EVM investors predict 2021's venture landscape
MAGNiTT Founder and CEO Philip Bahoshy recently hosted some prominent investors from the space for a roundtable discussion to deep-dive into 2020's startup funding landscape. The panelists featured:
• Aatif Awan - Founder & Managing Partner, Indus Valley Capital
• Basil Moftah - General Partner, Global Ventures
• Christopher M. Schroeder - Co-Founder, Next Billion Ventures
• Courtney Powell - Chief Operating Officer, 500 Startups
During the roundtable, each investor provided three expert predictions for 2021's entrepreneurial scene in the region. After an incredibly unpredictable 2020, discover what they believe is to come from the year ahead - from industry shifts to talent wars, and everything in between.
Have you made your predictions yet? Download our 2021 MENA Venture Investments Report to make up your own mind for what 2021 may hold and compare them with four of the region's key investors!
Sign up for a MAGNiTT Pro subscription and access 3 comprehensive reports per month to stay on top of data for your research analysis and investment sourcing.
Courtney's predictions:
1. Entrepreneurship is an accepted career path across MENA. It made a huge jump in 2020 and will continue to be solidified in 2021.
2. Later stage funds will come online in MENA. There are several Series A and Seed funds, but 2021 will see Series B and late-stage focused funds developing.
3. There will be a 'talent war' in the region. The pool will heat up and entrepreneurs will need to get creative to hire talent to their companies.
Christopher's predictions:
1. Financial inclusion will dramatically increase. However, the juggernauts will make it hard for entrepreneurs because of the cash, data, and talent they have.
2. There will be an increase in market learning, business development, fundraising, and partnerships across the region.
3. China will participate in rising markets. We will see them being concrete and not simply shopping around in MENA.
Basil's predictions:
1. MENA IPOs will enter the US Stock Exchange.
2. Saudi Arabia will eclipse everything in the year ahead.
3. Pakistan will enter either the top 3 or 5 countries.
Aatif's predictions:
1. Pakistan will make the top 3 countries, will cross £100M in total funds raised, and there will be at least two Pakistani startups raising $20M+ rounds.
2. Grocery delivery startups will be the market to watch. The industry will become similar to what we have previously seen in ride-sharing platforms.
3. Talent will be the bottleneck in 2021 and not capital. As a large number of companies scale across the region, they will need the talent both at leadership and technical levels.
What are your 2021 predictions? Connect with us to share your thoughts!
Are you a startup looking for investment? Apply for funding to 110+ investors now