-commerce and payment in the MENA regionJoin Khaled Talhouni as he discusses the state of e-commerce and payment trends, issues, and opportunities in the MENA region with his guests, Shant Oknayan Head of E-commerce, Retail, Online Services and Media at Facebook, Hussein Wehbi Country General Manager - UAE at Aramex, Omar Soudodi Managing Director at Payfort, and Ala' AlSallal Founder and CEO of Jamalon.com

2016-07-0342 min