Investing in Iraq: What Investors Look For and What Founders Need to Know | RO Webinar
Iraq’s startup ecosystem is attracting growing attention, but market potential does not automatically translate into investability.
This webinar will examine Iraq’s venture capital ecosystem from the investor’s perspective.
We’ll explore what makes an Iraqi startup genuinely investable, how investors assess founders, traction, financial readiness and valuation, how Iraq-specific regulatory and market risks influence investment decisions, and what needs to change for the ecosystem to attract deeper regional and institutional capital.
Join Rabel Kaka, Middle East Ambassador at The Realistic Optimist, in conversation with Hady El Samra, Head of Investments & Programs at Iraq Venture Partners, and Saif Aljaibeji, Founder & Managing Director of Urth (a $50M growth fund), for a practical discussion on what it takes to invest in Iraq.
Hady brings the perspective of an active venture investor operating within the Iraqi ecosystem, while Saif brings a growth-investment lens focused on companies preparing to absorb larger institutional checks.
The discussion will cover the characteristics investors look for in Iraqi startups, common fundraising and valuation challenges, governance and legal readiness, country and regulatory risk, potential exit pathways, and the sectors where investors see the strongest opportunities.
Who should attend?
This session is designed for Iraqi founders preparing to raise capital, regional and international investors evaluating the Iraqi market, startup operators, ecosystem builders, accelerators, policymakers, and anyone seeking a practical understanding of how venture investment decisions are made in Iraq.
Whether you are trying to raise your first institutional round or assessing Iraq as an investment market, the session will provide a grounded view of the opportunities, constraints and investment criteria shaping the ecosystem today.
Before attending, feel free to read Rabel's two-part RO Long Read on Iraq's incremental shift to digital payments (part I & part II).