“It’s a nice getaway from every day work and you get a chance to meet old friends and make new friends. See what startups are looking for and investors are looking for…”
~Walid Mansour on the Step Conference
Show Takeaways:
On how the MENA startup ecosystem has evolved over the last few years…
The past five years have been where most of the acceleration has happened. More money, more entrepreneurs, more ideas, more exits, more of everything, there has been a very positive upwards trend.
On where the MENA startup ecosystem is heading next…
Technology companies and businesses are being more accepted as mainstream companies and everyday life usage of their solutions. As startups become larger and more mature, that leads to the creation of a bigger venture capital industry. MEVP also just announced at Step about it’s next $250 million dollar fund, which will focus on technology.
On what potential positive changes to see in the investment industry…
Walid would like to see investments become a more accepted asset class, which could drive more people to invest into the ecosystem and we will see more innovative technologies and solutions come out of it.
On the Step Conference…
Step is a chance to connect and see what is going on in the industry, meet some old friends and make some new friends. It’s a break away from our day to day and a chance to also see trends going on.
Check out more episodes from the 2018 Step Conference Series and learn more about MEVP (Middle East Venture Partners).
