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Namek Zu'bi
Global venture investor
Namek T. Zu'bi is a prominent venture capitalist and the co-founder and managing partner of Silicon Badia, a venture capital firm with offices in New York City and Amman, Jordan. He has a significant track record in the investment landscape, having led investments in over 100 technology companies across various industries, with a focus on early-stage ventures.
Career Background
Zu'bi began his career on Wall Street, working at Deutsche Bank AG and UBS AG, where he developed technology for global market equities. He later transitioned to venture capital, co-founding Silicon Badia in 2012. The firm aims to invest in "unsexy" startups that solve real-world problems, particularly in sectors like agriculture, health, and education, rather than the typical high-flying consumer apps.123
Education and Personal Insights
He graduated with honors from Carnegie Mellon University, earning a degree in Information Systems. His background as an immigrant from Jordan gives him a unique perspective in the venture capital space, enabling him to assess startups through a diverse lens. This experience has influenced his investment strategy, focusing on companies that often go overlooked by traditional VCs.23
Investment Philosophy
Zu'bi believes that venture capital inherently has an impact-oriented nature, as investments in small companies can lead to significant societal benefits. He emphasizes the importance of diversity in investment approaches, arguing that varied backgrounds can lead to innovative solutions in tackling complex problems.34
Through Silicon Badia, Zu'bi has cultivated a reputation for identifying and nurturing startups that address pressing issues, contributing to both economic growth and technological advancement in emerging markets.135
Highlights
We at Silicon Badia are happy to announce the acquisition of our portfolio company Expensya, a leading spend management company, by one of the leading global accounts payable (AP) automation technology companies Medius. What an accomplishment for Karim Jouini, Jihed OTHMANI, the entire Expensya team and of course the young but thriving Tunisian startup ecosystem. I remember first meeting them on my trip to #tunisia in September 2019 after it was flagged by my colleague Erass Majdoubeh and being extremely impressed. We then ended up co-leading a $20M round of funding into them in 2021 through our MENA Fund and the rest is history. The nine-figure acquisition is one of the largest in the #menaregion and #france and we are excited for what is in store for this company and the rest of that ecosystem.
Expensya Karim Jouini Jihed OTHMANI Silicon Badia Fawaz H Zu'bi Hamed Masri Erass Majdoubeh Hossam Shafick Maryam Abu Ragheb Tarek Chelaifa Zaid Ayoub Mohammed Nasif Smart Capital Alaya Bettaieb ZIED BEN OTHMAN Fares Seaidi
