Minting Unicorns - Blockchain, AI and Dubai, with Sonia Gokhale, VentureSouq
Today, we are kicking off a new series entitled Minting Unicorns - Blockchain, AI and Dubai, sponsored by the City of Dubai.
Dubai is the new global center of gravity, connecting the world in a way few places can. As a hub for trade, tourism, innovation, and finance, Dubai offers the ideal environment for startups and scale-ups to thrive. Entrepreneurs find a home here, whether in health-tech, fintech, AI, or renewable energy, supported by SME-focused programs that empower high-potential companies to scale globally. From flexible regulations to tax incentives, world-class infrastructure to access to global investors managing $1 trillion, Dubai understands what businesses need to scale fast.
In today’s episode, we are speaking with Sonia Gokhale, Co-founder at VentureSouq, to understand how venture capital is thriving within all that Dubai has to offer.
- Questions:
- Tell me and my audience a little bit about you.
- What is VentureSouq? What is your thesis as a venture fund?
- Why focus on Fintech and ClimateTech?
- How would you describe the tech and startup environment in Dubai?
- You are a MENA based venture fund, what drove you to start here? Is this where you are physically based as well?
- Dubai is increasingly being seen as a global fintech and ClimateTech hub. Can you explain how Dubai's startup ecosystem supports these sectors, and what advantages this offers for US-based investors looking to expand into the MENA region?
- How does the DIFC, the AI Campus or the Blockchain center contributing to success of the startups you invest in?
- What percentage of your portfolio is based in MENA?
- Can you give me an example or tell me a story of success coming out of VentureSouq? How did VentureSouq fuel that success?
- What advice would you give to the U.S.-based startups considering Dubai for expansion?
Links
- https://www.venturesouq.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonia-seth-gokhale-b0906014/
- https://blockchaincenter.ae/
- https://dubaiaicampus.com/
- https://www.difc.ae/
- https://www.investindubai.gov.ae/en/why-dubai/d33-agenda
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