logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2025
57m 15s

VC React Podcast (E27): Good vs. Great, ...

Ahmad Takatkah (VCpreneur)
About this episode

VC React Podcast:

Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, VCs, and investment rounds.

---

Hosts:

---

Available on:

---


Guests:

1. Hasan Haider, Founder and Managing Partner @ Plus VC- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hasanhaider/ - VC Firm Website: https://plus.vc/- Good vs. Great Article: https://plus.vc/good-vs-great 2. Mohamad Khawaja, Founding Partner @ Fikr Ventures- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khawaja/- VC Firm Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fikr-ventures/ 3. Sameer Sortur, Founding Partner @ SquareCircle Ventures- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sameersortur/- VC Firm Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/squarecircle-global/


---


#startups #vc #tech #ai #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #privatecredit #privateequity #finance #business #ipo #acquisitions #limitedpartners #revenuebasedfinancing #fintech #climatechange #edtech #accelerator #cvc #web3 #crypto #blockchain #DeFi


---


News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.In Today's Episode:


- Saudi EdTech Startup Ula Raises $28 Million in Series B Funding Led by Rua Growth FundSummary: Saudi Arabia-based EdTech startup Ula.me has raised $28 million in a Series B funding round led by Rua Growth Fund, with participation from Jordan Capital & Investment Fund and Foursan Group. The investment will support Ula’s expansion in Saudi Arabia and the launch of an AI-powered digital learning platform designed to personalize education by analyzing student performance and individual needs. - Fintech Flow48 secures $69M Series A to expand into Saudi ArabiaSummary: UAE-based fintech Flow48 has closed a $69 million Series A funding round in a mix of debt and equity. The round is led by Breega and has seen further investments from 212, Speedinvest, Daphni, Endeavor Catalyst, Evolution Ventures, and Plus VC, among others. Founded in 2022 by Idriss Al Rifai, Flow48 provides upfront financing to SMEs to facilitate their growth by transforming future revenues into upfront capital under flexible terms. - UK’s Pinewood acquires Dubai-based automotive SaaS Seez for $46.2 millionSummary: UK-based automotive intelligence platform Pinewood.AI has agreed to acquire Seez for $46.2 million in cash and shares. The share component is expected to grow over the following three years. Founded in the UAE in 2016 by Tarek Kabrit and Andrew Kabrit, Seez is an autotech company that provides car dealerships and OEMs with software solutions to improve their customer experience and increase sales. - Lola secures $1.3 million pre-seed to accelerate GCC expansion plansSummary: Lola, a Bahrain-based foodtech, has raised $1.3 million in a pre-seed funding round from Plus VC, Vision Ventures, and angel investors. Founded in 2023 by Othman Janahi, Lola offers a customisable cake ordering service for customers in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. This investment will fuel Lola’s expansion efforts in Saudi Arabia and the wider GCC region.


---(أحمد طقاطقه)---


Up next
Aug 3
VC React Podcast (E46): Meta’s $1B Offers, AI In FoodTech, Arabic AI Voice, & Open Banking In UAE
VC React Podcast:Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, VCs, and investment rounds. ---Hosts: Ahmad Takatkah, VCpreneur. Sign up to VCpreneur Newsletter on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ... Show More
1h 2m
Jul 27
VC React Podcast (E45): Anthropic's hypocrisy, xAI In Saudi, Qlub $30M Round, 500 Global $300M Fund
VC React Podcast:Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, VCs, and investment rounds. ---Hosts: Ahmad Takatkah, VCpreneur. Sign up to VCpreneur Newsletter on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ... Show More
57m 23s
Jul 18
VC React Podcast (E44): Arabic AI Stack, Morocco’s SuperApp, Embedded Insurance, Wild AI Acquihires
VC React Podcast:Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, VCs, and investment rounds. ---Hosts: Ahmad Takatkah, VCpreneur. Sign up to VCpreneur Newsletter on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ... Show More
58m 34s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
Venture returns, recovering startups, and VC conflicts | E1995
This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Coda. Coda empowers your startup by bringing words, tables, and teams together. Strategize, plan, and track goals effectively with all your valuable data in one place. Go to https://www.Coda.io/twist to get started for FREE and get 6 fr ... Show More
1h 27m
Jan 2023
Investing in transformative tech: EQT Ventures’ long view
On today’s episode of McKinsey on Startups, we talk to Gautam Nadella, an operating partner at EQT Ventures in the Bay Area, where he drives M&A, fundraising, and partnership efforts within their portfolio of more than 100 companies. EQT invests in a wide range of companies in bo ... Show More
22m 49s
Jul 2024
Five levels of AI, venture's recovery & the hottest construction startups | E1979
This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Vanta. Compliance and security shouldn't be a deal-breaker for startups to win new business. Vanta makes it easy for companies to get a SOC 2 report fast. TWiST listeners can get $1,000 off for a limited time at http://www.vanta.com ... Show More
1h 24m
Jul 8
Salim Ramji: The Industry Uses Complexity As a Mask to Charge More
We’re taping this podcast at the Morningstar Investment Conference, where we’re delighted to be joined by Vanguard CEO Salim Ramji, who joined Vanguard just about a year ago. Prior to joining Vanguard, Salim was a senior leader at BlackRock, where his most recent position was as ... Show More
31m 2s
Dec 2024
E87: What It Takes to Win Big (in MENA): Insights from a $35B Founder and Global Investor
Chris Rogers is a global entrepreneur who co-founded Nextel Communications, a wireless connectivity company, in 1987 and sold it for $35B in 2005. In the early 2000s, Chris came to Saudi Arabia to launch Nextel as a joint venture with Saudi Telecom. His deep connection to the reg ... Show More
1h 19m
Jan 2025
Mike Maples on 100-Baggers, David Swensen & the AI Revolution | #568
Today’s guest is Mike Maples Jr. a partner at Floodgate, a pre-seed and seed-stage venture capital firm that’s invested in companies like Twitter, Lyft, Twitch, Okta. He’s also the author of Pattern Breakers: Why Some Start-Ups Change the Future. In today’s episode, Mike shares h ... Show More
1h 11m
Jun 5
176: Beyond the Silk Roads: Middle Eastern Venture Investing - With Noor Sweid, Founder and Managing Partner of Global Ventures
Today we welcome one of the Middle East’s most successful angel investors and venture capitalists, listed in 'FORBES 100 Most Powerful Business Women 2025'. Noor Sweid explains her journey, from early career in management consultancy and relocating to Dubai, followed by growing a ... Show More
49m 6s
Aug 2024
The World Of Venture Capital and How They Pick Winning Investments In Startups and Early Stage Businesses | Chris Van Dusen
Episode Title: The World Of Venture Capital and How They Pick Winning Investments In Startups and Early Stage Businesses Guest: Chris Van Dusen - Senior Partner at Slyco Capital Guest Bio: Chris Van Dusen is a seasoned entrepreneur and senior partner at Slyco Capital, a creative ... Show More
43m 52s
Jan 2025
How the New Administration Will Impact Crypto, AI & Tech Globally w/ Ben Horowitz & Salim Ismail | EP #145
In this episode, Ben, Peter, and Salim discuss recent tech, AI, robotics, and crypto news and what the new administration means for tech enthusiasts.   Recorded on Jan 23rd, 2024Views are my own thoughts; not Financial, Medical, or Legal Advice. Ben Horowitz is a prominent busine ... Show More
1h 5m