TLDR:
- COTU Ventures has launched its first fund with $54 million to invest in MENA founders at the Pre-Seed and Seed stages.
- The fund is sector-agnostic and has already invested in over 20 early-stage companies in the region.
One of the longest-serving MENA VCs, COTU Ventures, has announced the launch of its first fund with a total of $54 million. The fund is focused on investing in extraordinary founders in the MENA region at the earliest stages of their startup journeys, specifically targeting the Pre-Seed and Seed stages. The firm, which stands for Champions of the Underdog, believes in investing where founders are most underestimated.
Amir Farha, the founder and GP of COTU Ventures, highlighted the favorable conditions in the region, including the opening up of Saudi Arabia internationally and government initiatives to drive technology sectors. The fund, which is sector-agnostic, typically invests between $500K to $1.5M as a first check and has already invested in over 20 early-stage companies, including Huspy, Supy, MoneyHash, and Sirdab.
COTU’s unique approach involves extensive and candid conversations with founders to build trust and depth, enabling them to make effective investment decisions. The firm believes in arming founders with the right resources, perspectives, and relationships to help them make better decisions as their startups grow.
The fund’s limited partners include Lunate, Mubadala, Dubai Future District Fund, Arab Bank, Bupa KSA, and GPs from VCs like Foundry Group, Tribe Capital, and Stride. COTU Ventures, founded in 2021, primarily focuses on investing in the MENA region, with a focus on UAE, KSA, and Egypt.
Overall, COTU Ventures is aiming to support early-stage entrepreneurs in the region and accelerate their path to success through strategic investments and valuable support across various key areas of startup growth.
