MANAMA: More than a dozen of Bahrain’s top start-up founders discussed latest developments in the tech sphere with leading venture capitalists and government officials.
Hosted by Finch Capital – which is backed by Al Waha Fund of Funds – the event gave founders the chance to speak about the challenges of seeking investment and the opportunities that the kingdom’s growing start-up ecosystem offers.
Guests included Sam Dolbel, the founder of construction payment platform SINC, as well as Eat App’s Nezar Kadhem and Hussain Haji from Inagrab – with the discussion led by Finch Capital managing partner Hans De Back and principal Mike Brennan.
Also in attendance were representatives from Al Waha Fund of Funds and Bahrain Development Bank, which has been supporting small and medium businesses since its establishment in 1992.
Mr De Back said: “Our CEO dinners bring together the different players of the start-up ecosystem – the government, angel investors, venture capitalists and tech companies.
“We want to get more venture capitalists, more government representatives and more start-ups from different sectors – not only those based in Bahrain, but also tech companies who have considered setting up their businesses here.”
Focusing on investments in fintech and DeepTech – such as AI-enabled transformation, security and IoT – Finch Capital works in verticals including marketplaces, online distribution models and software.
The company’s team works out of three countries and is expanding its interest in the Middle East following a capital injection from Al Waha Fund of Funds, a fund managed by Bahrain Development Bank.
Existing portfolio companies include Singaporean ride-hailing app Grab, decentralised credit cloud Symmetrical and asset trading platform Brickblock.
Arejie Al Shakar, director and fund manager at Al Waha, said: “Connecting entrepreneurs with venture capitalists and government officials is an essential part of building a start-up community that fosters growth and encourages innovation.
“Initiatives like this are an excellent way for entrepreneurs to get involved in the regional conversation while making vital connections and exploring the exciting growth opportunities offered by the kingdom and beyond.”
&uuid=(email))