• On The Frontlines, Shaping Legacies


ABOUT

DASH Ventures is an Amman-based Venture Capital firm operating at the forefront of MENA’s rapidly transforming economic landscape and at the center of the region’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. We look to invest in the best opportunities regardless of geography, but our desire to lend hands-on support means we focus primarily on the MENA region.

DASH is a private partnership of entrepreneurs and business experts who harness decades of experience building and backing successful regional and international companies. We integrate our entrepreneurs into a global network that spans a variety of industries including technology, healthcare, financial services, and government, delivering access to investors, acquirers, partners, and customers. We employ a collaborative and highly interactive investment approach, working closely with our portfolio companies to minimize risk, develop strategies, and seize opportunities.

An unprecedented entrepreneurial shift is taking place in the Arab World. With a vast new wave of business opportunity and innovation on the way, DASH aims to equip talented, passionate, and ambitious entrepreneurial teams with value beyond capital to shape the future.

VALUE

We understand that young companies require tailor-made impactful support to enable growth and scale. The resources we provide to our portfolio are designed to suit their specific needs and requirements.

Network

Integrate into an extensive network of industry experts and resources to help with talent recruitment, business development, strategic alliances, and legal guidance, in addition to a global network of funders, increasing the odds of securing follow-on funding.

Mentorship

Gain seasoned insight and trusted advice on leadership, strategy, and governance. Using a carefully balanced approach, we help guide our entrepreneurs through strategic decisions.

Expertise

Access in-house expertise with a wealth of industry experience and business knowledge to help enhance administrative, operational, and management capabilities with a hands-on approach, making us a de facto extension of the team.

FOCUS

Initially technology driven, our focus has evolved to include a wider set of industries that will have a sustainable impact on our region’s environment and socio-economic development.

Information Technology

Focusing primarily on capital efficient and scalable seed or early-stage tech-enabled businesses, across a variety of sectors, with a unique and defensible business model that can become a dominant player in its industry.

Energy Efficiency & Renewables

Addressing the MENA region’s urgent need for enhancing energy productivity and diversifying away from liquid fuels by investing in Solar PV and Onshore Wind renewable energy generation projects, as well as smart energy service providers.

Lifestyle Consumer Brands

Leveraging 10+ years experience in the luxury retail industry to invest in and manage a portfolio of lifestyle brands, whether proprietary concepts or franchise projects, that include fashion & apparel, home furnishings & decor, and food & beverage.

Creative Industries

Accessing the pool of creative professionals across the MENA region in the fields of Fine Art, Film, Performing Arts, Design, and Crafts.

PORTFOLIO

The changemakers we back to catalyze growth across the globe.

Independent developer and power producer focused on renewable energy

On-demand access to medical information and virtual consultations

Cleantech solutions provider for the energy, water, and environment markets

Online wholesale floral marketplace connecting growers and buyers to create a more direct and efficient supply channel

Developer of cost effective and energy efficient patented lighting technology

Online bookstore offering Arabic and English titles with home delivery and customized payment methods

Entertainment and new media network representing the voice of Arab youth

P2P crowd-lending marketplace facilitating capital access for SMEs across the Middle East

Affordable fine jewelry brand powered by influencers and award winning designers

Specialized Building Management & Automation Systems providing energy efficient solutions

Fusing technology and analytics to optimize energy consumption and performance

Premium mass transit bus-booking network

Simple Global Business Payments

End-to-end recruitment, employment and Human Resource Management solutions

Stats

Our business continues to expand. The figures below are a testament to our strength and commitment.

340 PEOPLE EMPLOYED ACROSS ALL PORTFOLIO COMPANIES
645 BUSINESS PLANS SCREENED
8 PORTFOLIO COMPANIES THAT RECEIVED FOLLOW-ON FUNDING
34 Average Age of Founders Upon Investment
2091 CUPS OF COFFEE CONSUMED

 

TEAM

Our cross-functional team of highly accomplished industry leaders combines a diverse array of backgrounds and specialties with significant operating and investment track records.

Ali Al-Husry

Executive Director

Ali Al-Husry

Ali Al-Husry has extensive experience in startup development, institutional finance and international business expansion. Ali helped launch and serves as the Chairman of Endeavor in Jordan, a global non-profit organization supporting high-impact entrepreneurship. He also sits on the board of the Capital Bank of Jordan, the country’s youngest and most innovative bank, which he co-founded in 1995. Ali also serves as a Director of Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC, where he played an instrumental role leading the company’s expansion into Europe. He recently joined the Middle East Advisory Council of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and is a member of the Board of Directors for Microfund for Women. Mr. Al-Husry holds an MBA from INSEAD and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California.

Said Darwazah

Director

Said Darwazah

Said Darwazah brings leadership and acquisition experience alongside a highly developed international network of innovators. He is the CEO and Chairman of Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC, where he played a key role in their global strategy, including acquiring major US companies and business development in Europe and MENAHikma Group is a London Stock Exchange and FTSE 100 company. Said serves as a trustee and on the board of several universities across the globe, including Jordan University of Science and Technology, Babson College in the US, and the American University of Beirut, where he co-founded the Samih Darwazah Center for Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship. Said holds an MBA degree from INSEAD and a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University.

Omar J. Sati

Managing Director

Omar J. Sati

Omar J. Sati is Managing Director at DASH Ventures, which he helped establish in 2011. Omar has been integral in supporting Jordan’s startup ecosystem since its early days and remains a driving force behind the development of the region’s most cutting edge tech companies. He currently serves as mentor and advisor to early stage startups and sits on the board of several fast-growing ventures, leveraging his 15+ years of international investment experience. Prior to DASH, Omar was Venture Principle at AcceleratorTech, a pioneering Arab Venture Capital firm. Omar holds an MBA with distinction from Cass Business School and a Bachelors in Finance and Management from Tulane University.

Aboudi Al-Qattan

Investment Associate

Aboudi Al-Qattan

Aboudi Al-Qattan is an Investment Associate at DASH Ventures. He first joined DASH in 2017 after graduating from Babson college, before spending two years in Kuwait playing professional basketball and working part-time at F&B focused Venture Capital firm Messilah Ventures. Aboudi returned to DASH in March of 2020 in order to dive back into the entrepreneurial ecosystem where he first started his career.

Khaled Irani

Venture Partner Renewable Energy

Khaled Irani

Khaled Irani has been a driving force for environmental initiatives, policies and impact in technology investments in Jordan over the last 20 years. He is the co-founder & CEO of E2E, a prominent clean technology solution provider in the region. Mr. Irani has also served as Jordan’s Minister of Environment (2005-2009) and Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (2009-2010). His myriad of accomplishments under these roles include setting up the Royal Environmental Enforcement Agency, establishing the Renewable Energy Fund, and leading the development of the National Environment Strategy. Khaled holds a MSc in National Parks Management and Tourism from New Mexico University, an MSc in Arid Land Use and a BSc in Soils from the University of Jordan.

Issa Azar

Venture Partner Energy Efficiency

Issa Azar

Issa Azar is the CEO of  Smart Automation Energy, an energy efficiency turn-key solution provider based in Dubai, UAE. Mr. Azar brings international experience and an insider’s understanding of the challenges facing manufacturers in light of today’s desire to be more energy efficient. He has experience managing various aspects of leading manufactures in different sectors for companies both in Jordan and abroad. In these hands-on positions he has quickly built a history of reducing costs and increasing profits through innovative production processes focusing on energy efficiency programs. Mr. Azar has a Masters in Manufacturing Management and a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from McGill University, Canada.

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