CEO of Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) Mohammed Saif Al Sowaidi affirmed that the expansion of QIA’s Fund of Funds program and the allocation of additional $2 billion of funding to the program underscore the State of Qatar’s position as an attractive investment destination for global capital, particularly at the high end of the venture capital sector, whose firms are seeking to transfer their expertise and invest in promising local projects.
HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani previously announced an additional $2 billion of funding to the program, bringing the total capital commitment for the Fund of Funds program to $3 billion.
In addition, His Excellency also announced that five new funds that are joining the Fund of Funds program, representing specialisms across AI, fintech, blockchain technology, infrastructure and special situations. The Fund of Funds program now supports 12 regional and international fund managers in Qatar, demonstrating the significant growth of Qatar’s startup ecosystem and its increasing connectivity to global markets.
CEO of QIA said, "with an aggregate AUM of nearly $10 billion the new funds joining the program will support our efforts to develop Qatar as a regional hub for VC expertise."
"While Doha represents the first international office for many of our funds, these managers are also encouraging their portfolio companies to establish their regional HQ here – further positioning Doha as a hub for entrepreneurs," he added.
The latest funds to join the program include Greycroft, which is a multi-stage, multi-strategy venture capital firm that partners with entrepreneurs building category-defining companies across software, sustainability, and consumer brands. Founded in 2006, Greycroft manages over $4 billion in assets and has made more than 400 investments since inception.
Ion Pacific is a leading venture capital structured secondaries and special-situations manager with approximately $700 million under management. The firm manages innovative strategies focused on risk-reward optimization for investors, and provides tailored solutions that unlock liquidity for founders, GPs and LPs in the VC ecosystem. Ion Pacific has offices in Los Angeles, New York, Zurich, Doha and Hong Kong.
The program also includes Liberty City Ventures, which is a leading venture capital fund and incubator with $2.4 billion of assets under management. The firm invests in companies building and implementing blockchain technology solutions (Seed through Series C+) with a focus on financial services; AI and data; and infrastructure.
Shorooq which is a tech-focused, multi-strategy investment firm from the GCC. Shorooq’s strategies span venture capital, credit, private equity, and real assets through an integrated approach that allows them to invest across the capital stack in businesses reshaping their sectors, from fintech and software to AI, industrials, and infrastructure.
Finally, Speedinvest which is a globally active European venture capital firm with more than €1.2 billion in AuM and six offices across EMEA. Our sector-focused investment teams back relentless founders from pre–Seed to Growth with long-term conviction, providing day-one access to our global network of corporate customers, experts, industry leaders, and top-tier follow-on investors to scale smarter and faster.
QIA and Qatar Development Bank (QDB) have also announced that they are partnering to offer compute power provided by Qatar’s new AI company Qai, which develops and invests in advanced AI infrastructure and systems. Compute power will be available to startups and portfolio companies of the partners participating in the Fund of Funds program that are based in Qatar.
QIA’s Fund of Funds program, launched by HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs at Web Summit 2024, has to date committed more than $1 billion to leading regional and international venture capital firms, contributing to the development of Qatar’s venture capital landscape. The program enables startups and entrepreneurs in the region to have access to capital they need to flourish, bringing new VC talent to Doha and strengthening the local ecosystem in partnership with other government and private sector entities.