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Welcome to Nama Ventures!
Nama Ventures is a pre-seed / seed stage venture capital fund focused on fueling innovation in the MENA region, particularly in Saudi Arabia.
We also opportunistically invest in technology startups in Silicon Valley where we enjoy great syndication partners and proprietary access.
Nama Ventures prides itself on being an investment fund committed to nurturing ideas that guide founders to create exceptional companies.
If you are an entrepreneur who is ready to take the entrepreneurial plunge, it would be our privilege to join you on your journey.
Nama Ventures is built upon the fundamental idea of enabling entrepreneurs to succeed. And as founders of Nama, we are thrilled to finally have the platform to implement this idea. Our hope is that entrepreneurs willing to partner with us will see and feel our value-add approach to investing.
We aspire to create a spirit of entrepreneurship all around us, from Riyadh to the whole MENA region. The future awaits.
Let’s take a ride down this road together.
TEAM
I’m an engineer turned engineering manager, entrepreneur turned tech investor. Failed as an entrepreneur a bunch of times till I was able to build a winner. Made numerous investments in both startups and funds along the years, 45 and counting, some failed miserably, some turned out great, two became unicorns and two are hopefully on their way.
Currently the Managing Partner of Nama Ventures, a Venture Capital fund focused on fueling technology innovation in MENA, particularly in KSA. A member of many Angel Networks including Sand Hill Angels in Silicon Valley, Founding board member of Riyadh Angel Investors in Riyadh, and an advisor with Woman Spark in KSA.
I co-founded Tech Wadi in Silicon Valley and I’m an advisor to numerous MENA tech incubators, accelerators and startups. I hold an MBA from London Business School and a BS in Electrical Engineering from Brigham Young University. Technical Certs: CCIE, MCSE, CCSP, and MCDBA. Also paid my coding dues in low level C, C++ & Java.
I hold a BSc, MSc and PhD in Computer Science. I’m an academic, turned technology startup founder, turned Angel investor, turned venture capitalist. I’ve invested in more than 20 startups in the USA, UK, Saudi Arabia, LATAM, and India.
I’m the co-founder and chairman of the board of Riyadh Angel Investors, a Riyadh based Angel Network. I’m also a member of the United Kingdom Business Angel Association (UKBAA). And I’ve participated in more than 20 Angel syndicates in the US and the UK.
I’m currently a Managing Partner at Nama Ventures, a Venture Capital fund focused on fueling technology innovation
INVESTMENTS
Nama Ventures Fund I Portfolio Companies
Faheem connect you with the best teachers and private tutors online
Trteeb is a custom tailor clothing marketplace for thobes
Termii helps businesses use digital messaging channels
PalmHR is a fully automated HRMS
Analyze your nutrirional needs and subscribe to a convenient meal plan
Basket is an online grocery delivery service
Aumet automates assigning distributors to manufacturers
Tajir helps stores save money and boost sales
Tamara helps you shop on the go without fees and without a penny.
Grabbd let's you discover new places and create personal city guides.
eZhire offers an efficient, convenient and elegant way to rent a car
The online floral marketplace.
Get an unparalleled experience from your favourite stars.
All the tools you need to build a succesful store
GrocerApp makes shopping easier and more convenient than ever.
A personal finance management app that tracks your expenses instantly
Your startup?
Team's Previous Individual Investments
ADVISORS
Taher Elgamal
"The father of SSL" , Salesforce , Netscape
Samih Toukan
Maktoob, Souq, Jabbar, etc...
Ronaldo Mouchawar
Mentor, Souq Founder, Amazon MENA
Fahad AlSharekh
TECHINVEST, Sakhr, Global Investment House
Majed Al Suwaidi
MD Dubai Media City
Akram Assaf
CTO Bayt.com
Amal Dokhan
CEO GEN Saudi, advisor Babson, World Bank
Antoine Hage
Rakuten, KYUBE, Yellow Pages, SOAJS, etc...
Basil Hashem
Netscape, Yahoo!, Admob, VMware, multiple startups, etc.
Ihsan Jawad
Zawya , Honeybee Ventures, etc...
Terry Kane
Facebook - Head of Marketing META
Ray Milhem
Cisco, Motorola, Techwadi, DSO, etc...
Lina Shehadeh
Marcom, CMO Aramex
Lateefa Alwaalan
Managing Director, Endeavor Saudi, Yatooq
CRITERIA
We have some basic filters that we use to gauge startups. Below are what we look for in a startup
COMPLEMENTARY TEAMS
Notice the word “team.” Creating a solo startup can be awfully lonely. We invest in teams, it's our most important criteria
TOUGH PROBLEMS
We like to see a tough problem presented—and then your solutions to address it. If you choose to go the entrepreneurial route, make sure you are trying to solve at least one hard problem. Hard is good; hard is interesting.
TRANSACTIONS
We love seeing a transaction where you are earning revenue selling a product or providing a service. This makes us bigger fans of eCommerce, for instance, than gaming startups.
FIRST MONEY IN
We want to be right there investing in you after you have your three F’s (friends, family, and founders). We are a pre seed fund and we want to stay that way. We want to be the first institutional capital that you raise.
DON'T OUTSOURCE YOUR CORE
We don’t want to see just an idea, where your core is outsourced. Your team has to have the Doers and the Sellers, the Doer being a technical co-founder
WE LIKE TO LEAD
"Nama" in Arabic is derived from the word meaning "to grow", and we can't help you grow if we are taking a backseat and watching others grow around you! We want to be there helping you grow from a seed to a forest, rolling up our sleeves and pruning you to realize and reach your full growth potential.
PASSION
The entrepreneurial journey is an emotional rollercoaster, some days you'll feel you are on top of the world, other days you'll feel underground. Only passion will carry you thought these times and give you the needed push to persevere.
GOOD PEOPLE
If you are not willing to lend a helping hand along your entrepreneurial journey then you are in the wrong profession. Entrepreneurship is a team sport, there is no place in it for arrogance and meanness. you have to be willing to always learn and always teach.
CONTACT
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us using the form below and we’ll make sure to respond in a timely fashion.
If you are a startup looking to submit your company for investment consideration then please click on the submit here
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