We Back the Most Driven Founders From Day Zero to greatness

Romain is the Partner at Antler in MENAP. He has served as an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company in Dubai / Riyadh offices, where he notably helped governments in MENAP to foster startup and tech ecosystems. Prior to that, he focused on go-to-market functions within Amazon, Rocket Internet / Jumia, and L'Oreal. Romain holds an MBA from London Business School and is a member of Tomouh Community of Leaders.

Jonathan is the Partner at Antler in MENAP. He has a proven track record of successfully building ventures across diverse markets. Before Antler, Jonathan founded Smileneo, a direct-to-consumer health tech business in the MENA region, which was acquired in 2023. He also served as the Co-CEO of Daraz, the leading online marketplace in South Asia, acquired by Alibaba in 2018. Additionally, Jonathan held the position of Managing Director at Jumia, the leading online marketplace in Africa that went public on the NYSE in 2019.

Amy is a Director Capital at Antler, she combines her global experience in Investor Relations and M&A to support fundraising for Funds and early-stage companies. Most recently, she led Investor Relations efforts at a Venture Fund focusing on the capital raising process for the Fund as well as providing strategic advisory to portfolio companies on growth initiatives. Previously, she spent several years in Investment Banking in New York focusing on M&A and capital raising projects in Healthcare and Technology. Amy enjoys building relationships and attracting strategic investors to help exceptional entrepreneurs build impactful businesses. She is an advisor to a mental healthcare start-up and sits on the board of the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association.

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Hala is an Investment Director at Antler in MENAP, based out of the Riyadh office. She has over 16 years of experience in program management, strategic comms, and business consulting, having worked with a range of startups, investors, and government entities in the MENA region. Most recently, Hala worked at Brinc MENA, where she led the expansion and program setup with regional entities such as NEOM, Omantel, and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund.

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Lino is an Investment Director at Antler in MENAP. Prior to Antler, he served as Group Chief Customer Officer and Managing Director at Daraz, the leading online marketplace in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Myanmar, which was acquired by Alibaba Group in 2018. He further worked as a Global Venture Development Manager for Rocket Internet in various markets across Asia. Lino holds a Master's degree from IE Business School.

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Zade is a Director at Antler in MENAP. He was previously at McKinsey's Middle East Office, where he worked on engagements at the cross section of their Digital and PE/Principal Investor practices. He mainly focused on strategy work around funding startup ecosystems, investment and set up strategies for vertical-specific VC/Growth PE investment funds, and investment processes for institutional investors. He graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Economics and hails from Bahrain.

Hamza is an Investment Manager at Antler in MENAP. He has cultivated invaluable experience working with more than 250 sustainable startups across various sectors. His primary focus lies in driving the commercialization of innovation and fostering meaningful corporate engagement within these dynamic entrepreneurial ventures.

Karan is a Senior Investment Associate at Antler in MENAP. He has over 6 years of experience in venture capital, he has invested in and managed a portfolio of technology startups from seed to series A across India, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and North America. Prior to joining Antler, Karan worked at Equanimity Investments, Modus Capital, and Hashgraph Ventures. He holds a Masters in Finance from Johns Hopkins University.

Mohamed is a Senior Investment Associate at Antler in MENAP. He spent time at a Bay Area-based Venture Capital Fund investing in early-stage startups in the United States. He also brings operating experience, having led expansions into new geographies with Wanderjaunt, a Real Estate and Hospitality start-up; he helped develop a comprehensive launch playbook and set up operations, and build teams and processes in cities across several states. Mohamed started his career in Consulting at Redwood Advisors in Austin, where he led strategy and growth projects for start-ups, enterprises, and leading philanthropic organizations.

Shadi Karra is a Senior Investment Associate at Antler in MENAP. Prior to joining Antler, his experience spanned strategy and business operations within both the public and private sectors. Shadi began his career at the United Nations Development Programme and the San Francisco Mayor’s Office. He later transitioned to the startup ecosystem, overseeing business operations and strategy at a health tech startup, followed by a role as a strategic client partner at a leading media company. Shadi studied Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley.

Ammar is a Senior Finance Associate at Antler in MENAP. Before Antler, he was serving as the Commercial Finance Lead at Daraz, which is part of the Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group. He also has extensive experience in banking, with an expertise in Digital Banking. Ammar is a Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) and also holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).

Kaye was the co-founder and COO of Woo Space, the second largest co-working space venture in Beijing upon its acquisition by UCommune (Nasdaq: UK). In addition to its entrepreneurial endeavours, Kaye also brings extensive experiences in strategic planning and business operations in retail and financial services industry. She obtained her MBA from Harvard Business School, and she graduated with Summa Cum Laude from Cornell University.

Nadine is a Venture Partner at Antler in MENAP. She is a co-founder and board member of Sarwa, a leading investing and personal finance Fintech platform.

Prior to that, she spent more than 15 years in leadership roles and growth strategy consultancy across industries and geographies in the private and public sectors, with multinationals like Nestle, and government entities like Dubai Economy and Tourism, government of Dubai, as deputy director in the retail and strategic alliance department.

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Leo is a Venture Partner at Antler MENAP. He is a serial entrepreneur & investor, having set up and funded companies in different regions. He founded & scaled the leading digital media company in Africa, Pulse, which today has platforms in 6 countries across the continent and was acquired in 2022. His investments include ventures in Fintech, SaaS, eCommerce and Health Tech across the world.

Sabine is a Venture Partner at Antler in MENAP. She has 8+ years of experience in consulting focused on financial services, real estate, and digital transformations. She also led the growth of Kitopi KSA, the world's largest multi-brand restaurant, in her role as managing director and is currently launching prop-tech company SIlkhaus KSA as Founding GM. In her roles, she has gained significant experience in scaling start-ups in KSA.

Wafa Al Obaidat is a Venture Partner at Antler in MENAP and a renowned CEO, TEDx speaker, and serial entrepreneur. She has led Obai and Hill for over 12 years, overseeing 5000+ global projects with a team of 40+. She also founded Sketchbook, a rapidly growing digital magazine in London. A champion for women's advancement, Wafa hosts the Women Power Summit and podcast. Recognized by Business In Gulf and a fellow at The Vital Voices GROW program, she has given over 50 talks globally. Her accolades include the Leader of Tomorrow award from MasterCard MENA and recognition from Entrepreneur Magazine.

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Adam Jaffer is an advisor at Antler in MENAP and a visionary entrepreneur dedicated to leveraging technology for global impact. As Co-Founder of Voi, he leads an urban mobility company that transforms city transportation with eco-friendly electric scooters, promoting sustainable urban mobility and reducing carbon footprints. Under his leadership, Voi has raised over $300 million from top investors, including Balderton Capital and Creandum. Adam’s commitment to innovation and sustainability drives Voi's mission to reshape urban transportation for future generations.

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Beau is a Venture Partner at Antler in MENAP. Prior to his move to Dubai, he co-founded Patamar Capital, the leading early-stage impact investing VC firm in SE Asia, and led the firm for over 10 years. He is on the board of Lhoopa and SwipeRx, and is also an executive coach for select startup CEOs in the MENAP region.

Florian is a Venture Partner at Antler in MENAP. He co-founded and led the fashion ecosystem Lamoda, and spearheaded Russia’s largest retailer Magnit through its transformation. Being focused on MENA, Florian runs the IT service & investment firm FJX and serves the board of noon.

Jerry is a Venture Partner at Antler in MENAP. He is the CEO of VOV, an integral part of Savvy Games Group both in KSA and worldwide. Prior to that, he has over two decades of senior executive positions in entrepreneurship, retail, and hospitality, in major brands like Walmart, Restaurant Brands International, and Le Pain Quotidien.

John is a Venture Partner at Antler in MENAP. He is the Co-founder and MD at Qlub, a global fintech focused on digitizing payment in the F&B sector. Prior to that, he spent 3 years at Deliveroo in various Operational and Commercial leadership roles in the Middle East, and was a manager at McKinsey & Co.

Jonathan is a Venture Partner at Antler in MENAP and a distinguished business leader, advisor, board member, and investor with 20+ years of experience driving transformational growth at companies like Meta, Unifonic, and Paramount. As President of Unifonic, he transformed it into an AI-powered customer engagement leader. Previously, he led Meta MENAP for 7 years, establishing it as one of the region’s top tech and media companies. Jonathan also serves on the advisory boards of AI innovators Sestek and LocAI.

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Malik is a Venture Partner at Antler in MENAP. He co-founded and acts as COO of Mozn AI. He has 12+ years of experience in technology, consulting, and financial services spanning across 4 continents. Prior to Mozn, he was an Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company in Dubai. He has an MBA from MIT and a BSc in engineering from the University of Maryland.

Manav is a Venture Partner at Antler in MENAP, boasts over 14 years of diverse industry experience, having worked with renowned firms like McKinsey & Company, BlackBerry, American Express, and Morgan Stanley. In his recent endeavors, he held pivotal commercial leadership positions at fintech scale-up Mambu, playing a key role in propelling its growth to unicorn status over the past three years. He holds an MBA from London Business School and is an active angel investor and advisor, with a focus on emerging markets.

Marc is a Venture Partner at Antler in MENAP, his career has spanned more than three decades and in nearly every aspect of financial services, Marc has served in key roles at several top firms, including Chief Investment Officer at Citigroup. He is currently a Senior Advisor at Two Sigma Ventures where he helps source and evaluate investment opportunities while providing strategic support to their portfolio companies, fascinated by the intersection of health and financial wellness and the tech solutions created by dynamic founders.

Maximilian Plank is a Venture Partner at Antler in MENAP and a serial entrepreneur with a diverse portfolio, including enterprise software development, horse feed production, animal feed delivery services, fashion-on-demand production, and fintech consulting and placement services. He is the Chairman of MPG Partners, a consultancy that facilitates business opportunities between the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. Additionally, he mentors for the Cyberport (HK) Entrepreneurship program and serves as a senior advisor to the boards of Stabelton (CH) and Trust Square (CH)

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Michael  is a Venture Partner at Antler in MENAP. He is an entrepreneur with expertise in FinTech and e-commerce, is known for founding citrussTV and FlexxPay. With successful exits from both ventures, he now mentors startups and provides consultancy on financial matters. Michael's interests extend to blockchain technology, and he enjoys sports, wood carving, and reading.

Omar is a Venture Partner at Antler in MENAP. He is the CEO of Englease.com, a leading online English language school in MENA. Featured in Forbes and other publications, he advocates for entrepreneurship. With an MBA from London Business School, Omar has led sales transformations at Siemens, Nokia, and Microsoft, achieving significant growth. Englease.com offers accredited English classes around the clock, poised to become the premier ESL platform in the region.

Sebastien is a Venture Partner at Antler in MENAP. He is a co-founder of Wisewell, a sustainability-focused consumer water technology company in the US and GCC. Prior to that, he assumed leadership roles at OLX and was a General Manager with Uber, launching and scaling multiple Uber markets in the MENA region. Sebastien started his career as a consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton and Delta Partners. He has an MBA from Columbia Business School and a MS in engineering from UC Berkeley.

Teddy is a Venture Partner at Antler MENAP. He is the Founder and General Partner at Optimist Ventures, a VC firm dedicated to investing in technology sea changes. Prior to Optimist, Teddy was a Partner at Antler and helped establish and co-run the Antler Elevate fund. He served as a Vice President at SoftBank in SF, NY and Jakarta as well as a principal at Comcast Ventures in NY. He started his career in Goldman Sachs' Technology banking group in San Francisco. He is an active angel investor in and supporter of Pakistan and insisted on its inclusion in the Antler MENAP scope.