Listen "VC React MENA E48: Robinhood Comes To MENA & Compete With Local Copies, Bulk Funding In Game Studios"
Episode Synopsis
VC React Podcast:Every week, we bring you insights and reactions from top VCs, LPs, & Angel Investors, reacting to the latest news on MENA startups, funds, and investment rounds. ---Hosts: Ahmad Takatkah, VCpreneur. Sign up to VCpreneur Newsletter on https://www.vcpreneur.com/Jamie Lane, FWDstart. Sign up to FWDstart Newsletter on https://archives.fwdstart.me/ ---Available on:Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@VCReactPodcastSpotify:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/vc-react-podcastApple:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vc-react-podcast/id1764834384---Guests:1. Fahad Alfaez, Investment Manager @ Jahez- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fahad-alfaez-830281166/- VC Firm Website: https://jahezgroup.com/2. Hussein Attar, CEO @ Tech Invest Com - LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/husseinattar/- VC Firm Website: https://techinvestcom.com/---#startups #vc #tech #ai #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #business #ipo #acquisitions #fintech #edtech #accelerator #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi ---Sponsors: 💸This week’s episode is brought to you by:- OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by 100+ companies like Careem, Lean Technologies, and ZenHR to automate collections, resolve disputes, and unlock financing with zero hassle. Visit: www.weareocta.com/fwdstart to get your first 6 months free.---News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.This Week On The VC React Podcast:🔁 Robinhood is expanding to Dubai. Big U.S. and European unicorns like Binance, Shopify, Stripe, Revolut, and now Robinhood are entering the GCC directly. Is this a sign that MENA is seen as an attractive emerging market? And does this mean local startups are forced to compete on a global level now?🧠 If the old MENA-VC playbook was: copy and hope to get acquired… what happens when the copied ones just … walk into your market? What does that mean for the local copies? How are founders and investors reacting to this?🎮 While the world is chasing AI, MENA is doubling down on gaming — with funding rounds coming in bulk: 17 game studios from Merak’s accelerator, and 5 more from Impact46 — what’s really happening here?💸 Can just one or two funds create a whole industry? Is Merak’s full-stack capital model … the future of building regional categories from scratch?📚 With all this funding, should local game developers lead with local stories and globalize later, or go global-first and localize later?💬 Finally, how can VC firms better communicate their brand and investment thesis to attract founders and LPs. ---(أحمد طقاطقه)---
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