OUR COMPANY — FAQ

Our approach is to focus on private investments from early to more mature stages of the business cycle. We are sector agnostic; we generally gravitate towards entrepreneurs with innovative business models. We are a nimble and dynamic organization that provides partners with three differentiators: (1) long-term, patient capital; (2) the ability to invest across multiple stages and funding rounds and (3) access to the Arabian Gulf eco-system. Furthermore, we have a strong understanding of the intricacies of the region and can seamlessly facilitate international investments and exits for our regional partners..  ​

Our position in the local private investments landscape of Saudi Arabia is unique. Furthermore, the venture capital world is less about competition and more about collaboration. No other regional entity possesses a comparable combination of capital, independence, experience and flexibility, along with access to regional and international markets.

We seek direct, active minority investments in established operating companies with competent management teams and reputable and experienced shareholders.

We take a flexible approach in each investment, so our holding period varies. We seek to capitalize on our advantage of being able to deploy patient capital, with a long-term investment horizon and a focus on value creation.

We invest in a wide range of asset classes. Our target ROI is determined on a case-by-case basis in line with nature of each investment, including but not limited to sector, growth potential, risk, liquidity and capital structure.

No, we do not invest directly in local public companies. Our investment strategy is focused on local and international private companies.

No, private placements generally involve passive equity stakes, which is not consistent with our local direct investment strategy of seeking active minority investments. However, we offer an attractive alternative to private placements for private companies seeking to raise capital and welcome the opportunity to explore bilateral transactions with high-growth private companies.

No, we invest in proprietary transactions rather than in auctions of equity stakes. We believe that our focus on maximizing the future value of the enterprise for all shareholders, as opposed to maximizing short-term sale value, represents a better alternative for shareholders seeking to sell a minority stake in a private company than an auction process.

No, we don’t invest directly in the Saudi real estate sector. However, we may have indirect exposure to the real estate sector through other investments.

Yes, as part of our investment process, we perform due diligence on potential investee companies, which may include financial, legal, technical and/or commercial due diligence. Our process usually involves collaboration between our investment team and selected external advisors with specialized expertise in various fields of due diligence.

The time needed to complete due diligence on a potential investee company varies according to the cooperation of the investee’s management team and the transparency, accuracy, and timeliness of the information we receive.

Our investment team makes all the final investment decisions, in line with our strategy. However, we take a collaborative approach to developing our investment strategies, working at times with trusted international advisors for recommendations, guidance and support in conducting due diligence on prospective fund managers.

No, we do not invest directly in public capital markets. Instead, we deploy capital through funds and other investment vehicles provided by international asset managers.

Yes, we have invested in emerging market funds as part of a number of investment strategies, including venture and growth capital, private equity, and hedge funds.

No, we do not deal with placement agents. We have direct access to all global fund managers.

We are always looking to support great ideas, great minds, and great companies, so please share your proposed investment opportunity with us at investments@sanabil.com.