Mohammed is the Managing Partner at Nama Ventures, a pre-seed / seed stage fund fueling tech

innovation in the MENA region, especially in Saudi. Previously, he was the managing director of

Tharwa Capital, a Dubai based financial investment and advisory firm focusing on the technology

equity markets.

He’s also led the Venture Capital practice at Global Investment House, a Kuwait based investment

company. Prior to that, he was the Director of Technology Investments at Dubai Silicon Oasis

Authority (DSOA). and the Founder and CEO of Sulaf Solutions, a tech solutions provider based in Silicon Valley.

Mohammed has worked and consulted for many blue chip technology companies as well as been an active Angel investor. He’s a member of Sand Hill Angels (SHA), on the Advisory Board of LinkSV, an Advisory Board member of kyube.com, and a founding board member of Techwadi.

Mohammed is a mentor to many regional technology companies and an advisor with In5 incubator in

Dubai and Oasis 500 incubator in Jordan. He holds an MBA from London Business School and has a BS in Electrical Engineering from Brigham Young University.

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The Startups Arabia Podcast connects you to the most prominent founders, investors, and operators of the Arab region. You will be inspired by their success, the challenges they overcame and the opportunities they see.

Follow us on our social media platforms to stay updated and get in touch:

LinkedIn: Startups Arabia Podcast

Twitter: @ArabiaStartups

Facebook: @startupsarabia

Youtube: Startups Arabia Podcast

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Mohammed’s LinkedIn account: @Mohammed Alzubi

Nama Ventures’ Website: https://www.namaventures.com/

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SHOW NOTES:

00:00 Introduction of Mohammed Alzubi

03:14 The Decision to Return to the MENA Region after years in Silicon Valley

07:40 The Entrepreneurial Experience and Its Impact on Investing

17:03 The Founding and Vision of Nama Ventures

20:49 Investment Philosophy: The Importance of Team

25:22 Decision-Making Process at Nama Ventures

32:01 Brev.dev's Journey to Acquisition by NVIDIA

40:42 The Power of a Complementary Team

42:06 From Founder to Investor

44:30 Launching a New Podcast

45:22 The Story of Salla

46:29 Localizing Business Models for MENA

54:08 Navigating the Saudi Startup Ecosystem

01:01:01 Investing in Funds as an LP and the Value of Trust

01:06:56 The Importance of Effective Boards

01:13:39 Concluding Remarks and Quickfire Questions