Youssef Youssef

Great summary of some key trends in #healthcare provision by Helmut Schuehsler of TVM Capital Healthcare - this is what TVM Healthcare Institute Think Tank Events are about: assembling industry visionaries and key players and let them think together about improving #accesstocare and making healthcare systems #efficient and #affordable.

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Web3 driving innovation in Saudi Arabia I am thrilled to have contributed to Adaverse's very insightful report on the state of Web3 in Saudi Arabia (see below). Having spent much time in the region, this report does a great job sharing some of the insight and innovation happening in the region. We are committed to helping shape the Web3 ecosystem in Saudi Arabia and the wider region. We are focused on ensuring that our programs in Riyadh in partnership with NTDP, will provide a significant opportunity for ambitious founders and help develop the rapidly growing Web3 ecosystem.  The report underscores Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, a highly ambitious initiative aimed at driving innovation and empowering the workforce with future-focused skills. We also believe that blockchain technology stands out as a particularly promising driver of growth in Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom is cementing its position as a global tech powerhouse, with notable advancements in the fintech sector, gaming market, and eCommerce landscape. Some insights from the report:   ✅ A young, tech-savvy population -- With 66% of the population under 30 and 99% connected to the internet, Saudi Arabia's young digitally-literate population is excited about the opportunities of the Web ✅ Supportive Government - The number of new businesses in the kingdom is growing at an impressive 20% year-over-year rate, signaling a vibrant startup ecosystem. The economy's key sectors are increasingly diverse with non-oil foreign direct investment having surged by 54% since 2020. ✅ Access to funding - MENA-based startups secured $429M across 163 deals, with Saudi startups receiving 51% of the funding across 36% of the deals. Learn more about Outlier Ventures upcoming Riyadh-based accelerator program at https://lnkd.in/dZYG4NBb

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Summary: Despite Saudi Arabia's history of human rights abuses, there is a growing interest from U.S.-based investors to invest in startups in the Middle Eastern nation. General Catalyst is planning to invest in a fintech startup, Lean Technology, and other firms such as Coatue Management and Andreessen Horowitz have recently backed Saudi Arabian startups. Key takeaways: Despite concerns about the country's human rights record, some U.S. investors are showing a willingness to invest in Saudi Arabian startups, potentially driven by the country's large and growing market. General Catalyst investment in Lean Technology is a significant step in this trend, as it is the firm's first investment in a Middle Eastern nation. Other U.S. firms, such as Coatue Management and a16z, have also recently backed Saudi Arabian startups or expanded their presence in the country through investments in related industries (such as co-living). Counter arguments: There may be ethical concerns about investing in a country with a record of human rights abuses and suppressing dissent. The motivations behind these investments may also be driven by the goal of gaining access to the huge Saudi Arabian market, rather than solely supporting the growth of the country's startups. #venturecapital #vc #venture #startups

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MENA Q1 2024 Startup Funding Overview Startups in the MENA secured a total of $429 million in funding across 129 deals. SaaS, fintech, and e-commerce continue to lead the way in terms of sectors attracting investment. The top 3 countries by funding volume: Saudi Arabia: Following LEAP 24, Saudi startups raised $198 million across 25 deals. This highlights the importance of attending conferences, speaking at events, and building your network. UAE: 12 startups raised $39 million. Egypt: 8 startups raised around $7 million. The largest funding round was a $35 million pre-seed round for Tumodo, a Dubai-based business travel platform.

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Summary: In July 2024, MENA startups raised $355 million, marking a 206% month-on-month increase. Egypt led the region with $185 million, primarily due to a significant deal by MNT-Halan. Fintech attracted the most investment, with $181 million across 16 startups. Notably, debt financing was minimal, and early-stage investments dominated. Despite the surge, female-led startups saw limited funding, with only two raising $270,000. The month also saw several mergers and acquisitions, particularly in the UAE. https://lnkd.in/dr8eyupp

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Why Digital Transformation is Shaping Venture Capital in MENA The MENA region is undergoing a digital revolution, fundamentally altering its economic landscape and reshaping the venture capital ecosystem. Governments and private entities are driving unprecedented investments in technology, focusing on: ✅Fintech: Innovative payment systems and digital banking solutions are thriving. ✅Proptech: Transforming real estate through technology-driven solutions for efficiency and innovation. ✅E-commerce: Rapid growth is fueled by a young, tech-savvy population. ✅Edtech and Healthtech: Startups are addressing critical societal needs with scalable digital solutions. Initiatives like Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UAE’s Digital Economy Strategy are fostering innovation hubs and attracting global players. This environment, paired with expanding digital infrastructure, has led to record-breaking VC funding in the region. For investors, this digital transformation is not just a trend, it's a paradigm shift offering opportunities to capitalize on MENA’s technological evolution. From AI-powered solutions to blockchain-based platforms, MENA’s tech ecosystem is emerging as a global player. The future of VC in MENA is digital and it’s just getting started.

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Is AI going to cure cancer? If it depends on the creative power of the startups that pitched today at the Hub71 stage on the ADGM Abu Dhabi Finance Week, the answer is YES! From health sciences, to logistics, financial services and more, I was impressed with the pitches I saw today. My only ask to Hub 71 is to bring more female power on the stage next time. Deal?

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📊 A month of revitalization in MENA MENA startups raised $282M across 63 deals in September — 234% increase from August and a 607% surge compared to September 2023. Venture capitalists continue to favor early-stage investments, with Seed-stage startups securing $102M across 32 deals. Debt financing accounted for only 12% of the total volume. The largest deal was closed by Saudi Arabian startup SHIFT, raising $82.8M to expand its car-sharing platform. In second place was Syarah, an online marketplace for buying and selling cars, which raised $60M in a Series C round (including $20M in debt financing). The top three countries remained unchanged: 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia: 23 startups raised $170.8M.  🇦🇪 UAE: 12 startups raised $73.8M.  🇪🇬 Egypt: 13 startups raised $25M. Despite geopolitical challenges, the MENA ecosystem continues to grow. In Q3 2024, startups raised $727M, a 192% increase year-over-year. The outlook for Q4 remains positive.

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🇸🇦 aramco is the leading employer of VC backed startup founders in KSA! 💼 MAGNiTT’s latest founders report, created in partnership with SVC, analyzed the demographic stats of over 400 founders from the 200 top VC funded startups in #SaudiArabia between 2014 and 2023. 💡 Interesting facts about the 400 founders: - 59% had 7+ years of work experience before founding their company - 66% of them were first time founders - 30% had prior regional startup experience The data also revealed that aramco, the #Kingdom’s national oil giant, took the lead as the primary employer for these VC backed startup founders, comprising 7% of the total, followed by 5% from McKinsey & Company. The list also included several other notable entities like Careem, Microsoft and PwC Curious to learn more about the anatomy of a successful founder? Download our full founders report here: https://lnkd.in/djBrp9xp CC: Nabeel Koshak, Osamah Alamri, PhD #KSA #founder #startup #workexperience #topcompanies 

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Startup Founder Disputes: A Quick Guide 💥 Why They Happen: 1- Misaligned vision. 2- Uneven workload. 3- Role confusion. 4- Equity disagreements. 5- High-stress decisions. 🔧 How to Fix: 1- Talk it out early and openly. 2- Involve a neutral mediator if needed. 3- Revisit your shared goals. 4- Clarify roles and responsibilities. 🛡️ Prevent disputes: 1- Draft a solid founders' agreement (roles, equity, decision-making). 2- Set clear roles from day one. 3- Have regular alignment meetings. ⚖️ Mitigate Impact: 1- Document decisions and agreements. 2- Include equity buyback clauses. 3- Build an advisory board for guidance. Disputes are normal—how you handle them defines your success. #startups #founders #leadership #StartupFounders #enterpreunership Thoughts or tips? Drop them below 👇

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The Journey to VC Funding: How We Raised Capital in the Middle East Watch or listen to the full episode, link in bio! . . . . #AbuDhabi #Dubai #Riyadh #Doha #Cairo #Amman #Beirut #VCfunding #MENA #Entrepreneurship #GamingIndustry #EmergingMarkets #Startups

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The healthcare industry is on the brink of significant, positive transformation through AI. At GAIN, I had the privilege of moderating a session on How AI Can Accelerate Healthcare. The discussion featured the Vice Minister of Health from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, along with leading specialists, doctors, and entrepreneurs. Two key takeaways from the session were: - AI will significantly improve the efficiency of healthcare systems, companies, and products. - It will reduce the cost of access to healthcare while enhancing longevity and overall wellbeing. One of the most crucial topics we discussed was Data Privacy. 🔐 AI thrives on data—the more, the better for building accurate algorithms. However, there's growing concern about how data is used and protected. The group emphasized the importance of ensuring that data is anonymized to protect individuals, while still allowing AI to drive advancements. It was a highly optimistic conclusion to a conversation about AI’s role in shaping the future of healthcare. Have you noticed any signs of AI’s impact on the industry?

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Highlights from the last few months 1. Recorded a podcast in Dubai 2. Started working on some side projects apart from the podcast Gotten some good feedback on this from a few folks Trying to understand now how to build it and what direction to take 3. Approved to attend an event hosted by some folks in startups and VC’s here Still looking to meet ambitious folks here who talk about side hustles and ideas 4. Focused on releasing episodes from the backlog

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'2023 Middle East & North Africa Health Tech 50' The MENA Tech 50 is HolonIQ’s annual list of the most promising startups from across digital health, biotech, medtech and other areas where entrepreneurs are driving healthcare innovation. > The Middle East’s startup community is principally driven by regional heavyweight Israel, home to one of the most vibrant Health Tech communities globally. > Young startups and established players alike are driving the 2023 MENA Health Tech 50 cohort, with Israel once again leading the way and the UAE showing strong growth. D2C solutions are rising, but B2B remains dominant. > Israel and UAE account for over 80% of activity in the region however a host of promising businesses are emerging from other nations as innovation takes root. https://lnkd.in/eB-pxeXT

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Especially in the tech sector, Abu Dhabi is positioning itself as a leader in the GCC startup ecosystem. It has never been easier to turn ideas into successful businesses thanks to government initiatives such as interest-free loans. #uae #abudhabi #business #growth #startups #funding #government #strategy

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Altibbi, Founded by Jalil Allabadi and Ayman Sharaiha, has become MENA’s leading digital health platform, offering innovative Telehealth services across 12 Arab countries. With over a decade of experience, the team has expanded their content to over 2 million pages, serving more than half a million users daily. Now integrated to Endeavor Saudi. #Entrepreneurship #DigitalHealth #Innovation #MENA #Altibbi

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May startup funding overview: A month of activity in MENA 🔹40 startups raised $282 million, marking a 413% increase from April. Debt financing comprised the majority with nearly $140 million. 🔹UAE startups led the way with $189 million raised across 23 deals. Saudi Arabia followed with $56 million in 10 deals, and Egypt secured $24.5 million in 4 deals. 🔹Proptech dominated with $167 million. Fintech gathered $32.7 million, while EdTech attracted $1 million over two transactions. 🔹Later-stage companies continued to secure significant funds. Five startups raised $59.3 million in Series A, and four projects obtained $44 million in pre-Series A. 🔹HR-tech project Qsalary and Itqan Capital launched an $80 million investment fund focused on Saudi Arabia.

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Balancing costs with compliance is something a lot of startups struggle with... Let me give you an example: Health insurance is required by law in the UAE, but the level of coverage isn’t. And I see this as a problem. In the rush to keep costs low, too many startups just grab the cheapest policy to stay compliant. For industries like oil & gas or big international corporations, comprehensive insurance is a no-brainer; they know that covering their team’s health is essential, especially for employees far from home or in higher-risk fields. But for a startup? It’s tempting to tick that compliance box and call it a day. What are the risks here? Skimping on healthcare isn’t like buying a cheap car that might just cost you in repairs. When you cut corners here, you’re gambling with a lot more than the premium price. Because let’s face it – For entrepreneurs, health is directly tied to business success. A sudden illness or accident can pull you away at a critical moment. Quality healthcare gets you back on your feet faster and back to building your business. If you have people counting on you, doesn’t matter if it’s five or 50, they need you at your best. Don’t make the mistake of seeing healthcare as just another line item. Quality health insurance protects the people who make your business what it is. Are you investing in the right health insurance for your team? #UAE #HealthInsurance #Business

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