Gingo Partners, a UAE-based investor outreach service and startup community announced the annual conference, VC Weekend, set to take place on October 19-20, 2023, at the Ritz-Carlton in DIFC that will unite aspiring and experienced venture capitalists, angel investors, and family offices from across the globe, converging to explore the thriving innovation landscape in the MENA region.

VC Weekend is designed with a mission to enhance the international venture capital community’s understanding of the Middle Eastern startup ecosystem. Over the course of the event, participants will engage in a diverse range of activities, from in-depth discussions on securing funding from LPs to the latest trends in startup scouting and investor relations. The program includes a captivating business conference, dedicated networking sessions, startup pitches, and a closed investor dinner.

Notable speakers and attendees at VC Weekend include Hussain Almarhoon, Founding Managing Partner at HALA Ventures, ranked 8th among the most active venture capital funds of 2022 in Saudi Arabia and Sanam Foroughi, Investment Associate at the local branch of Plug and Play VC.

The first day of the event will be an exclusive dinner that brings together speakers and special guests. On the second day, VC Weekend will unveil its business conference program, titled “Unlocking New Investment Trends”, featuring insightful discussions on various topics, including:

• Raising capital during the VC downturn
• Sourcing deal flow in emerging markets
• Magnitt, a platform for verified venture capital data in the region, will present an exclusive members-only market overview
• Artificial Intelligence in the Middle East, investing in Africa, trending B2B SaaS in the region.

Following the business talks, 10 startups from a pool of over 100 applications, thoroughly selected by Gingo Partners and Forward Angel team, will pitch their projects. Founders will have the unique opportunity to engage in face-to-face meetings and networking with VC Weekend attendees

An impressive lineup of speakers will include representatives from esteemed venture capital firms such as UW Ventures, Kapower Single Family Office Venture Capital Division, Modus Capital, The Private Office of Shaikh Khalid Al Qasimi, Frontier Path Capital, and many others.