Qatar Seen As Thriving Hub For Vcs And Innovation

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) On the back of its $1bn fund-of-funds programme launched last year by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Qatar aims to catalyse investments in startups and foster a vibrant ecosystem for innovation. This was emphasised during a recent panel discussion hosted by Startup Grind Qatar titled 'Qatar's VC Impact'. The event featured five key venture capital leaders who shared their insights and strategies for driving growth and addressing challenges within Qatar and the wider region.
Dr Mussaad al-Razouki, operating partner at Deerfield Management, underlined Qatar's potential in becoming a global leader in healthcare innovation. He explained that healthcare models tested in foreign markets like the US and Europe can be tailored to Qatar's robust education and healthcare systems.
“Whether it's investing in therapeutics, healthcare service companies, or medical technology companies, what works in New York can work here,” he said. Al-Razouki also lauded Qatar's genome programme as a critical asset for advancing biotechnology:“The Qatar genome programme is a vastly understudied population and positions the country as a hub for therapeutic innovation.”
Soumaya Ben Beya Dridje, partner at Rasmal Ventures, spoke about the importance of taking the lead in investment rounds to provide structure and added value for startups. She emphasised Qatar's strong regional corporates as a unique advantage for startups to scale quickly across the GCC.
She said Rasmal has signed several MoUs with key institutions here and other players in the ecosystem to bring in tech that is needed in the country. She also expressed her hope to back standout companies from Qatar, highlighting the collaborative nature of venture capital in the region.
Alina Truhina, founding & managing partner of A-typical Ventures, shared her vision for supporting early-stage entrepreneurs beyond funding. She discussed the Adventure Studio initiative, which offers mentorship and operational expertise to help founders build scalable businesses.
“Startups are the best agents of development and change. It's about solving basic needs and challenges, whether in healthcare, fintech, agriculture, or climate change,” explained Truhina, who also emphasised collaboration with institutions like Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) and the Qatar Research, Development and Innovation (QRDI) to create an integrated ecosystem in Qatar. Rishabh Aggarwal, principal at B Capital, highlighted key sectors like wealth-tech, cross-border payments, and consumer tech as promising areas for growth in Qatar. He pointed out Qatar's unique economic structure, which allows startups to achieve high margins and better cost-efficiency.
“We are seeing very interesting profits and phenomenal results from businesses here,” said Aggarwal, who also underscored the importance of attracting global tech talent and founders to Doha to drive innovation and cross-learning.
Pradeep Desu, operating partner at Human Capital, emphasised his firm's commitment to creating generational companies that not only generate financial returns but also address critical economic challenges.“Success will be measured by how many of these generational companies emerge from Qatar,” he said. Desu envisions Doha becoming a self-sustaining innovation hub that attracts global startups for its strategic location and supportive ecosystem:“I would like to see headlines celebrating Doha as a startup destination where ambitious founders build world-changing companies.”

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