From Five One Labs:
Five One Invest Launches Its First Annual "State of Investments in Iraq" Report
Five One Invest, an initiative of Five One Labs, launches its first annual "State of Investments in Iraq" report to uncover bottlenecks and identify opportunities within Iraq's investment landscape.
Over the past five years, Iraqi startup founders have faced many challenges, especially securing venture funding. Despite a supportive ecosystem comprising upskilling initiatives, bootcamps, incubator and accelerator programs, SME support endeavors, and a network of startup-focused co-working spaces, the journey for startups remains incomplete without adequate financial backing.
While resources like small grants, typically capped at $25,000, are available from select humanitarian or development agencies, not all startups can access these funds, and those that do often find them insufficient for sustainable growth. Moreover, navigating approval processes for bank loans or overcoming barriers to accessing equity investments poses additional hurdles.
As Executive Director Alice Bosley once explained:
"On one hand, early-stage investors are facing a fragmented, inefficient market as they attempt to source deals, and on the other, entrepreneurs are finding it difficult to access investment capital as they look to scale."
This inaugural State of Investments in Iraq report aims to further deepen and expand startup founders' and investors' perspectives, priorities, and concerns. Drawing on insights gathered from surveys of startup founders and various investor or founder roundtable discussions, this report assesses past efforts in facilitating startup growth through investment and proposes actionable solutions. The report will be updated annually to capture current perspectives, challenges, and opportunities for catalyzing startup investment in Iraq.
The research explores the current state of investment in Iraq and is informed by perspectives from investors and startups. This study gathered quantitative and qualitative data through surveys and roundtables with founders and investors to uncover widely held perceptions, existing challenges, and potential solutions to further strengthen Iraq's investment ecosystem. This report intends to provide a snapshot of the current realities and potential opportunities understood by those directly supporting startups in Iraq.
The research mainly assesses:
- Key areas where startups struggle when accessing capital
- Roles played by stakeholders to facilitate access to capital
- Hindrances to local investor activity
- Factors encouraging local investor activity
- Factors encouraging regional co-investment activity
To browse our comprehensive library of reports on Iraq, click here.
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