Ali Hasnain Shah

People move from one country to the other for all sort of reasons… Here in this podcast, I discussed with Zubair Lutfullah Kakakhel on his thought process of moving to Dubai as a business owner and the difficulties / surprises in the whole journey - link to full podcast in comment.

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🎙️ Exciting Announcement! 🎙️ Join us for the first episode of our Weekly Podcast, hosted by Tofail Azam Shawon, on 10 PM Thursday, 24th October 2024! Our guest for the day is none other than Fazle Rabbi, a successful entrepreneur and the proud owner of Digital Aid IT & Lead Scraping Pro. Tune in as we dive into his incredible journey, insights on business growth, and the latest in tech & entrepreneurship. Don’t miss out! Stay tuned for a thought-provoking conversation that will inspire and inform. #WeeklyPodcast #Entrepreneurship #TechTalk #BusinessInsights #FazleRabbi #tofailazam

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"It's not possible" that's what we've heard many many times, and now we're building the biggest "Impossible" of our journey at Raseedi App!!! We will credit score 30 million+ Egyptians! Here's a quick summary of the "Impossibles" we've achieved in the past 5 years: ✅1-Build the stickiest app there is, a dialer app with up to 1000/visits/user/month ✅2-Introduce thousands of underbanked masses to online topup/bill payments ✅3-Extend Topup and Bill Credit to underbanked users with Zero Credit History, Zero Collateral, and Zero Paper work ✅4-Build the smartest credit scoring algorithm based on billions of data points and call data Loading... 5-Offer INSTANT short term cash loans of up to 3K EGP/user/month Loading... 6-Credit Score 30M Egyptians based on our AI network model and pre-approve millions of non-app users with just a mobile number! *If you're in the lending business and interested to get first hands on our AI Network Model to enhance your credit score, DM me! We're in the business of building what people once thought was impossible, and all the credit goes to a solid team and my amazing partners Ahmed Samir and Amr Elsisy! #startups #lending #AI

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🌟 Unlocking Leadership Insights on the Field: Lessons from a BOPL Team Owner 🏏💼 As a proud member of the Business Owners Premier League's Organizing Committee and Team Owner of Faad Capitals with Dr.Dinesh Singh , I have had the privilege of being immersed in a unique community where cricket unites business aficionados. BOPL fosters camaraderie among entrepreneurs through a shared passion for cricket, culminating in four successful seasons with over 250+ dedicated business owners. Our mission? To expand this network beyond Delhi NCR, reaching business communities across the nation. Now, I invite you to delve into 4 invaluable Leadership Lessons I've gleaned as a Team Owner, transcending the realm of organizing: 1️⃣ Even an average team can excel with exceptional teamwork. 2️⃣ Success knows no bounds when fueled by unwavering self-belief. 3️⃣ Instead of criticism, champion your team through the trials of failure. 4️⃣ Remember, a strong team culture triumphs over the most brilliant strategies. 🔍 What leadership insights have YOU gleaned from unexpected avenues? Share your thoughts and let's ignite a conversation on growth and success! 🚀🗨️ #faad #faadcapitals #bopl #businessownerspremierleague #cricket #passion #season4 #leadership #teamowner Aditya Arora Harshika Paliwal Shivani Khare Neha Mourya Vatsal Lunawat Shashank Rawat Samarth Gupta Abhilash Gupta

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🌿 It's that green time of the year again - and my favorite one! Once again having great sessions with brilliant founders in Founder Institute Founder Institute Middle East track. Their passion and dedication fuel my Mon mornings (and ofc coffee, a lot of coffee)🚀 #startup #founderinstiture #mentoring

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Why don’t we talk more about the real side of entrepreneurship? 🤔 Let’s be honest—we all love celebrating wins, but what about those tougher moments we rarely share? Ghita El Haitmy, CEO & Tech Edu-tainer at TechBible, got real on the Not My First Guess podcast. She highlighted how important it is to talk about the struggles as much as the successes. Whether it’s pulling late nights or facing unexpected challenges, we need to stop pretending everything’s perfect on platforms like LinkedIn. 🤷‍♀️ After all, not everything in life is a B2B sales lesson, right? 😅 What’s one behind-the-scenes challenge you’ve faced recently? Let’s talk about it in the comments. 💬 #FounderLife #LinkedInRealTalk #AuthenticityMatters

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Nusuk Digital Wallet Finally, there is a solution for Hajj and Umrah participants who use cash: a #digitalwallet by Ministry of Hajj and Umrah - وزارة الحج والعمرة in collaboration with The National Commercial Bank - AlahliNCB What do we need to know about it⁉️ 1️⃣ Designed specifically for #Hajj and #Umrah. 2️⃣ Embedded in the Nusuk app, not a standalone app. 3️⃣ Represents one of the #embeddedpayment #FinTech solutions integrated into non-financial apps in KSA 4️⃣ Currently, access is limited to a small group for testing. 5️⃣ Has a monthly limit of 10,000 SAR. 6️⃣ Users can collect the physical #card from their arrival airport in Saudi Arabia. 7️⃣ Includes an #IBAN, allowing users to send money from their home country. 💡 Do you think this would make Hajj and Umrah more #cashless‼️Should there be similar products for all types of travelers, such as tourists, #digitalnomads, business travelers, or even short-term visitors from the #GCC⁉️

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Is your startup a VC's Wet dream? Making a Billion-dollar valuation is every Venture capitalist's Wet Dream and finding a "Connor Mcgregor" is all it takes. Until Khabib (the market) chokes your Golden Boy out and the only option left is to make excuses or the next fast exit. #connormcgregor #wetdream #venturecapital #startup.

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Saudi Arabia ranks first in total VC funding across MENA 🥇🇸🇦 A Venture Capital Report published by MAGNiTT and sponsored by STV tells all! Here're the top findings: • The report covers the first half of 2024 🗓️ • Saudi Arabia had a total VC funding of $412M, while the UAE had $225M, and Egypt had $86M 💰 • 63 deals have been closed in Saudi Arabia during the first half of the year 🤝 • Saudi investments make up 54% of all VC investments in the region, compared to 38% during the first half of 2023 💪 • E-commerce got the biggest share of investments by 52%, with a total funding of $214.9M 🛍️ • Out of all deals, Fintech startups acquired the largest number of deals by 14% 💳 • The number of investors backing Saudi startups have been increasing by 16% annually 📈 • Salla E-Commerce Platform and Rewaa were the top fundraisers in Saudi Arabia 🛒 • Non-Mega deals valued at ~$26.7M or less have increased by 83% compared to last year 📊

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"Know your financials not only in figures but equally in Performance." - Adewale Okanlawon For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), prospective investors, and entrepreneurs, understanding financials goes beyond just knowing the numbers. It involves comprehending the performance behind those figures. Here's why this holistic approach is crucial for business success: 1. Beyond the Balance Sheet: While it's essential to know your revenue, expenses, profits, and losses, these figures are just one part of the story. Performance metrics, such as customer acquisition costs, lifetime value, and operational efficiency, provide deeper insights into how well your business is truly performing. 2. Strategic Decision-Making: Understanding performance metrics helps in making informed strategic decisions. For instance, knowing which products or services are most profitable can guide investment decisions and resource allocation, ensuring better returns and sustainable growth. 3. Operational Efficiency: Financial figures alone won't highlight inefficiencies in your operations. Performance metrics like turnaround time, employee productivity, and inventory turnover rates can reveal areas for improvement, helping to optimize processes and reduce costs. 4. Investor Confidence: Investors are not just looking at your financial statements; they are interested in how your business performs over time. Demonstrating a strong grasp of both financial figures and performance metrics builds confidence, showcasing your ability to manage and grow the business effectively. 5. Risk Management: Understanding performance helps in identifying potential risks early. For example, a decline in customer satisfaction scores can indicate future revenue drops, allowing you to take corrective actions before the financial impact becomes significant. 6. Sustainable Growth: Long-term success requires more than just positive financial figures. It involves creating value, fostering innovation, and maintaining high performance standards. By focusing on performance, SMEs and entrepreneurs can build resilient businesses capable of weathering economic fluctuations and market changes. To sum up, a comprehensive understanding of both financial figures and performance metrics equips SMEs and entrepreneurs with the tools needed to navigate the complexities of the business landscape. It fosters better decision-making, enhances operational efficiency, and builds investor confidence, paving the way for sustainable growth and long-term success. #SMEs #FinancialPerformance #Entrepreneurship #InvestorAdvice #BusinessGrowth #StrategicPlanning #OperationalEfficiency #RiskManagement #SustainableGrowth #PerformanceMetrics

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A key theme on last week's InPeak x Fladgate LLP panel: Invest in the region. If you're a VC or a startup looking to break into Saudi, invest time, invest money, and immerse yourself in what Saudi has to offer. There is no 'remote' solution to entering this market, especially considering that making connections online is not near enough. Once you land, the country is brimming with opportunities. Note sent from Riyadh. #saudi2030 #IRLevent #inpeak #fladgate #saudi #VCs #lps

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Thrilled to have hosted a fantastic panel of speakers for our recent event - "How to raise funding to grow your Startup". 🚀 This was truly an awesome opportunity to dive into the world of business funding, hearing from experienced professionals about the different options available and the various strategies one can explore during their Startup journey! Shout out to the panelists for making this event a success Shabbar Dhalla, Mohammed Nasser, Sukaina Karim-Hussein, Mohamed Ali Walji and Ali Sarraf for being a brilliant host. 🙌 Stay tuned for more exciting events coming your way soon! 👀 #StartupFunding #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #FUTRworkspace

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📣📣📣Thrilled to Announce! 🚀🚀 MLnetworks, the startup I co-founded with Khaoula Tanfioui - Tech Entrepreneur, Rahul Kaundal and Eshaan Barkataki, is one of the elite startups selected for Batch 7 of the Sanabil Investments 500 MENA 500 Global Seed Accelerator Program 🌟 #Mlnetworks helps Telcos design, operate, and optimize their networks more intelligently through an end-to-end data platform. Joining this accelerator allows us to fine-tune our go-to-market strategy, enhance our product offerings, and accelerate our sales tactics. This is a transformative phase for us, promising significant strides in MENA's telecom sector. Keep watching as we set new industry standards! Announcement in the comment section :) cc: Sanabil Investments 500 Global 500 MENA #500global #SanabilInvestments #TelecomTech #Innovation

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Expanding further on the insights I shared about $100 million startup exits in the Middle East & North Africa. Some of these stand out in terms of capital efficiency. They raised very little and generated excellent outcomes for founders (or investors in some cases). The first one is Dubizzle. It was started in 2005 by JC Butler and Sim Whatley, who had been in Dubai for a few months and were looking for jobs. They realized there was a big gap in the online classifieds space in the UAE and decided to solve this problem. The two started it at 24 from an apartment they shared with friends and ran it themselves from their living room for the next two years. They hired their first full-time employees in 2007 after they moved into their first office. Dubizzle was largely bootstrapped. The founders took their only angel cheque in 2006 and used this money to become profitable. In 2010, they received an undisclosed amount of investment from Naspers to expand beyond the UAE. The strategic investment gave Naspers a 25 percent stake in Dubizzle. (Around the same time, Naspers bought a majority stake in OLX, a leading global online classifieds player dubbed as the Craigslist for non-US markets). JC and Sam sold another 28.6 percent of Dubizzle in 2013 to Naspers for $49 million cash. With this transaction, Naspers increased its total stake in the firm to 53.6 percent. (The media-reported number at the time was $120 million, which possibly included the fair value of the stake Naspers previously owned and other factors. The cash received by the founders was $49 million). That means an implied valuation of $171 million, which made it one of the largest exits in the Middle East at the time. The founders of Naspers moved back to the United States after the sale, with Naspers taking charge. The South African firm acquired the rest of the 46.4 percent stake in Dubizzle in 2018 (announced in 2019) for $190 million, at an implied valuation of $409 million. Assuming both founders had an equal stake in the firm, each walked away with about $120 million, 14 years after starting it. Not bad for a website started from the living room of a shared apartment by two guys who couldn't find a job. (This also assumes that Naspers acquired the stake owned by the angel when they invested in Dubizzle the first time). Dubizzle became a part of Emerging Markets Property Group (now known as Dubizzle Group) in 2020. As a result of this merger plus a $150 million investment, OLX Group acquired a 39 percent stake in EMPG. But more on that in another post.

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These valuable lessons underscore the crucial role of adaptation and innovation in response to rapid technological advancements in the business landscape. Embracing technology, effective change management, and fostering continuous innovation are key to thriving in a dynamic market. Resisting change without justification can have negative consequences, highlighting the importance of clear communication, strategic partnerships, and cultivating a culture of continuous improvement. Investing in technology not only enhances competitiveness but also streamlines processes and reduces operational costs. Leaders who embrace flexibility and prioritize innovation are better equipped to navigate technological shifts and drive organizational success. #Adaptation #Innovation #Technology #BusinessTransformation

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Wamda ومضة recently released the MENA startup funding update for H1 2024 and here are the updates 👇 The first half of 2024 has seen significant shifts in the MENA startup funding landscape. Total funding reached $882 million, marking a 46% decrease from H1 2023. Despite this overall decline, Q2 2024 showed signs of recovery with a 5% increase from Q1, raising $453 million. Key highlights: ✨ $116 million raised across 38 deals in June 2024 ✨ UAE leads with $455.5 million in total funding ✨ Saudi Arabia follows with $300 million ✨ Egypt experiences a sharp decline, raising only $83 million so far The sector dynamics have evolved, with proptech emerging as the top-funded sector at $200 million, overtaking the traditionally dominant fintech sector, which raised $156 million. SaaS startups have also gained significant traction, securing $164 million across 23 deals. Investment stages and business models show interesting trends: 🚀 Series A rounds dominated, raising $169 million across 17 deals 🚀 Seed stage remains attractive, with $131 million raised over 52 deals 🚀 B2B model surges by 153% YoY, reaching $473 million 🚀 B2C model declines by 64% YoY, settling at $356 million A concerning trend persists in the gender gap of funding. Female-led startups raised only $1.8 million across 15 deals, while male-led startups secured $760 million across 170 deals, highlighting a significant disparity in the ecosystem. The investor landscape sees Saudi and UAE-based VCs leading regional investments, with US and UK firms topping foreign investors. RZM Investment and Hope Ventures emerged as the most active investors, each participating in 7 deals. Looking ahead, despite the H1 slowdown, there's optimism for Q3. Several new VC funds have launched, with billions pledged for MENA tech investments, potentially signaling a more robust second half of the year for the region's startup ecosystem. #MENAStartups #VentureCapital #TechInvestment #StartupFunding https://lnkd.in/daStCCvS

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