Global Ventures, a UAE-based venture capital firm, has partnered with Capria Ventures (Capria), a Seattle-based global investment fund-of-funds. Capria is backed by international investors, including Vulcan Capital, the Ford Foundation, Bill Gates, the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation, Unitus Labs, and other leading impact investors.
Global Ventures backs global-minded founders who lead growth-stage companies and use technology to transform emerging markets. It has invested in 25 companies, operating across 15 markets, using capital from its two funds. The second fund is focussed on technology companies addressing critical needs and demands in recently accelerated industries. Global Ventures is a leading provider of capital and value creation for start-ups in the Middle East and Africa (MEA).
Capria has approved its investment in Global Ventures’ second fund. This represents the first investment Capria has made in the MEA region. Global Ventures is excited to be supported by Capria and accelerate further into a burgeoning, regional venture, and innovation ecosystem with rapid growth opportunities in the digital health, FinTech, EdTech and AgriTech sectors.
Capria’s network of investing partners collectively manage over US$400 million in assets, deployed in early stage / growth companies in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Capria has over US$100 million in assets under management invested directly in India via Unitus Ventures, and in other markets via partners of the Capria Fund which takes anchor GP and LP positions.
Noor Sweid, Founder & General Partner of Global Ventures, says: “We are delighted to welcome a new investor to the regional ecosystem. Capria is one of the first US fund-of-funds to invest in the region and is internationally renowned for its success in emerging markets. We are very excited to see the transformative impact this investment and partnership will have across the region. We’re very much looking forward to our partnership with Capria and expanding ties between our regional ecosystem and other high-growth markets.”
Susana Garcia Robles, Venture Partner at Capria Ventures, says: “Capria has always backed fund managers across the globe with aligned interests and incentives. Our collaboration is our first entry into the region, which will diversify our investors’ access to opportunities in a region seeing significant growth in the digital health, FinTech, EdTech and AgriTech sectors. We are already seeing synergy between Global Ventures’ portfolio and the portfolios of our Capria Network managers in Asia, LatAm and Africa.”
