Insights & Perspectives
Building Your Fund Strategy: Why Most Emerging Managers Skip The Most Important Step
Over the past six years working with 250+ emerging fund managers across every continent, I've noticed a troubling pattern. Most aspiring GPs can articulate their investment thesis in vivid detail. They know their target sectors, geographies, and check sizes. They've...
Who attends a Scale Up Program?
Since start, we have delivered 250+ Scale Up Programs and Masterclasses, supporting 4.000+ founders, investors and ecosystem builders around the world. This year alone, we’ll deliver 30 programs with nearly 600 participants. From impact founders in Southeast Asia,...
From 1.3 Million to 10 Unicorns: What Mauritius Can Learn from Estonia’s VC Ecosystem
Two island nations. Identical populations. Radically different venture outcomes. Estonia and Mauritius each have approximately 1.3 million people. Yet Estonia has produced 10 unicorns valued at over $1 billion each, while Mauritius struggles to attract even $2 million...
Scaling Up in MENA: The Most Common Investment Instruments (A Wiwo Bank Story)
Ever wondered how startups in MENA actually raise money? Let me walk you through the journey of Wiwo Bank – a fictive digital banking startup that went from napkin sketch to Series B in the region. First, The Basics: Your Funding Toolkit Before we dive into Wiwo's...
How does it work? The strategy sims method in action
Over the past six years, we have run approximately 500 Strategy Sims sessions with participants from around the world. From C-level executives in global organizations to executive education programs at top business schools, developing venture ecosystems in the Middle...
The Three Questions I Ask Emerging Fund Managers
Over the last 5 years I've had the unique opportunity to work with 250+ emerging fund managers across a wide range of programs, masterclasses, GP accelerators and coaching sessions. Funds have ranged from seed, venture, growth, SME, debt and PE. Geographies have...
Venture Capital Ecosystems: a view from the rising Middle East (PART- II)
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...
Venture Capital Ecosystems: a view from the rising Middle East (PART- I)
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?...
The GP Exit Canvas (I): Strategic Exit Planning For Venture Capital Firms: The Story Of Kilimanjaro Ventures
For venture capital firms, successful exits aren't just the end goal—they're the foundation upon which the entire investment thesis should be built. Yet many GPs approach exit planning as an afterthought, scrambling to find liquidity paths only when their fund...