Best Wamda Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 45 - How can Mena build a deeptech ecosystem? 32:56

2+ y ago32:56

32:56

Amr Awadallah is an Egyptian born computer scientist and entrepreneur based in Silicon Valley. What’s particularly interesting about Amr’s story is that he had no interest in becoming an entrepreneur. His plan was to become an academic and teach computer science back in Cairo. But while at Stanford University where he was doing his PhD, the startup…

1
Episode 44 - Can data ensure a startup’s success? 33:35

2+ y ago33:35

33:35

As the UAE went into a strict lockdown in 2020, those offering mobility solutions suffered immensely, among them car-leasing and subscription app, Invygo. But the startup not only survived, it grew thanks to a watchful eye on expenses and close examination of user behaviour. In this podcast we spoke with co-founder Pulkit Ganjoo about Invygo's use …

1
Episode 43 - What is so special about Jordan? 26:52

3y ago26:52

26:52

Almost a third of all the entreprenuers in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) are Jordanian, despite the country accounting for just 3 per cent of the region's total population. Jordan has become a major technology outsourcing hub thanks to its young, highly skilled population, bilingual in English and Arabic with a neutral accent; they are te…

1
Episode 42 - How is impact measured? 38:35

3y ago38:35

38:35

Most organisations around the world want to create “impact”, but what does this impact look like and what is the best way to measure it? Reem Khouri, co-founder of Jordan-based Whyise, believes the software solution she has developed can help companies and organisations track and measure the change they wish to bring. In this podcast we discuss the…

1
Episode 41 - Should we pay closer attention to Pakistan? 47:42

3y ago47:42

47:42

There has been a sudden spike in investment heading towards Pakistani startups, with Middle East investors leading a significant chunk of this trend. In the eight months to August, startups in Pakistan raised more than $200 million, an astounding amount when compared to the $66 million raised in total in 2020. Pakistan’s economy has all the right m…

1
Episode 40 - What is the main cause of stress for founders? 22:36

3y ago22:36

22:36

Wamda recently launched a report assessing the state of mental health and wellbeing of entrepreneurs in Mena. Based on data collected from 101 startup founders, the report shows that more than a third of startup founders rate their mental as "bad". To further discuss the findings and the future of the mental health sector in the Middle East, we spo…

1
الحلقة السادسة - كيف تطور سوق توصيل طلبات الطعام في مصر؟ 22:23

3+ y ago22:23

22:23

شهد سوق توصيل طلبات الطعام المصري نمواً كبيراً خلال جائحة كورونا، والتي ساهمت في ارتفاع معدلات الطلب عبر الإنترنت. وفقاً لموقع Statista، يقدر حجم سوق توصيل طلبات الطعام إلى حوالي 100 مليون دولار في 2021، ومن المتوقع أن تزداد قيمته السوقية لتصل إلى 145 مليون دولار في 2024، محققاً نمواً سنوياً بنسبة 13.5 في المائة. خلال عام 2020، حققت شركة طلبات مصر …

1
Episode 39 - Deepfakes: Who can we trust? 53:05

3+ y ago53:05

53:05

Deepfake technology has rapidly developed over the past few years and while many will have experienced it through fun apps designed to edit their own faces onto famous movie scenes, the technology beholds a far more sinister side. In this podcast we spoke with Mark Little, founder and CEO of Ireland-based Kinzen, a media startup whose technology he…

1
الحلقة الخامسة: كيف تجمع تمويل قدره ١١٠ مليون دولار؟ 33:29

3+ y ago33:29

33:29

كان 2020 عاما عصيبا لملايين الأشخاص في العالم، ولكن ليس لضيفنا الذي استغل ذلك الوقت لبناء واحدة من أكثر شركات التكنولوجيا المالية الواعدة في الشرق الأوسط. تحدثنا مع السيد عبد المجيد الصيخان، المؤسس المشارك والرئيس التنفيذي لشركة التقنية المالية السعودية ”تمارا“، وأخبرنا عن شركته الناشئة لخدمات الشراء الآن والدفع لاحقا (BNPL)، والتي تمكنت في تسعة أش…

1
Episode 38 - What is growth hacking? 48:53

3+ y ago48:53

48:53

It took Nader Sabry 139 attempts before he launched a prayer mat designed to alleviate pain using NASA technology. Once the prototype was ready, Sabry used several growth hacking techniques to fuel sales. After exiting the venture, Sabry has gone onto become a growth hacking expert, penning two books on the subject and advising startups on governme…

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الحلقة الرابعة - كيف وصل "نواة" لصدارة الشركات الناشئة في مجال العلوم الطبيعية 20:36

3+ y ago20:36

20:36

يواجه الباحثون في منطقتنا العربية العديد من التحديات، تتمثل في عدم توافر التقنيات الحديثة، وقلة التمويل المخصص للأبحاث العلمية أو الطبية وغيرها، لذلك يضطر العديد من الباحثين للهجرة وترك أوطانهم بحثًا عن فرص معيشية ومهنية أفضل، إلا أن مركز نواة العلمي، لمؤسسه دكتور عمر صقر، قرر مواجهة تلك الصعوبات وبدأ بتنفيذ خطة عمل لاستقطاب النابغين من خريجي الكلي…

1
Episode 37 - How can brands become TikTok famous? 55:07

4y ago55:07

55:07

What started out as a lip-syncing and dancing platform has, in the space of just two years, become the fastest growing app in the world. TikTok, has evolved dramatically since its launch and is now the latest platform for brands to consider. But creating content on TikTok is fundamentally different to creating content for other social media platfor…

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الحلقة الثالثة -كيف إستطاعت منصة مرني أن تكون احدى أكبر الشركات الناشئة في مجال معالجة أعطال الطريق؟ 16:53

4y ago16:53

16:53

في ديسمبر 2020، حصلت منصة مرني وهي منصة عاملة في مجال معالجة أعطال الطريق، على إستثمار جديد بقيمة 9.1 مليون دولار أمريكي (34 مليون ريال سعودي). منصة مرني حالياً تعد من أكبر الشركات الناشئة في الوطن العربي والسعودية تحديداً في مجال معالجة أعطال الطريق وتخدم أكثر من 600 الف عميل داخل المملكة العربية السعودية. تأسست مرني في عام 2014، وهي منصة متخصصة ف…

1
Episode 36 - How will life change after the vaccine? 49:47

4y ago49:47

49:47

When the pandemic first began to take hold, the development of a vaccination against the coronavirus wasn’t just a way to prevent its spread, but a means to go back to normality. Yet now that several vaccines have received approval and are being administered in many countries around the world, the route back to normality is looking rough and somewh…

1
Episode 35 - How did a high school dropout become a billionaire? 45:53

4y ago45:53

45:53

The school dropout who becomes a successful entrepreneur seems like a typical Silicon Valley success story, but where the likes of Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of university, Nikhil Kamath left school at the age of 14 with no qualifications. Twenty years later, Kamath is among India’s most successful entrepreneurs, having built Zerodh…

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الحلقة الثانية - كيف تنمو التكنولوجيا المالية في المنطقة وسط أطر تنظيمية غير واضحة؟ 37:57

4y ago37:57

37:57

برزت التكنولوجيا المالية بشدة مؤخراً كحل أمثل للمستهلكين، في ظل الإغلاق المتتالي لمقرات البنوك ومحلات الصرافة، وتسابق شركات البيع بالتجزئة على اقتحام عالم البيع عبر الإنترنت، لتفرض نفسها كحل للشركات التي تسعى لتقديم خدماتها المالية. جاء ذلك كنتيجة لجائحة كورونا التي سببت موجة ضخمة حملت العالم بشكل أسرع للعالم الافتراضي. تعد زيادة استخدام تطبيقات ال…

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Episode 34 - How do you seize a market opportunity? 30:30

4y ago30:30

30:30

Disaster for many evokes a sense of fear and danger and a desire to seek out safety and stability. But there are those who manage to seek out the opportunities in disasters. These people usually tend to be pioneers, innovators and risk-takers. This pandemic has caused a crisis unlike any other in modern history. Millions have suffered as a result, …

1
Episode 33 - What's next for traveltech? 42:29

4y ago42:29

42:29

The travel sector was the worst-hit during the lockdown and it will likely take years before numbers reach pre-Covid levels. Yet there are already signs of recovery and for some in the traveltech sector, opportunities have emerged to facilitate travel in this new age. In this podcast we speak with Amadeus Gulf managing director Ernesto Sanchez and …

1
Episode 32 - Why are there so few Emirati entrepreneurs? 35:43

4+ y ago35:43

35:43

Earlier this year Wamda published a report on the state of pre-seed startups in the Middle East and North Africa. What emerged from our research was that the UAE and in particular Dubai remains the hub of startup activity. Entrepreneurs from across the region flock to the UAE to set up base, but Emiratis make up less than 3 per cent of entrepreneur…

1
Episode 31 - How do you build a company to last? 45:55

4+ y ago45:55

45:55

Mudassir Sheikha and Magnus Olsson founded Careem in 2012 initially as a transportation service for the corporate world. It soon became the premier ride-hailing service in the Middle East and within four years grew to become the region’s first technology unicorn. Last year, US-based Uber acquired Careem in a deal with $3.1 billion, it was an exit u…

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Episode 30 - What happens when things don't go to plan? 38:32

4+ y ago38:32

38:32

At the start of this year, Wamda launched the second cohort of its fellowship programme, Wamda X. The 13 startups selected embarked on a series of workshops, one-to-one mentoring and exclusive events to kickstart their businesses. But towards the end, lockdown measures were enacted in the UAE and so plans had to change. The remaining workshops were…

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Episode 29 - How do you maintain the relevance of a brand? 37:38

4+ y ago37:38

37:38

Jones the Grocer is a staple of the UAE's restaurant scene, but few are aware of the legal and financial difficulties faced by Yunib Siddiqui, the man who introduced the brand to the country, as he attempted to build the chain amid a competitive food and beverage market. Now, the Coronavirus pandemic has hurled yet another challenge at Siddiqui. In…

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Episode 28 - Is the world going into hibernation? 36:34

4+ y ago36:34

36:34

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused an economic slowdown, one that risks a global recession. For many who have been sent to work from home, it may feel like going into hibernation, awaiting the moment when restrictions are lifted and life goes back to normal. But will we re-emerge to a familiar world? In this podcast we speak to an investor, an entrep…

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Episode 27 - How did Bahrain become a fintech hub? 31:55

4+ y ago31:55

31:55

Bahrain’s government has made vital steps to encourage entrepreneurship to stimulate its economy and one area where it seems to be excelling is in financial technology (fintech) with the establishment of the Bahrain Fintech Bay in 2018. The government-backed incubator, accelerator and sandbox has been issuing pioneering licences for fintech, making…

1
Episode 26 - How do we create AI in Arabic? 26:05

5y ago26:05

26:05

Jordan-based Mawdoo3, the largest Arabic online portal, realised the need for an Arabic digital voice assistant and so, it went about creating one. Given the complexities of the Arabic language and the many dialects spoken across the region, building an Arabic artificial intelligence (AI) tool is no easy feat. But now, after several years of resear…

1
Episode 25 - Can footsteps power our world? 12:38

5y ago12:38

12:38

Sustainability has emerged as one of the most dominating trends this past year, with greater focus on clean and renewable energy. For Laurence Kemball-Cook, founder of UK-based Pavegen, which produces tiles that harness kinetic energy to power streetlamps, it is footsteps that can provide clean energy to power a city. In this short podcast, Kemball…

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Episode 24 - Pivots and Failures with Repeat's Omer Aslan Gurel 33:02

5y ago33:02

33:02

Omer Aslan Gurel could have easily followed the path that was laid out for him – go to university and eventually join his family business. But he rebelled. Inspired by Richard Branson’s autobiography, Gurel decided to become an entrepreneur and launched his first venture in Dubai during his gap year. The success of his startup inspired him to conti…

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Episode 23 - Will travelling at speeds of 1000km/h change society? 18:33

5y ago18:33

18:33

The hyperloop is a new form of transport that, in theory, can travel at speeds of about 1000 kilometres per hour. Spearheading the design and implementation of the technology is the Virgin Hyperloop One. The company was in Dubai recently, showcasing its travel pod at Gitex. We spoke with its executive director of strategy and growth, Tim Wilkinson …

1
Episode 22 - Can artificial intelligence eradicate death? 30:42

5y ago30:42

30:42

Ben Goertzel is one of the most prominent artificial intelligence (AI) architects in the world. He is the founder of singularityNET and the chief scientist at Hanson Robotics, the makers of Sophia, the humanoid. In this podcast, Goertzel discussed the future of AI and the impact it will have on societies, economies and political systems of the futu…

1
Episode 21 - The Food Tech Series with For the Love of Bread 32:13

5+ y ago32:13

32:13

The food and beverage sector is incredibly competitive in the Middle East, something that Rami Badawi and Amber Haque are only too aware of. The couple opened and ended up shuttering two restaurants before founding their latest venture, a wholesale bakery. In this last episode of the Food Tech series we discuss the challenges facing the food sector…

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Episode 20 - How to identify the ideal startup founder 25:29

5+ y ago25:29

25:29

Wamda X was launched earlier this year to find and identify the region's best startup founders. The fellowship programme attracted some 600 applicants, but just two startups managed to reach the four-month finishing line. In this podcast, Wamda X chief Fares Ghandour discusses the characteristics of a successful founder and Caravan founder Syed Kar…

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Episode 19 - The Food Tech Series with El Grocer 20:19

5+ y ago20:19

20:19

The Middle East is no stranger to online food delivery. Apps like Zomato, Deliveroo and Talabat are found on almost every smartphone in the region, but increasingly consumers are becoming more comfortable with purchasing their groceries online. Nader Amiri founded El Grocer to bring the same ease of ordering his dinner to his weekly shop. In this p…

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Episode 18 - The Food Tech Series with Pure Harvest Smart Farms 24:05

5+ y ago24:05

24:05

We speak with Sky Kurtz, co-founder and CEO of Pure Harvest, smart farm in the UAE where they grow tomatoes hydroponically and how technology is changing agriculture.By Wamda

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Episode 17 - The Food Tech Series with LUNCH:ON 21:59

5+ y ago21:59

21:59

LUNCH:ON was founded by Dana Baki and Mohammad Al Zaben in 2015, delivering lunch to office workers in Dubai. Since then, it has expanded its presence to Dubai and will no be launching in Saudi Arabia. So how does a company whose core business comes from lunchtime orders survive during Ramadan?By Wamda

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Episode 16 - Google's policy recommendations for the UAE's tech entrepreneurship ecosystem 29:40

5+ y ago29:40

29:40

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has managed to diversify its economy away from oil by becoming the leading business hub for international corporations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Its tax-free environment, developed infrastructure and easy access to two-thirds of the world's population, have made it an attractive destination fo…

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Episode 15 - The growth of e-groceries with InstaSalla 31:54

6y ago31:54

31:54

InstaSalla is a Kuwait-based e-grocery company launched in 2016 by Smart Mart, an e-commerce platform. Today, InstaSalla is the leading e-grocery platform in the country, fulfilling some 500 orders a day. It has now set its sights on expansion, aiming to be in 10 countries by the end of 2020. Wamda's Sarah Abu Risheh spoke with Fayed Yousry, chief …

1
Episode 14 - Increasing competitiveness in the Arab World 28:33

6y ago28:33

28:33

The Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region has the highest unemployment and youth unemployment rate in the world at 10 per cent and 27 per cent respectively, as well as the lowest female participation rate at 21 per cent. These rather sobering facts were identified in the Arab Competitiveness Report 2018, published by the World Economic Forum. …

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Episode 13: Michael Arrington and Natalia Karayaneva hosted at Wamda 39:24

6+ y ago39:24

39:24

Since 2005, TechCrunch, founded by Michael Arrington, has been a primary source for global tech and innovation news, trends, and updates. By end of 2017, Arrington kicked-off a $100 million hedge fund, Arrington XRP Capital, entirely based on cryptocurrency, making a turning point in his career path, and making a steady statement in the world of st…

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Episode 12 - How to face the fear of missing out in the workplace : Patrick McGinnis Interview 9:59

7y ago9:59

9:59

Whether we like it or not, we are constantly being affected by the ‘fear of missing out’ or ‘FoMO’, a term coined by investor Patrick McGinnis in 2004. Patrick McGinnis. (Image via Patrick McGinnis' Twitter) Our generation is increasingly desiring to be connected to what others are doing in order to avoid the loss of potential fun experiences. Soci…

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Episode 11 - When less is more: The 10% entrepreneur by Patrick McGinnis 35:16

7+ y ago35:16

35:16

We’ve all met those entrepreneurs who brag about dropping everything just to follow their dream and start their own business. You need to be fully committed they’d say. “But what happens when a year or two down the line you fail?” asks investor Patrick McGinnis. Patrick McGinnis. Unlike the mentors who preach the all or nothing at all mentality, Mc…

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Episode 10 - Hiro Tamura on the state of tech and where it is headed 39:35

7+ y ago39:35

39:35

During an event for Wamda Capital’s investors and partners earlier this year, Hiro Tamura gave a presentation on global emerging trends in tech, highlighting tools and opportunities in MENA. Tamura is a partner at Atomico, a London based fund that opened it’s doors in 2006 and that invests in tech opportunities around the world, mostly focusing on …

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Episode 8 - Souq.com, Namshi, Careem Fireside Chat 30:53

7+ y ago30:53

30:53

Ronaldo Mouchawar, CEO of Souq.com, Faraz Khalid, cofounder and managing partner of Namshi, and Mudassir Sheikha, cofounder and CEO of Careem, as well as Wamda's Fadi Ghadnour are leading a discussion on the future of ecommerce in the MENA in light of Amazon's entry and AI's potential industry disruption. They discussed multiple key issues, includi…

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Episode 7 - Fintech in the Middle East [Podcast] 51:15

7+ y ago51:15

51:15

Fintech is hot. Globally, investments in fintech have been rising since 2012, and while they might drop slightly in 2017, according to CB Insights, the amount invested so far this year is around $2.7 billion. For the Middle East, things are getting a little warmer also. In the last 10 years, as we outlined in our recently published State of Fintech…

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A look at Turkey's Entrepreneurial Ecosystem 41:56

8y ago41:56

41:56

Join Wamda Capital's Turkey based Venture Partner, Kaan Kal?pç? as he discusses the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Turkey with Insider's Founder and CEO Hande Çilingir, and Founding Partner at Aslanoba Capital, Cankut Durgun.By Wamda

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Episode 5 - تطور ريادة الأعمال في المملكة العربية السعودية - KSA's Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development 34:43

8y ago34:43

34:43

????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ??????? ?? ?????? ???? ??????? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ??????? ???? ??????? ?????? ????? ????? ????? ????????? ????? ????????? ?????? ??????? ???????? ????? ???? ???????? ??? ???????? ?? ???? ????? ????? ??????? ?? ??????? Join Fadi Ghandour in our first Arabic podcast episode as he discusses the the development a…

1
Episode 4 - Digital content and digital spend in the MENA region 56:38

8+ y ago56:38

56:38

Khaled Talhouni moderates Wamda Capital's 4th podcast episode with his guests Ali Nehme, Chief Strategy Officer at Publicis Media Middle East, Diana Baddar Head of MENA partnerships at Youtube, Elias Mouawad, Chief Growth Officer at Kharabeesh, and Abed Agha, Managing Director at Vinelab. As they discuss the state of digital content and digital spe…

1
Episode 3 - E-commerce and payment in the MENA region 42:40

8+ y ago42:40

42:40

Join Khaled Talhouni as he discusses the state of e-commerce and payment trends, issues, and opportunities in the MENA region with his guests, Shant Oknayan Head of E-commerce, Retail, Online Services and Media at Facebook, Hussein Wehbi Country General Manager - UAE at Aramex, Omar Soudodi Managing Director at Payfort, and Ala' AlSallal Founder an…

1
Episode 2 - The state of the regional startup ecosystem 45:10

8+ y ago45:10

45:10

Special live taping of a panel discussion at Wamda Capital’s annual LP investor event. In this episode Fares Ghandour discusses the state of the regional startup ecosystem with Ronaldo Mouchawar, the CEO of Souq Group, Mudassir Sheikha, co founder and CEO of Careem, Jonathan Labin, ‎Managing Director, Middle East, North Africa & Pakistan at Faceboo…

1
Episode 1 - Welcome to the Wamda Capital podcast 32:55

8+ y ago32:55

32:55

This is The Wamda Capital podcast’s inaugural episode, one of many more to come where we’ll be hosting various guests from the tech and startup ecosystem. In this episode, Fares Ghandour, Partner at Wamda Capital, sits down with Fadi Ghandour, CEO & Chairman, and Khaled Talhouni, Managing Partner at Wamda Capital.…

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