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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