1on1 Business & Marketing Mentoringstartups in dubai Archives - 1on1 Business & Marketing Mentoring

E102: Quit His Job To Build The Biggest Inflatable Waterpark In The World

Ahmed Al Kiremli — Sun, 08 Apr 2018 19:25:20 +0000

Ahmed Ben Chaibah

Founder & CEO of Aqua Fun (World’s Largest Water Inflatable Park)

Video Interview

Audio

Bio

Experienced Chief Executive Officer skilled in Negotiation, Corporate Communications, Market Research, Management, and Business Development. Strong entrepreneurship professional with a B.S focused in Computer Information systems with Emphasis in web developer/webmaster from the national American university.

34-year-old Emirati entrepreneur Ahmed Ben Chaibah has built the largest inflatable water park in the Middle East. Dubai Aqua Park, which can hold up to 500 people at a time on the 77 metre by 33 metre obstacle course, is located at The Beach opposite Jumeirah Beach Residence in Dubai Marina.

Established in 2013, Ben Chaibah’s start-up Aqua Fun launched the largest inflatable slide registered in the world on the occasion of the UAE National Day on the Abu Dhabi corniche. The company has since then expanded into other GCC countries, including Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

Ahmed’s Website
Aqua Fun’s FB Page
Ahmed’s Personal FB
Ahmed’s Linkedin

Interview Questions

• What’s your background before Aqua fun?
• You worked in events before Aqua fun, tell us more about that?
• How & Why did you start Aqua Fun?
• How do you describe your transition from Employee to Entrepreneur? And what did you learn from it?
• If you transition now again what would you do differently?
• How did you raise capital?
• How your business model works? Is it an entry fee?
• Do you have new investors for each branch?
• What are the challenges that you face in Dubai as business owner?
• What would you like to improve or develop more in Dubai?
• Do you have expansion plans?
• Tell us more about your other projects that you are currently working on or planning for the future?
• Share with us some of the tools or software that make you more efficient?
• What’s your daily life and work routine looks like?
• What’s one marketing strategy that helped you the most in developing your business?
• What are your other hobbies?
• Who are your top 3 mentors?
• If you are just starting today in your field, from where you will start and what are you going to focus on to be more successful?
• The most important factors for success in 3 words?
• What’s the biggest failure moment in your life and what did you learn from it?
• What are the Top 3 apps that you use on your smart phone?
• What are the habits that you are trying to develop to stay efficient?
• What do you do to change your mood when you are depressed?
• What’s the best advice that you ever received?
• If you have the chance, what would you say to advice your younger self?
• What are your top 3 favorite books?
• What are the top 3 people that you are inspired by?
• What makes you really happy?
• How people can contact you?

Sponsors

The post E102: Quit His Job To Build The Biggest Inflatable Waterpark In The World appeared first on 1on1 Business & Marketing Mentoring.

E45: How to Raise Capital for your Startup from a VC, Put the Right Value for your Startup and How the Venture Capital Structure Works – Interview with Swatick Majumdar

Ahmed Al Kiremli — Tue, 10 Mar 2015 17:29:15 +0000

Swatick Majumdar

(MANAGING DIRECTOR of DEV VC, he’s an Expert in VC Investments and Startups with focus on Technology and Entertainment)

How a VC Company Raises Capital for its Investments? What is the Usual Structure and Positions of a VC Company? MANAGING DIRECTOR vs. VENTURE PARTNER in a VC company?

How new Startups can Pitch Dev. to Raise Capital? How to Value Your Startup? What are the challenges to expand the VC and startup culture in the Middle East?

Video Interview

With English and Arabic Subtitle

Audio

Bio

Swatick Majumdar is a MANAGING DIRECTOR of DEV. Previously he was with Chatsworth Securities, a Greenwich, CT based boutique investment bank. At Chatsworth Mr. Majumdar focused his investment banking activities on the US-India corridor where he helped execute numerous successful financings in various sectors including Technology, Media and Telecommunications, Renewable Energy, Biotechnology and Medical Devices.

Mr. Majumdar has also held key positions at Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC and Josephthal & Co. He was also an entrepreneur and founder of Riverhead Sports Management, a hospitality and entertainment company. Swatick has been sought out as a speaker, a panelist and a moderator at industry events in the US, India and the United Arab Emirates.

Mr. Majumdar received his Masters Degree in Applied Economics from University of Lucknow, India and a Masters Degree in Computer and MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS from University of Central Texas (A&M Central Campus). He has been active as an advisor in the start-up evolution of companies and brings a wealth of global relationships, expertise and operating history to the team at DEV.

Swatick is a trained volunteer at the American Red Cross and represents the Disaster Action Team (DAT) of Long Island. He also volunteers his time in India for causes related to children. Swatick is active in local politics and supports issues related to economy and education. He is an avid sportsman and was a Marshall at the Barclay’s PGA Golf tournament.

About DEV

DEV fuels the companies that transform media and entertainment. Our portfolio of investments and advisory clients span music, TV/film, games, publishing and social media.

DEV Fund We INVEST seed stage capital in startups and early stage capital in companies that are on a roll. Here are some of the things we look for: Your business should represent a transformative trend in media and entertainment, and the product you are selling should fill a genuine gap or need in the marketplace. You should be able to validate your business concept and identify several natural exit opportunities. Key developmental milestones should be achievable at low cost and your product should have the potential to reach significant scale. Your management team should have prior operating experience and include thought leaders in their field. You should have a strong presence in New York City and our team should be able to add value.

DEV Advisors We offer consulting and advisory services by a team with extensive experience in building companies and monetizing digital media. Our expertise includes: Strategic business development. Content licensing and rights negotiation. Distribution strategy. Strategic partnerships. Introductions to key executives in media and entertainment. Business plan and INVESTMENT presentation development. Competitive analysis. Vendor selection. INVESTMENT and fundraising strategy.

DEV Korea DEV has established a global profile with offices in New York and Seoul. DEV Korea, located in the heart of Seoul’s vibrant Gangnam district, brings the knowledge and experience to build a new venture ecosystem. Korea is on the cusp of an explosion in tech and new media startups and DEV Korea is uniquely positioned to provide the right blend of investment and guidance. DEV provides a platform for Korean ventures seeking US distribution and US startups that are ideal candidates to enter the Korean market. We are committed to helping local brands become strong global brands. The DEV Korea Discovery Fund is building an extensive portfolio of the most promising early stage Korean companies. Groups of ten companies are periodically selected to participate in an intensive acceleration program that is split between Seoul and New York City.

DEV Accelerator The DEV Accelerator Fund is INVESTING in hundreds of early stage companies by working through established U.S. and global accelerator programs.

Websites & Social Media Links

https://devny.vc

https://blog.devny.vc

https://www.facebook.com/dev

https://twitter.com/dev

https://www.linkedin.com/company/dev

https://plus.google.com/106204736500684207167/posts

https://www.linkedin.com/in/swatickmajumdar

https://twitter.com/swatickmajumdar

Interview Questions

How did you start in the investment world and what’s your background?
How a VC company raises capital for its investments?
What is the usual structure and positions of a VC company?
What’s the investment sentiment in the US today?
MANAGING DIRECTOR vs. VENTURE PARTNER in a VC company?
How the management fee for operating the fund and the carried interest on investments for a VC company works, in other words how a VC company MAKES MONEY?
How DEV accelerator works and what makes it different from other accelerators?
How much is the range of your investment per startup?
Which kind of startups you are looking for?
How new startups can pitch you?
Do you still need full projections studies or you accept sometimes some realistic studies based on one page excel sheet file?
How do you help the startups that you invest in or advice to exit?
Based on what you value a new startup with no sales?
How much would you value a company with $100000 sales per year and 20% profit? And with a 10% growth per year, in operations for 3 years?
Form your experience; your successes were mainly related to the great idea of the startup or the entrepreneur?
What are your most successful startups that you invested in and why you think they are very successful?
Why you decided to open a branch in Korea specifically?
Why currently you are thinking of expanding your presence to the Middle East?
What are the challenges to expand the VC and startup culture in the Middle East?
Do you think that the tech startup world is a bubble?

What’s your advice for new entrepreneurs to be able to raise capital successfully?
Tell us more about your other projects that you are currently working on or planning for the future?
What’s your daily life and work routine looks like?
What are your other hobbies?
Who are your top 3 mentors?
What’s the biggest failure moment in your life and what did you learn from it?
What are the Top 3 apps that you use on your smart phone?
What’s the best advice that you ever RECEIVED?
If you have the chance, what would you say to advice your younger self?
What are your top 3 favorite BOOKS?
What makes you really happy?
How people can contact you?

Transcript

Sponsors

The post E45: How to Raise Capital for your Startup from a VC, Put the Right Value for your Startup and How the Venture Capital Structure Works – Interview with Swatick Majumdar appeared first on 1on1 Business & Marketing Mentoring.

E44: How to Build your Startup in Dubai from Finding the Right Co-Founder, Having a Licence & Location with Minimum Cost To Raising Capital & Working with the Right Incubators, Accelerators & Investors – Interview with Walied Albasheer

Ahmed Al Kiremli — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 09:35:00 +0000

Walied Albasheer

(The Founder & CEO of Inbound LLC & Stationery Inc. Co-Founder at Amanah XData LLC and Formula World Sport)

The complete details about the Entrepreneurial journey of Walied Albasheer from India to Oman and then to Dubai?

How stationary.ae works as system and How Walied Albasheer managed to raise capital for the company, and more details Dubai startups like How much Incorporating a company in the BVI Costs on Annual Basis or which Accelerator or Incubator you have to Choose for your Startup

Video Interview

With English and Arabic Subtitle

Audio

Bio

Walied is a fifth generation entrepreneur with career starting on 1995 when he was adviced by a college friend to “check the internet”. Walied then co-founded City Cyber Cafe in Pune, India in 1996. He exited from City Cyber Cafe in 1998 when co-founded www.cityshow.com in GCC starting from Oman, Leaving to Dubai Walied Joined the founding team for major government online intiative to promote commerce & tourism in UAE www.sharjahtourism.ae, He founded sharjahimage.com to be one of the first digital stock image library in the region.In 2003 he was a member of the founding tea, for Emirates InvestmentGroup a group turned 8 billion dirham multi acitivty business. In 2004 Walied Founded Techoz Ltd as international business company in Sechelles to transfere knowlegde to african countries. In 2006 Walied co-founded Formula World Sport as the first sport marketing agency in the region, taking it to global sucess by aquiring the execlusive world promotership for UIM F2 World Cup Powerboats chamionship. In 2007 Walied co-found xData proving real time market data feed from stock exchanges house, the company was later sold to Interactive Data a leader in financial information market.

Walied Albasheeris an Intrapreneur turned entrepreneur after years of experience in E-business innovation, corporate strategy & startup management . Walied has significant exposure in Product Development, E-Business, Digital Media, Enterprise Architecture, Technology Transformation, Project Management, Enterprise Performance Management, Management Information System & Customer Relationship Management. Walied Albasheer have worked in UAE, GCC, Middle East, Europe & Far east, with industries such as government, tourism, hospitality, real estate, sports, events, finance, aviation, marketing agency . Executive Summary * Technically-sophisticated and business-savvy management professional with a pioneering career reflecting strong leadership qualities coupled with enormous experience. * Eminent leadership expertise with exemplary record in driving management methodologies and disciplines spanning estimation, contracting, project planning, risk management, progress tracking & analysis, report and other related factors. * Results-driven strategist, recognized for taking on major initiatives, adapting to rapidly changing environments and resolving mission-critical issues to ensure bottom-line success. * Management style characterized by a focus on discipline, prioritization, and keeping focus on mission critical objectives. * A visionary leader with good communication, team building and management, interpersonal & analytical skills.

Websites & Social Media Links

https://stationery.ae

https://www.facebook.com/Stationery.ae

https://www.facebook.com/walied.al.bahsser

https://twitter.com/waliedalbasheer

https://twitter.com/stationerydotae

https://www.linkedin.com/in/waliedalbasheer

Interview Questions

What’s your background and why did you go to India?
Will talk about your startups journeys then ask you to tell us how the new Entrepreneurs in Dubai should start their startup?
How did you start your first Internet café venture, in 1996 and why did you exit from it?
Brief us about your journey from India to Oman to Dubai?
Tell us about your employment life in Dubai and what did you learn from heading the eBusiness at Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority
Why did you quit the employment life into entrepreneurship?
How did you end up in Sechelles in 2004? And what did you do?
In 2006 you co-founded Formula World Sport as the first sport-marketing agency in the region, what was this company involved in and what happened to it later?
Between 2008 and 2011 you worked as advisor at Enshaa PJSC and Emirates investment group, what these experiences have added to you?
You founded Inbound LLC in 2011? Tell us about this company?
How stationary.ae works?
How did you raise capital for stationary.ae
How much the web development of the stationay.ae cost you and which company implemented the development, and who does the continuous maintenance currently?
Which one of all your startups you consider the most successful?
How much incorporating a company in the BVI costs and how much then it cost on annual basis? And legal services or lawyers you recommend working with?
How do you describe your experience with the Cribb and In5?
Tell us about your involvement with Elance?
What’s the first thing a new startup in Dubai should do? If you have the opportunity to do your journey in Dubai again how would you do it? Take us step by step through the process?
Step by step how to start a startup in Dubai?
What are the most areas that you struggle with when you start a startup?
How to find the right cofounder for a startup?
Tell us more about your other projects that you are currently working on or planning for the future?
Share with us some of the tools or software that make you more efficient?
What’s your daily life and work routine looks like?
What are your other hobbies?
Who are your top 3 mentors?
The most important factors for success in 3 words?
What’s the biggest failure moment in your like?
What are the Top 3 apps that you use on your smart phone?
What are the habits that you are trying to develop to stay efficient?
What do you do to change your mood when you are depressed?
What’s the best advice that you have ever received?
What’s your favorite quote?
What are your top 3 favorite books?
What are the top 3 people that you are inspired by?
What makes you really happy?
How people can contact you?

Transcript

Sponsors

The post E44: How to Build your Startup in Dubai from Finding the Right Co-Founder, Having a Licence & Location with Minimum Cost To Raising Capital & Working with the Right Incubators, Accelerators & Investors – Interview with Walied Albasheer appeared first on 1on1 Business & Marketing Mentoring.

E22: How to Raise Capital for your Startup through an Accelerator or Incubator, and when to Pitch an Angel Investor or a VC? – Interview with Kamal Hassan

Ahmed Al Kiremli — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 21:23:15 +0000

Kamal Hassan

(General Partner of Fenox Venture Capital, Founder of i360accelerator for Startups, President & CEO of Innovation 360 Institute and Managing Director of Turn8 a seed accelerator program initiated by DP World)

How the Process of Startups Acceleration Works? And the Investment in Technology Startups will Lead us to a new Bubble?

How General Partners and Advisors at a VC Firm get Paid? What’s the Difference between a VC and Private Equity? What are the Different Levels of Investments?

Video Interview

With English and Arabic Subtitle

Audio

Bio

Kamal Hassan is General Partner at Fenox Venture Capital, based out of Dubai office and leading the operations in the Middle East. He is a 20-year veteran of the business world with expertise in corporate strategy, innovation management, performance excellence, as well as startup development and growth.

Concurrent to his role at Fenox, Kamal is founder, President and CEO of Dubai-based Innovation 360, a global innovation management firm. As an active supporter of startups and SMEs, Kamal has invested in 19 startups through regional seed funding programs. He is the driving force behind i360accelerator, a 120-day accelerator program for startups, as well as a Managing Director for TURN8, a seed accelerator program organized by DP World.

Websites & Social Media Links

https://i360accelerator.com/

https://i360institute.com/

https://thecribb.co/

https://www.turn8.co/

https://fenoxvc.com/

https://www.facebook.com/i360accelerator

https://www.facebook.com/AtTheCribb

https://twitter.com/Innovation360

https://www.facebook.com/kamal.hassan.56

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamal12hassan

Interview Questions

How did you do the transition from biology & genetics to startups & investments?
Why you decided to come to Dubai and develop the startup community in Dubai?
Why & How the Turn8 project started by DP world?
What’s the difference between i360accelator & DP World’s seed accelerator Turn8? And the Cribb?
How the process of the acceleration works?
Do the startups need to open a company to be listed in the Cribb?
Which criteria you use to select startups at the Cribb or Turn8?
What’s the percentage of startups that you choose from the total applied companies?
What happens after the graduation of the startups? Do you introduce them to VCs or Angel Investors?
What’s the most successful startup in terms of net profit that came through the Cribb or Turn8 program?
What are the major challenges that you are facing with the new startups in the region?
What are the major challenges for the startups in Dubai?
Is there’s a real environment of Angel Investors in Dubai? Is the startup market is mature enough?
How different is the VC & Angel Investing world between the Middle East and the US?
What’s the difference between a VC and Private Equity Firm?
You are a general partner at Fenox Venture Capital, what’s the usual structure of a VC company? What does partner or general partner means?
How those principals, general partners, advisors get paid?
How do you select the general partner or advisor in your VC?
What are the different series of investment Example what you call Series A up to the IPO?
On which criteria would you choose the right IPO market for a Startup or company?
How somebody can pitch Fenox for investment? It can be an early stage startup or after the Angel round?
What’s the system that startups follow to put a value for their startup? Don’t you think these values are exaggerated most of the time?
Do you think this focus in investing in technology will lead us to a bubble?
How about the offline or physical products project which is representing more than 90% of the projects in the world? Do you or Fenox or the Cribb invest in?
How the consultancy services of the innovation 360 works? Do you provide 1:1 coaching?
What’s your personal portfolio of investments?
How a startup can pitch you?
Tell us more about your other projects that you are currently working on or planning for the future?
Take us through your typical working day?
What are your other hobbies?
3 things that you believe are the most important factors for any success?
What are the Top 3 apps that you use on your smart phone?
What are the habits that you are trying to develop to stay efficient?
What are your top 3 favorite books?
What are the top 3 people that you are inspired by?
What are the things that make you happy?
How people can contact you?

Transcript

Sponsors

The post E22: How to Raise Capital for your Startup through an Accelerator or Incubator, and when to Pitch an Angel Investor or a VC? – Interview with Kamal Hassan appeared first on 1on1 Business & Marketing Mentoring.

E9: How to Start A Customer Loyalty System Company in Dubai without any Trade License Fees and Raise Capital For it – Interview With Ismail Issa

Ahmed Al Kiremli — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 19:14:45 +0000

Ismail Issa

(Entrepreneur & Technology Evangelist, Co-Founder and CEO of Ta3rifa)

How to Raise Money for Your Startup in Dubai and Register it Offshore

How to Start a Company in Dubai without Paying any fees for the Trade License

Video Interview

With English and Arabic Subtitle

Audio

Bio

Ismail Issa is an Entrepreneur & technology Evangelist, he’s the co-founder and CEO of Ta3rifa a (customer loyalty system and marketing tool), and several other technology startups,

As an Entrepreneur, Issa is also is the co-founder of variety of technology related startups as: MoCCA: Stands for “Mobile Creative Communication Architecture” is an innovative idea for telecommunication project. The idea is based on the integration of different telecom technologies in one solution. It is composed of an affiliation of 3 major components (SMS/MMS, Fax and Email services) with a fourth component (Voice) to follow in the second stage. vGate: A java-based platform for creating a collaborative and interactive 3D virtual worlds to deliver web-based solutions which will create a fully interactive virtual e-malls or e-institutes. FilSekka: A social-based activities and location platform which yields to smartly gives you the easiest access to you favorite locations through your mood, favorites and friends preferences.  This besides a SoLoMo (Social-Location-Mobile); a Dubai based start-up which aims to implement a unique and innovative approach for loyalty and incentives solution for the first time in UAE and MENA region.

Websites & Social Media Links

https://www.ta3rifah.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ta3rifah

https://about.me/iissa

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ismailissa

https://www.facebook.com/ismail.eissa

https://twitter.com/egcoder

Interview Questions

• What is ta3refah and how its started as an idea?
• How did you raise capital for your idea?
• Are you planning to raise more?
• What are the ways that you used to raise capital for your dream
project?
• What are the other ways that you know or recommend to raise capital
for new startups?
• I see that Ta3rifah was listed in many famous media channels, how
did you do that?
• Did you work on any other startups before?
• Optimum is one of the companies that you founded, is it a web
services company?
• What is the in5 providing you as new startup in terms of services or
support?
• What are the other similar places to the in5 in dubai?
• Take us through your typical working day?
• What are the current challenges that you are facing as startup?
• What are the Top 3 apps that you use on your smart phone?
• What are the main challenges for the startups in dubai?
• How many co-founders and employees are currently with you?
• What are the habits that you are trying to develop to stay efficient?
• What’s your advice to the new startups?
• What are your top 3 favorite books?

• What are the best startups competitions in the region?

• What are the top 3 people that you are inspired by?
• What are the things that makes you happy?
• How people can find you or contact you?

Transcript

Sponsors

The post E9: How to Start A Customer Loyalty System Company in Dubai without any Trade License Fees and Raise Capital For it – Interview With Ismail Issa appeared first on 1on1 Business & Marketing Mentoring.