01Who we are 02Why us 03What we look for 04Portfolio 05Contact Get in Touch

Capital that
builds with you

Dubai-based investment holding owned and run by operational investors.

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Who we are

We’re not across the table, we’re in the room with founders

Every EQ4 shareholder has built, scaled, or opened markets from scratch. We’ve faced headwinds, had our load of setbacks, and know what early can really feel like.

EQ4 shares its operating team and investment committee with EQ2 Ventures, which has been backing early-stage founders across the Middle East & Africa for a decade. Both holdings frequently invest together, connecting you to a broader network of experienced operators and later-stage capital.

Founding Shareholders

Patrick Thiriet
Patrick Thiriet CEO
Zadi Hobeika
Zadi Hobeika
Ali Tabba
Ali Tabba

Team

Iman Beheiry
Iman Beheiry Operations
Karim Nahas
Karim Nahas Value Creation
Manish Phulwani
Manish Phulwani Investments

Investment Committee

Hosam Arab
Hosam Arab Co-Founder, Tabby
Elie Habib
Elie Habib CEO, OSN+ & Anghami
Joel Ayala
Joel Ayala Partner, Class 5
Noor Lozi
Noor Lozi COO, Optima
Thomas Grynbaum
Thomas Grynbaum Investor, Ex-Founder & CEO
Why us

We play the long game

Permanent Capital

Evergreen by design

We know that building a great company takes time. With no VC fund lifecycle forcing premature decisions, we stay aligned with founders on the long-term picture.

TYPICAL EARLY-STAGE FUND8 TO 10-YEAR CLOCK
✕ FUND CLOSES · FORCED EXITS
EQ4 · EVERGREENNO CLOCK
∞ WE STAY ALIGNED

Operators-Led

Lived experience, not advice

EQ4 shareholders have built and scaled businesses across industries and continents. When our founders need to break into a new market, navigate regulation, or rebuild a team, we come in and roll up our sleeves where needed.

opened markets✶ navigated regulation✶ restructured operations✶ scaled teams✶ entered new geographies✶ built from zero✶ hired the first fifty✶ raised the next round✶ opened markets✶ navigated regulation✶ restructured operations✶ scaled teams✶ entered new geographies✶ built from zero✶ hired the first fifty✶ raised the next round✶

Network Effect

Ecosystems, not just companies

Most EQ4 investments started with a referral from one of our existing founders or co-investors. We’re also proud that half of our portfolio already do business with another EQ2 or EQ4 company, and that many of our successful founders have co-invested with us on a new opportunity. Creating a virtuous ecosystem is central to our value-creation philosophy.

What we look for

Founders solving structural gaps

STAGE & TICKET SIZE

Seed → Series A

We invest early, with the ability to follow on as our founders scale.

follow-on → Pre-seed Seed Series A Series B Growth
$250–500KINITIAL CHEQUE
$2–3MFOLLOW-ON · ACROSS ROUNDS
GEOGRAPHY

Middle East & Africa

Our footprint spans MEA, and we back founders building globally from emerging markets.

MEA
→ GLOBAL
SECTORS
Digital Frontiers

Consumer  /  Marketplaces  /  Fintech  /  Ad-Tech  /  Healthtech

AI Native

AI-native models solving real-world problems.

Underserved Gaps

Legacy industries waiting for change.

Portfolio

Companies we’re building with

Click a company to expand
Based
Singapore / USA
Invested in
2025
Current stage
Seed
Sector
Martech
askneedle.com ↗
Based
UAE
Invested in
2025
Current stage
Seed
Sector
Consumer
Based
UK
Invested in
2026
Current stage
Series A
Sector
AI Services
isometric.com ↗
Based
UAE
Invested in
2025
Current stage
Seed
Sector
AI Services
wusoolcapital.com ↗
Based
Kenya
Invested in
2025
Current stage
Seed
Sector
Healthcare
afrilenstech.com ↗
Based
UK / US / UAE
Invested in
2024
Current stage
Series A
Sector
SaaS
baliohq.com ↗
Based
UK / Europe / UAE
Invested in
2025
Current stage
Series A
Sector
Healthcare
tern-group.com ↗
Get in touch

We’d love to hear from you

Whether you’re a founder, investor, or just want to see if we’re the right fit, please get in touch.

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