Key players from leading global venture capital firms backed by the Qatar Investment Authority’s (QIA) $1 billion Fund of Fund programme will gather on April 16 to discuss the programme’s growing impact on Qatar’s startup ecosystem. The panel discussion will take place at Workinton Alfardan Centre as part of a special Startup Grind Qatar event.
Moderated by Marcel Dridje, board member of the European Business Angels Network, the panel will feature a lineup of top VC leaders including Alina Truhina, founding and managing partner at A-Typical Ventures; Soumaya Ben Beya Dridje, partner at Rasmal Ventures; Dr Mussaad al-Razouki, operating partner at Deerfield Management; Rishabh Aggarwal, principal at B Capital; and Pradeep Desu, operating partner at Human Capital.
The session will delve into how these venture capital firms plan to invest in Qatar and the wider region, and how startups can take advantage of their expanding presence. Startup Grind Qatar said the event aims to shed light on strategies that will support entrepreneurship and help transform Qatar into a thriving innovation hub.
“The QIA’s $1 billion Fund of Fund programme has already changed Qatar’s startup landscape,” Startup Grind Qatar stated. “It is designed to catalyse investment into startups and rapidly expand the local ecosystem.”
Unveiled during the inaugural Web Summit Qatar in February 2024, the programme was launched by QIA to foster a vibrant startup and venture capital environment, bringing in global best practices, closing funding gaps, and supporting entrepreneurs in navigating Qatar’s evolving business landscape.
According to QIA, the programme seeks to promote economic diversification, sectoral innovation, and talent development while encouraging sustainability. It does so not only through indirect investments in established VC funds but also via targeted co-investments and partnerships with fund managers committed to operating in Qatar.
On the programme’s first anniversary during Web Summit Qatar 2025, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani praised QIA for fulfilling its promise and onboarding six top-tier global investment entities to deploy capital at local, regional, and international levels.
B Capital and Deerfield Management, which both recently announced plans to open regional headquarters in Doha, are among the first firms selected under the initiative. They join Rasmal Ventures, Utopia Capital Management, Builders VC, and Human Capital as part of the pioneering cohort.
In a notable development earlier this year, Utopia Capital, supported by QIA and Qatar Development Bank (QDB), launched A-Typical Ventures. The firm will establish a venture studio in Qatar and is actively scouting regional entrepreneurs to drive innovation across sectors such as fintech, healthtech, e-commerce, logistics, mobility, and climatetech.
As the startup ecosystem in Qatar continues to gain momentum, the April 16 event is expected to offer vital insights into how international capital and local ambition are converging to shape the future of entrepreneurship in the country.
