![]() SM: Failure is inevitable in the startup ecosystem. YS Gulf: What kind of risk appetite does the region have? The hyper growth will start when these current investments start growing, and each reaches a certain tipping point. We are starting to see players emerge across multiple areas and specialised stage investors. Currently, of the $81 billion invested globally, MEA region only raised $1.9 billion, but it is fast growing. However, the region is still in its nascent stages. We are also looking closely at the digital health sector. Some of the sectors that are growing are agritech, food security, as well as supply chain disruption with the ability to have a strong local supply chain, energy technology that are non-capex heavy are some examples. There is lot of growth and momentum of growth in the region that is being created. Some of these founders are turning into angel investors, and there is nurturing and development happening. You are also seeing a few successes for example, the success with Careem turned out to be strong and has helped create other founders and startups as well. You see investors across different stages, and some even the growth side investment is closing. SM: The startup ecosystem in this region is emerging. ![]() YS Gulf: How do you see the ecosystem in the MEA region growing? William Bao Bean, of SOSV and Orbit Startups, on running a business in the GCC region We have two funds and the AUM is $200 million. So, the businesses need to be sustainable and have positive unit economics. Emerging markets founders have a DNA that is wired to build in markets where capital inflow isn’t that high. ![]() The idea is can founders from this region build products for the globe. There are two ways to be innovative-one, look what has worked in another market and apply it in your market with a localised nuance, or something that is built from scratch. We like mission-driven founders, as they understand the problem that they are tackling. In founders, we look at those that are tackling a huge problem with a unique scalable and defensible solution. We see ourselves as thesis-driven investors-we research the segment, take time understanding it, and eventually invest in companies across the value chain. While we are sector agnostic, we look at certain thematics. We have done earlier and later rounds as well. ![]() As for what we look for in companies in the MEA region, our sweet spot is Series A. SM: We like to meet as many founders as we can. YS Gulf: What do you look for in startups and the founders? ![]()
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