Key Takeaways
- DASH Ventures has institutionalized its brand and leadership team to leverage its experience in building sustainable businesses.
- The firm focuses on finding a perfect balance between empowering entrepreneurs to have conviction in their ideas and serving as a soundboard for bringing someone on strategy for the future.
- DASH Ventures invests in all sectors, including fashion, jewelry, media, B2B, and e-commerce, and has invested in SMEs in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Canada.
- For investors to collaborate and create a more methodical approach to investing in the region, cross-border operations must be encouraged.
- To reduce volatility in the region, there is a need for a longer-term view that considers terrible and good opportunities.
In the recent marketplace session entitled "VC Talks: Diving into DASH Ventures," Aboudi Al Qattan, the Principal of DASH Ventures, emphasized the need to establish deeper ties in the region and between entrepreneurs. Qattan stated that the DASH leadership team has leveraged a wealth of experience in building sustainable businesses. As investors and venture capitalists, they have made their fair share of mistakes, but their transparency and commitment to building foundational companies have helped them establish a strong portfolio. DASH Ventures places governance at the forefront and sits on the board of over half of the companies in its portfolio, ensuring they have great relationships with those around the board. For DASH, the most important thing is finding the perfect balance between empowering entrepreneurs to have conviction in their ideas and serving as a soundboard for bringing someone on strategy for the future. DASH Ventures invests across all sectors, including fashion, jewelry, media, B2B, e-commerce, and more. In 2020, DASH consciously decided not to invest in any pandemic-driven companies and instead invested in SMEs. Qattan believes their obligation is to their portfolio and that working together as an industry is critical to the region's success. Qattan believes that cross-border operations must be encouraged and that governments have done a great job setting up local initiatives, regulations, etc. He emphasized the need for a longer-term view, stating that the region needs to be less volatile. Qattan believes that we are at an exciting time in DASH's history and that the quality of pipeline companies has improved substantially. The timing is perfect for the region, with demographics demanding good products and providing feedback to startups. There is also abundant locally grown companies and funds, and international investors are paying attention to the industry and developing a more methodical approach. In conclusion, DASH Ventures' approach to governance, investment in a wide range of sectors, and its commitment to collaborating with co-investors and entrepreneurs across the region position it as a strong player in the VC industry.
