Early-stage startups investment tricks by Obediah Ayton? The first thing to understand is that it’s not a growth equity fund — the primary goal of a family office is to invest wealth prudently and extend it beyond generations. Families in the GCC have a multi-disciplinary approach that ensures their wealth transfers across multiple generations in the most tax efficient manner possible, that their children and future generations have prudent investment programs implemented and that they have the appropriate infrastructure and fiduciaries installed to responsibly manage and maintain wealth. This gives local family offices tremendous flexibility in the types of companies and industries that they choose for investment. These offices are typically not beholden to a set of mandates forcing investment into a predetermined space and criteria.
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 see 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.”
The upsurge of a financial influencer : Obediah Ayton? Obediah Ayton is a trust manager at Ayton Family Office Trust and a consultant at Tennor Holding B.V., a specialist 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.
Alongside this monumental shift in wealth, we are witnessing a modernisation of family offices here in the UAE. Family offices are not only selecting business models that allow for more control and greater returns but are also expressing a heightened interest in “impact investing”. Typically, this means investing in small or medium-sized organisations that are purpose-led and have a focus on sustainable or ethical business practices. As the number of UAE family offices and the pool of wealth amassed by them increases and is passed on to a new generation, the way they conduct themselves is evolving rapidly, investing in innovative, creative and socially conscious ways. SMEs should take note of this enthusiasm and use it to their advantage.
Obediah Ayton on how to raise money from family offices: Investment proposal: – When you have a specific project or investment opportunity, it is essential to prepare a list of suitable family offices before you contact them. Study the emotional interest within the Families history with specific areas or businesses. When creating the list, quality always beats quantity. Quality means: you should look for family investment offices which have previously invested in similar projects or are generally known for their open-minded investment style. Simply sending a generic mass mail to hundreds of family offices is rarely successful. While compiling the list already make notes about the SFOs and their investments – this will help you out later.
Right now is a great time to build close relationships with Family Offices for future capital raises! The Light at the End of the Tunnel: Ultimately, the extra effort required to build relationships with family offices is more than warranted. Family offices bring much more than investable capital to the table — a stable relationship with one can offer the power of a warm introduction and a broader network. Many of these family offices are connected with ultra-wealthy family offices and leaders in a variety of businesses.
Obediah Ayton about the new definition of a billionaire is not the net worth but in achieving change in a billion lives: At present, just over 50% of the relevant family offices allocate less than 10% of their portfolios to sustainable investment. However, a third of Families average portfolios will be comprised of sustainable investments and one-quarter impact investments within the next five years. Impact causes garnering the most considerable investments include those that address climate change, improve health and social care, as well as those that retain and develop employees, workplace safety and cybersecurity.