TWO YEARS OF SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN MENA IT’S OUR ANNIVERSARY! IS YOUR DOING BUSINESS BUSINESS GOING TO ATTRACT (RIGHT) FUNDING? LINKS GROUP FOUNDING PARTNERPARTNER REGIONAL INVESTORS ON EVALUATING JOHN MARTIN YOUR STARTUP PITCH WALID TAHABSEM MEHMET AtICI ST. VALERY SAMI ABOU SAAB MOHAMMED AL-AYOUTI OMAR J. SATI THE NEGOTIIATIION LAITH ZRAIKAT HANDBOOK FOR ENTREPRENEURS GET WHAT YOU WANT, WHEN YOU WANT IT BRO CODE TEENAGE ‘TREPS AMER AND MOHAMED YAGHI 9 772312 595000 > FEBRUARY 2016 | WWW.ENTREPRENEUR.COM/ME | QAR15 Q70 Qatar Today English FP 20.5X27.indd 1 8/19/15 3:37 PM FEBRUARY 2016 CONTENTS 68 Mehmet Aitici and other regional investors tell you what they look for when evaluating your pitch 50 44 52 56 TECH: ONLINE ‘TREP CULTURE: TRAVEL SHINY Bridging the gap LIFE Genuine hospitality #TamTalksTech Attracting offline shoppers Action paired with The Four Seasons Amman’s Gadgets and doodads to your e-commerce intention can make this Vincent Hoogewijs would that you might’ve missed startup can be done. your year like you to get settled in out on, sourced by a tech CAC isn’t as hard as one Building an accountability (comfortably), and he’s aficionado. Yes, it’s okay to might think if you follow structure for achievement executing a top-to-bottom want them all… and no, it’s these five tips by Pricena can make all of the differ- renovation to make that not our fault. founder Haneen Dabain. ence in your performance. possible. 42 45 Xiaomi smartphones MOBILE TECH launch in Dubai Xiaomi launches in the Middle East Four devices with some pretty interesting specs were introduced at the UAE launch event. 16 Mudassir Sheikha 50 and Magnus Olsson, EHang 184, the world’s first electric, personal co-founders, Careem Autonomous Aerial Vehicle, introduced at the 2016 International Consumer Electronics Show FEBRUARY 2016 ENTREPRENEUR 3 Q70 Qatar Today English FP 20.5X27.indd 1 8/19/15 3:37 PM AB16-EntrepreneurME-W 406mm x H 273mm.pdf 1 12/21/15 6:35 PM C M Y CM MY CY CMY K AB16-EntrepreneurME-W 406mm x H 273mm.pdf 1 12/21/15 6:35 PM C M Y CM MY CY CMY K CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2016 24 Entrepreneur and investor Noor Sweid 18 24 40 36 INNOVATOR: WALKING THE TALK ‘TREPONOMICS: ASK A PRO DOING BUSINEss IN Entrepreneur and investor MARKETING Numbers don’t lie QATAR (RIGHT) Noor Sweid 2016 heralds the new era Bayt.com’s Suhail Links Group founding Leap Ventures Managing of content marketing Al-Masri talks about partner John Martin Director and co-founder Ema Linaker on how the stats that indicate St. Valery really has done it all. to make your business that the Middle East is messaging effective in the officially crazy about self- age of video. It takes real employment. work, ‘treps! 62 60 ESQUIRE GUY SKILLSET The power of praise in The Impact Bias business Olympian and Ross McCammon entrepreneur, James Clear, discusses the plusses talks about how to be of conveying positive UBE UBE T happy when everything messages, and how to do goes wrong. it right. ILL IMAGE © YOU © IMAGE ILL T 18 Links Group founding partner John Martin St. Valery S VALERY . St IN IN T AR M JOHN JOHN 6 ENTREPRENEUR FEBRUARY 2016 CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2016 27 Henri Asseily, Manager Partner, Leap Ventures 58 Rafael Nadal and Adel Ali 14 Bin Ali at the Richard Mille Doha INNOVATOR: Boutique BRO coDE Teenage ‘treps Amer and Mohamed Yaghi 74 58 STARTUP FINANCE CULTURE: MENA startups gets TRAPPINGS funded The executive selection for Online platform Artscoops the entrepreneur on your gets funded on equity list that has everything. crowdfunding platform Okay, maybe for a little 30 73 Eureeca. self-reward as well. INNOVATORS: START IT UP: THE NEGotiATION ECOSYSTEM 76 49 HANDBOOK FOR A congregation of Q + A LIFE ENTREPRENEURS Eurasia’s entrepreneurial A startup for startups Ten things not to say to Get what you want, when world Philip Bahoshy wants digital professionals you want it. Startup Turkey 2016 his online platform Our pick for the top comes calling, and there MAGNiTT to create a phrase to avoid? “So is 12 will be entrepreneurial tighter knit MENA-wide this social media thing EDITOR’S NOTE entities from three entrepreneurial like a real job now?!?” By Fida Z. Chaaban continents present. ecosystem Yes, yes it is. 32 Dr. Kerry Healey, President, Babson College 8 ENTREPRENEUR FEBRUARY 2016 AlFaisal Oredo Dir 20.3cmx27.3 EN2.pdf 1 1/27/16 4:27 PM EDITOR IN CHIEF Fida Z. Chaaban [email protected] SUBSCRIBE MANAGING DIRECTOR Walid Zok [email protected] Contact [email protected] to receive DIRECTOR Rabih Najm [email protected] Entrepreneur Middle East every issue DIRECTOR Wissam Younane [email protected] CREATIVE LEAD Odette Kahwagi MANAGING EDITOR Aby Sam Thomas STARTUPS SECTION EDITOR Pamella de Leon ONLINE LIAISON Kareem Chehayeb COLUMNIST Sindhu Hariharan PO Box 502511 Dubai, United Arab Emirates P +971 4 4200 506 | F +971 4 4200 196 COLUMNIST Tamara Clarke COLUMNIST Shoug Al Nafisi For all commercial enquiries related to COLUMNIST Erika Widen Entrepreneur Middle East contact [email protected] EVENTS LIAISON Mark Anthony Monzon CONTRIBUTING WRITERS All rights reserved © 2016. Lama Ataya Ema Linaker Opinions expressed are solely those of the contributors. Abdulla Barakji Suhail Masri Entrepreneur Middle East and all subsidiary publications in Jim Camp Ross McCammon the MENA region are officially licensed exclusively to BNC Amal Chaaban Rani Nasr Publishing in the MENA region by Entrepreneur Media Inc. James Clear Neil Petch No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted Haneen Dabain Soukaina Rachidi in any form or by any means without written permission of Con O’Donnell May Rostom the publisher. Shyaire Ganglani Mark Sephton Images used in Entrepreneur Middle East are credited when necessary. Attributed use of Printed by Raidy Emirates Printing Group LLC copyrighted images with permission. All images not credited otherwise Shutterstock. www.raidy.com In addition to our print edition, we’re bringing EntMagazineME you all sorts of industry news on our web MIDDLE EAST mediums. Joining us online means getting @EntMagazineME @Fida relevant business and startup content in AccEss FRESH contENT DAILY ON OUR WEBSITE! real-time, so you’re hearing about the latest Entrepreneur-me www.entrepreneur.com/me developments as soon as we do. We’re looking EntrepreneurMiddleEast forward to interacting with our readers on all of our social media and web platforms- like any EntMagazineME thriving business, we’re looking to give and take. #TrepTalkME is already happening on all of our EntMagazineME digi platforms, and all good conversations go both ways. See you on the web! EntMagazineME 10 ENTREPRENEUR FEBRUARY 2016 SUBSCRIBE EntMagazineME @EntMagazineME @Fida Entrepreneur-me EntrepreneurMiddleEast EntMagazineME EntMagazineME EntMagazineME EDITOR’S NOTE We learn things too Wissam Younane, Director, Entrepreneur MENA is now two years old! Entrepreneur Middle East appy anniversary to our There is, in my opinion, a lot readers! We’re excited to be said for our valued brand that this edition marks partners- MENA ecosystem entities two years of us support- and pillars who have supported us Hing entrepreneurship across the profusely by participating in our MENA region. If you’re part of the events and who have invited us ecosystem, you know that we’re to participate in their events over on ground as much as possible, the past two years. Accelerators, and that we’re talking to you in incubators, investors, conferences, real-time via social media. But our mentoring programs: we will con- work isn’t yet done- we want to tinue to support you to our fullest started this venture [BNC draw in the outliers. There are tons capability across both print and TREP TALK ME Publishing] along with my of entrepreneurs (both new and digital, and further our already THE BUSINESS partners. Third, sticking seasoned) across the region who solid relationships. BNC Publishing to the truth and principles aren’t yet part of the ecosystem, Regarding our crazy level of inter- of honesty in business is and that means they are missing action online, we truly appreciate THE ‘TREP always the best option. out on valuable mentorship, cross that our readers share our content Wissam Younane This is simply that I never sector collaborations and business, via social media platforms and want to fall short on and possibly even funding oppor- that you interact with us on those Q What have you learned delivering what I say I will tunities (that can scale an already same mediums. We’re really proud from your clients over the do, or even what I say I’m profitable enterprise). that we’ve become the information past two years? capable of doing in terms outlet for ‘treps in this region, and of client expectations and we’re thrilled when you write to us A “First, a little extra care deliverables. Fourth, it’s with your achievements and your in knowing what they truly true that clients like to feel concerns. From our readership, the need can easily make them spoiled when it comes to entrepreneurs across the region, we continue to spend, and to rates and benefits. Like in receive candid emails about fund- consider exploring further every relationship, there ing struggles, funding wins, venture opportunities with your must be a give and take- scaling, and new partnerships. business. One example transacting business is no Keep it up! We want to continue to is that a client of ours different. My fourth lesson be the MENA entrepreneur’s go-to wanted to fully cancel or is about brand solvency.