- May 7, 2021
EPISODE #
Abdulaziz Al Loughani on scaling, exits and why regional VCs need to add more value
About this episode
Abdulaziz Al Loughani co-founded and managed [Talabat.com](http://talabat.com) before it was acquired by Rocket Internet for $170m in 2015. He is currently the CEO of Floward, a flowers and gifts ecommerce platform and the co-founder and managing partner of Faith Capital, a Kuwait based private Venture Capital firm investing in MENA startups.
Abdulaziz is a hardworking, brilliant and humble man whom I am proud to call a friend. He brings a lot of experience to the MENA startup scene and has even helped shape the Kuwaiti government’s strategy towards entrepreneurship and SMEs.
In this conversation we discuss his views on the regional Venture Capital firms (VCs) and why he believes that little value is added beyond cash. We also discuss what founders need to build a company that lasts forever, opportunities for founders in MENA, exits, IPOs and more. This episode is a must listen entrepreneurs, angel investors and VCs.
listen to the episode
guest profile
Abdulaziz Al Loughani
Abdulaziz Al Loughani is co-founder & CEO of Floward, a full-fledged flowers and gifts ecommerce platform covering the GCC region. He is also the co-founder and Managing Partner of Faith Capital, a private venture capital practice that invests in the MENA region.
Previously, Abdulaziz was the founding Executive Vice Chairman of the Kuwait National Fund for SMEs Development, a US$ 7 billion independent public institution responsible for developing the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Kuwait (2013-2017). He was a co-founder and CEO of Talabat.com until 2010, and has since then been investing in technology startups and has been involved in a number of local and regional entrepreneurial initiatives.
Abdulaziz has served as an executive and member of board on a number of companies within the MENA region in the technology, banking, healthcare, manufacturing, consumer finance, food & beverage and the real estate sectors.
Abdulaziz holds a Bachelor’s degree – with a double major in Information Systems and E-Commerce from the University of Toledo, and an MBA degree from London Business School.
Connect with Abdelaziz on LinkedIn