The sample size is very small right now, with only 18 such exits, including five IPOs. However, there are still some interesting insights here.
ā Almost half of the founders are continuing to build the same business. This makes sense because, as I said, five of these are IPOs and some others are recent where founders are likely staying as part of their agreements with the acquirers.
ā About one-fifth are investing in businesses, mainly in tech. Two through private firms and the other two through VC funds they founded; Talabat's Mohammed Jaffar who started Faith Capital, and Fawry's Mohamed Okasha who founded DisrupTech Ventures.
ā Another one-fifth are still building stuff. This includes the founders of Careem spinning off the super-app business, Hosam Arab building a fintech unicorn, Talabat's Abdulaziz Loughani building Floward, and Donna Benton building different things.
Most of those who continue to run the firms they started or are building new stuff without starting investment firms or VC funds are also investing regularly through angel cheques.
But that is not their primary focus.
The founders of Careem, for example, have invested in dozens of companies, across the region.
These insights lead to another question. How many GPs in MENA have previously built a tech company (or product).
I'll discuss this in another post in the next few days.
This post was originally shared by Zubair Naeem Paracha on Linkedin.