Mark Chahwan

📢 Big news at Journify We’ve doubled our valuation, 5x’d our revenue in six months, and expanded across Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the broader Gulf. Today we’re proud to welcome Shorooq, Bunat Ventures, and Plug and Play Tech Center as strategic investors as we scale the next generation of AI-powered data infrastructure. This funding is not just a milestone. It is fuel to scale what we’re already seeing in-market: 📈 182% ROAS increase for Jarir Bookstore on Meta 📉 44% drop in CPP for Baytonia on TikTok ⚡ Real, measurable impact by activating first-party data across Meta, TikTok, Snap Inc., Google, and more. As cookies disappear, privacy expectations rise, and AI reshapes how we engage customers, brands need smarter, faster, more ethical ways to grow. That is exactly what we’re building. Grateful to our customers, investors, partners, and team for helping bring this vision to life. 🔗 Full story here: https://lnkd.in/dnKAYy9K #AI #FirstPartyData #Marketing #GCC #Data #Growth

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Yesterday on CNBC Arabia, I discussed the key drivers behind Ethereum’s strong rally — and why the momentum could still have room to grow. We touched on: 🔹 #Staking — and how its potential inclusion in U.S. Ethereum ETFs could transform institutional demand. 🔹 #Stablecoin growth — with $27.6 trillion in 2024 volumes, outpacing Visa + Mastercard combined. 🔹 Macro tailwinds — from USD weakness to potential interest rate cuts. Ethereum’s story right now isn’t just about price — it’s about infrastructure, regulation, and the next phase of adoption. I’ve also expanded on these ideas in my latest article: 💡 "$1B Ethereum ETF Inflows in One Day — Is Staking the Next Catalyst?" Read here ➡ https://lnkd.in/dpJH-Epy 🎥 Here’s the CNBC segment. What do you think — if #ETFs are allowed to stake, would it be super-bullish… or inflationary for #ETH? Unlock Blockchain

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Attention MENA fund managers: Your first LP meeting determines your entire fund's future. If you start with a pitch deck, you've already lost.   In MENA, only 10-15% of VC capital comes from institutions. The rest flows from family offices and sovereign wealth funds who invest based on trust built over 12-24 months. Your deck matters, but only after you've earned the right to present it through genuine relationship-building.   Just ask Amir Farha, who raised $54M for COTU Ventures focused on MENA startups.   Here's his proven playbook from our "How I Raised It" conversation:   𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 Don't try to be everything to everyone. Define your niche. Build credibility through your track record or angel investing experience. Start networking with family offices and sovereign wealth funds a year in advance.   𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 Your first LP is your bravest supporter. They validate your entire strategy. Look for alignment and existing trust relationships. Be prepared to offer discounted fees or larger allocations to early commitments.   𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 "It's not really a pitch," Amir explains. "It's just like, this is what I'm doing." Develop a concise deck highlighting your unique value proposition. Anticipate investor concerns and address them proactively.   𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗻 Build a comprehensive LP pipeline. Amir had 300+ calls that narrowed to 70 serious prospects. Prepare for rigorous due diligence on your track record and thesis. Engage experienced legal counsel for fund formation complexities.   𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 Expect 18-24 months for first-time fund closes. Stay persistent through setbacks—"naivety is a good thing," Amir admits. Only 10-20% of prospects will ultimately invest.   𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀 First-time MENA funds typically raise $10M-$50M. Getting one anchor LP for 20-30% of your fund makes everything easier. Successful fundraising requires the right strategy, persistent networking, and unwavering focus.   Swipe for Amir's complete 8-step playbook 👉   💰 𝘗.𝘚. 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭. 𝘎𝘦𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰'𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩. 𝘚𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘰 Fundingstack'𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 → https://fundingstack.com/ (𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘶𝘱)

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PIF accelerates its AI-driven investment strategy for 2025 impact The Public Investment Fund (PIF) has entered a new phase of high performance and strategic innovation, embedding advanced AI applications, smart automation, and digital capabilities into all its operations — redefining its investment methodology, management style, and ability to create broad economic and social impact. 🔅 With this transformation, PIF is now accelerating its investments, aiming to reshape the future of global investment, anchored on technological intelligence, precision, and agility. 🔅 Key performance milestones in 2024: ▪️ Assets under management reached SAR 3.424 trillion, up from SAR 2.871 trillion in 2023. ▪️ Priority sector investments under the Vision Realization Program totaled SAR 213 billion in 2024, pushing the cumulative figure since inception to over SAR 642 billion. 🔅 Vision 2025 targets: ▪️ Contribute SAR 1.2 trillion cumulatively to Saudi Arabia’s non-oil GDP through PIF and portfolio companies. ▪️ Stimulate an equal SAR 1.2 trillion in cumulative non-government investments. ▪️ Increase local content contribution to 60%. #PublicInvestmentFund #SaudiArabia #Vision2030 #InvestmentStrategy #ArtificialIntelligence #SustainableGrowth #GlobalEconomy #EconomicImpact #Innovation #PIF

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In the latest "Born to Disrupt" episode, I speak with Mark Walker and Simon Hardie and dive into the MENA venture capital landscape. In this podcast, I elaborate on the similarities and differences between the venture capital landscapes in Southeast Asia and the MENA region, and cite examples of companies relocating to the Middle East to tap into its burgeoning tech ecosystem, driven by government initiatives and a focus on sectors like AI, data centres, and healthcare. The conversation touches on the challenges and opportunities of investing in the Middle East, emphasizing the importance of targeting top-tier players within specific markets and the potential for companies to expand regionally and globally. Thanks to the DISRUPTS team for having me on the show. Link to the podcast here https://lnkd.in/gU3_PQPN

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Yesterday, an entrepreneur told me something simple but devastating: “We didn't fail because it was a bad product. We had to shut down because we weren't paid on time.” And the numbers back him up. In the UAE, 58% of B2B invoice value is overdue - and SMEs, already operating on the thinnest margins, feel it most. Cash flow dries up. Energy shifts from building to chasing. Growth stalls before it even begins. This isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s a systemic drag on innovation, jobs, and national competitiveness. In the UK, where SMEs face a similar challenge, policymakers have just unveiled the toughest crackdown on late payments in 25 years: - Maximum payment terms of 60 days, reducing to 45 - Audit committees legally required to scrutinize payment practices - Fines worth millions for repeat late-payers - Mandatory interest charges on late payments Why? Because late payments cost the UK economy £11 billion a year and shut down 38 businesses every day. Now imagine the scale of impact in the UAE, where SMEs make up 94% of businesses and over half of non-oil GDP. Yes - invoice factoring, AI-powered receivables, and fintech solutions can help. But at its heart, this is about fairness and trust. When an SME delivers on time, they deserve to be paid on time. It’s time for us to follow suit: - Embed transparency into payment practices - Hold large firms and public entities accountable - Build a culture where “on-time payment” is as sacred as “on-time delivery” Because the real test of how much we value small businesses isn’t in speeches or strategies. It’s in whether we pay them what we owe, when we owe it. #UAE #SME #Payments

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