WE EMPOWER MISSION-DRIVEN FOUNDERS USING TECHNOLOGY TO BUILD SUSTAINABLE AND TRANSFORMATIVE BUSINESS MODELS IN EMERGING MARKETS. WE BACK THEM EARLY AND ACCELERATE THEIR GROWTH
We are an entrepreneur-led venture firm with a mission to uncover a new breed of entrepreneurs and back them in their journey of transforming emerging markets.
Our belief is firmly rooted in the fact that emerging markets deserve talented entrepreneurs, the best and the boldest, both local and diasporic, to tackle growing challenges and opportunities. We are here to make that happen.
We back founders with a full grasp of their market dynamics, strong leadership, and resilience that want to make a dent in the universe, transforming the lives of many. We walk them through the rest.
Opportunities are no longer hanging fruits, which is even more true in emerging markets. We believe only a new breed of entrepreneurs can build transformative and sustainable ventures that thrive.
WE BACK MISSION-DRIVEN FOUNDERS
WE LIKE TO GET IN EARLY
WE ARE ENABLERS FOR KNOWLEDGEABLE FOUNDERS
WE BUILD TO THRIVE
Meriem founded EmergingTech Ventures as a spin-off from SEAF venture arm to build an independent venture capital firm focusing on Emerging Markets and transformative founders-led companies.
Prior to this, Meriem spent more than 20 years in private equity and venture capital in Europe and Africa. She worked at Montagu Private Equity, formerly HSBC Private Equity, as investment director in the pan-European MBO Investment Fund with more than €4bn in AUM. In 2010, Meriem also served as Investment Director for an African Infrastructure Fund in Casablanca where she successfully participated to the raising and closing a pan-African Infrastructure Fund.
In 2017, Meriem joined SEAF as Senior Managing Director and led the SEAF Innovation Funds Initiative in the Maghreb Region, investing in innovative startups and founders-led companies across Maghreb, Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Meriem has been an entrepreneur. During her entrepreneurial journey, Meriem felt the hardship of local entrepreneur and became deeply involved in the entrepreneurial ecosystem to bring solutions and foster other entrepreneurs. Meriem is President of the CGEM’s (the Moroccan employers’ organization) Commission in charge of startup and entrepreneurship private sector initiatives in Morocco. She also served as an advisor for various development finance institutions, advising on their program design for the region. She graduated from ESSEC Business School with an MSc in Management and a major in Finance.
Abdelouahid Benlamlih started his career in 2011 as a private equity Investment Professional in a Casablanca based private equity firm managing PE Funds with +130mUSD under management investing in high growth SMEs in Maghreb region. He has extensive deal experience investing in companies in various sectors such as construction, logistics, agriculture, healthcare, advertising & media, FMCG, consumer banking and IT hardware.
In 2018, Abdelouahid joined Meriem when she raised the SEAF Morocco Growth fund while being at SEAF. Abdelouahid served as Vice President of Investments in SEAF Morocco Growth Fund Morocco team and was heavily involved in SEAF Innovation Funds investing in innovative startups and founders-led companies in the MENA region. Abdelouahid invested and managed several deals in Health tech, Agritech, B2B SaaS and Fintech across Morocco, Maghreb & Sub-Saharan Africa.
Abdelouahid is a Computer Science engineer and holds an MSc. in Computer Science from ENSIAS in Morocco. He also graduated from HEC Paris in France with an MSc. in Management and a major in Finance.
Sidi Mohammed started as a digital entrepreneur. Right after his graduation, he co-founded two digital ventures: a pioneering mobile development and marketing company in France and a digital classifieds platform in Morocco. After then, Sidi Mohammed sold his stakes and joined BearingPoint in Paris, a strategic advisory & technology consulting firm and was involved in digital transformation MasterPlans and cloud-based greenfield technology investments and deployments.
In 2015, Sidi Mohammed joined Endeavor, a major emerging markets focused high-impact scale-up accelerator, as Portfolio Director where he closely selected and advised more than 40+ high-growth scale-ups in Fintech, Agritech, Cleantech and Enterprise software & services in the MENA Region.
In 2018, Sidi Mohammed Zakraoui met Meriem and joined SEAF, as Vice President of Investments in SEAF Morocco Growth Fund Morocco team, and was heavily involved in SEAF Innovation Funds investing in innovative startups and founders-led companies in the MENA region. Sidi Mohammed invested and managed several deals in Fintech, Cybersecurity and B2B SaaS across Maghreb, West Africa, and Europe.
Sidi Mohammed graduated from EM Lyon with an MSc in Management with a specialization in Entrepreneurship & Finance.
Yassine started his career as financial officer for a large company in the mining and hydrometallurgy sector in Morocco and Africa. He worked also as administrative and financial manager in companies of different sectors (mining, retail, telecoms...) where he managed both accounting and compliance sides. In 2019, Yassine joined the team as a Compliance Officer of SEAF fund management activities in Morocco. Yassine is looking after compliance, internal audit and regulatory topics in relation with the team investment activities. He also supports portfolio companies in establishing their compliance and reporting standards. Yassine is graduated from IAE Grenoble, France with Msc in Accounting (C.C.A). He also graduated from both Ecole Supérieure et Technique de Casablanca and Université Mundiapolis de Casablanca.
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