Insights & Perspectives
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...
How Fund Managers Can Use The GP Exit Canvas (Part II)
The GP Exit Canvas isn't a one-size-fits-all solution—it's a flexible, visual framework that adapts to different fund strategies, geographies, and market conditions. Here's how fund managers across various contexts can implement the GP Exit Canvas for successful...
From Desert Dreams To Exit Reality: How Dubai Venture Partners II Mastered The “Think Exits From Day One” Playbook
(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...
Scaling Up In Mena
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)...
Evolving Malaysia’s VC Ecosystem: A Response To The great Mavcap Misfire
VC ecosystems around the world are maturing at different pace, each with its own set of challenges and dynamics. But the views articulated in The great Mavcap misfire (Emmanuel Samarathisa) come across as both flawed and based on the wrong underlying assumptions on...
Scaling Up In Mena (Part II)
The Story Of Scaling Leo Bank From Idea To Exit In The Middle East. Part II: Scaling Up (Series A,B) Case study written for the upcoming launch of Scale Up MENA! (Aug 2025). Read part I here and part III here. Closing the series A has been tough. "This is by far the...