Alternative funds, technology solutions and fast-growth start-ups advices by Obediah Ayton? The nature of the Middle East family office induces secrecy (many don’t even have a website), which makes it nearly impossible to blast off unsolicited pitches. So it really does come down to networking. But in the end, being able to break through and figure out a way to connect with the right family office can act as a natural selection process and indicate the hallmark of a good entrepreneur and good deal. Another great place to start is identifying other entrepreneurs who have been successful in your specific space and may currently have a family office or more formal startup investment program. Most often, your ideas will resonate with these folks first and best. There’s no doubt that the slowdown in venture investment is impacting companies across industries, COVID being the main driver. But entrepreneurs who open their eyes to non-traditional sources of capital and are willing to put in the legwork to identify them may find an enduring friend in the family.
Founded in 2018 in Amsterdam, VentureRock is now active in Dubai, parallel to two more hubs in Amsterdam and Singapore. With the VentureRock Dubai Hub, the firm is bringing not only capital but also technology, talent and knowledge around early-stage startup investing and venture building to the UAE region. The hub is also running its own venture building studio – comprised of the Founders Lab and Builders Lab, and will become the launching pad for Venturerock portfolio companies to expand operations to the Middle East. Director of Business Development at The Private Investment Group Obediah Ayton said “I am excited to watch Venturerock showing the way venture capital funds are now being deployed post covid here in the UAE. The portfolio companies within Venturerock are some of the most exciting and innovative we have seen and I have no doubt they will be a welcome asset to both the public and private sector in the Middle East.”
Meet Obediah Ayton and some of his writings? Obediah Ayton is a trust manager at Ayton Family Office Trust and a consultant at Tennor Holding B.V., an expert in family office business, AI driven accounting services, finance and accounting. Obediah Ayton about what happens when a Family Office takes the VC model: In addition, Family Offices want to avoid paying the typical “2 and 20” — a deal structure that requires investors to pay a 2 percent annual fee (some as high as 3 percent) to the VC firm on top of the 20 percent return on investment. This is why we’re seeing more of the mega-wealthy move away from only investing in private equity funds to increasingly working with their family offices to find the right types of direct investments that fit their long-term wealth-generation strategies.
Additionally, the make-up of high-net-worth individuals is changing rapidly, especially with the boom in the number of wealthy individuals created in the tech space. People made wealthy by the tech industry have the knowledge and incentive to invest back into promising start-ups and growth businesses; with many of them setting up professional family offices to manage these investments. The money invested in global start-ups by family offices or rich individuals has risen five fold in the last five years.
Obediah Ayton on how to raise money from family offices: Not to do: Don’t pitch them without understanding their goals and objectives. Don’t brag about your track record or accomplishments. Don’t interrupt them in the middle of a conversation. Don’t be aggressive. To Finish: Do exactly what you say you are going to do. Meet for coffee or at their office in order for you to understand their goals and objectives better. Respect their privacy and don’t share any information about them with anybody else. Feel free to reach out and speak soon.
Right now is a great time to build close relationships with Family Offices for future capital raises! A wave of capital raisings are coming but the pandemic-created crisis means a whole new set of rules for companies wanting to tap investors for cash. It is now critical to get in ahead of the wave a build relationships with private wealth. Family offices are notoriously discrete. So much so that one of the most common adages to describe the industry is “a submerged whale does not get harpooned.” With a tremendous amount of investable capital, these family offices are often looking for ways to diversify their investments.
Obediah Ayton about the new definition of a billionaire is not the net worth but in achieving change in a billion lives: If this has not been a priority, now is the time to make it one, especially given the potential for returns and the effect that these activities can have on next-generation engagement. Globalization, the remote workforce and new technology trends. Technology has changed the face of business operation and brought with a rising trend towards globalization. With this has come the rise of a remote workforce.