VC React MENA E57: Jahez + noon against Keeta, Shgardi shuts down, DataCamp acquires UAE’s Optima
VC React Podcast
EdTech Challenges Despite AI Potential
Hosts discuss why edtech struggles—long sales cycles, government procurement, and sticky customers—despite promising technology.
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.
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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/
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Available on:
- Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@VCReactPodcast
- Spotify:https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/vc-react-podcast
- Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vc-react-podcast/id1764834384
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Guests:
1. Amjad Ahmad, Managing Partner & Emerging Markets Advisor @ 500 Global
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amjadahmadvc/
- Company Website: https://500.co/
2. Hasan Haider, Founder and Managing Partner @ Plus VC
- LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hasanhaider/
- Company Website: https://plus.vc/
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#startups #vc #tech #ai #investments #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #venturedebt #business #ipo #acquisitions #fintech #edtech #accelerator #web3 #crypto #blockchain #defi
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Sponsors:
💸This week’s episode is brought to you by:
- OCTA – the AI-powered accounts receivable platform trusted by hundreds of 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.
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News of the week brought to you by FWDstart.
This Week On The VC React Podcast:
- Jahez x noon team up after years as rivals – smart defensive play or last stand against a deep-pocketed new entrant flooding the region with subsidies?
- Why food delivery unit economics in places like Kuwait & Bahrain are so attractive that global players had to show up
- How founders of listed tech companies should think about stock price, storytelling, and life “in the glass house” post-IPO
- First casualty? Shgardi, a Saudi delivery player, shuts down. Is this just bad luck, or the start of a real shakeout in food delivery & fintech across MENA?
- Protectionism vs. smart government support: should sovereign wealth funds back local champions directly or focus on building a real LP & growth-capital ecosystem?
- What “local startup” even means in a global-by-default world (is it nationality, HQ, employees, or real commitment to the region?)
- Why many seed/Series A fintech players may not survive the next few years – and when an early M&A exit is actually the rational choice
- DataCamp acquires UAE’s Optima for $15M, turning founder Yousef into Global Chief AI Officer. Healthy early win for the ecosystem – or another “sold too early” AI/edtech moment?
Here is the DataCamp Podcast we referred to in the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNTKLbMwi8M
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