UAE family offices advices by Obediah Ayton

Early-stage startups investment tricks by Obediah Ayton? Companies currently raising rounds of venture investment are inevitably learning some hard truths. Primarily, VC dollars aren’t as readily available as they were in previous years due to COVID, and for the companies that are receiving funding, they’re finding that the terms are becoming increasingly less palatable. The good news for startups looking for funding is that a new pathway for direct investment is emerging: the family/multi-family offices of wealthy individuals and families. Single-family offices (SFOs) were first pioneered by the Al Futtaim’s, Olayan’s, Mansour as a way to centralize the management of the family fortune. Multi-family offices (MFOs) work under the same concept, but typically work with several wealthy families instead of just one. These offices traditionally managed investments and handled administrative items, like accounting and tax planning, property management, payroll activities, succession planning and legal affairs.

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 professional 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.”

Who is Obediah Ayton and some of his thoughts? 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: Why Raise Money from Family Offices: The long-term nature of their capital. Family offices have private capital to be preserved across generations, unlike venture capital firms which have contractually short term horizons. Strong alignment of the founder with the entrepreneur. Owing to the entrepreneurial DNA of the founders of most family offices, younger, more inexperienced entrepreneurs stand to benefit tremendously from the insights and connections of the family. This functions much like a successful venture capital fund but without the ego and aggressive nature to perform substantial returns.

Moreover, the principals behind the family offices have extraordinary networks of connections, which can prove invaluable for start-ups seeking customer exposure, business know-how or even further investment. Since family offices in the Middle East are independent entities and are regulated less strictly than banks, they can be much more flexible in their consideration of investments across enterprise size, geographies and asset classes. The appeal of direct investment to family offices comes from more than just the alignment of capital. Direct investments allow them to take a more hands-on approach to selecting and managing their portfolios. Investments in the sustainability space and impact investing are particularly attractive.

Obediah Ayton on how to raise money from family offices: Raising money from Family Offices can be a long process. If not approached in a correct manner. Typically, it’s 100% based on relationships and trust. Family offices are desirable investors, through their evergreen capital structure, know-how and long-term investment focus it makes sense to win them as investors, partners and most of all “Friends”. Sounds GOOD, but there’s a catch: family offices are extremely discreet, emotional and selective. Time is a valuable asset, selecting The Right Single Family Offices For Your Project is key.

Right now is a great time to build close relationships with Family Offices for future capital raises! Begin Locally: If you are looking to connect with just a few family offices, the best place to begin is in your own backyard. The best method is to begin locally. These family offices are usually the easiest to initially meet and spice up a common interest. You can focus on getting to know every single family office in your city. With this base network, you are able to use it as a foundation for further outreach and referrals. But what happens if you do not know any family offices in your city or region? After all, they are submerged whales. Google is one of the best places to begin the search. If you don’t know any [family offices], start by searching Google. You will probably discover at least 2 or 3 in your area. Google search simply include your area (i.e. London) and the phrase “family offices.” Alternatively, you could search for the ultra-affluent residents of your area, and search for an associated family office.

Obediah Ayton about the new definition of a billionaire is not the net worth but in achieving change in a billion lives: Global Family Office Trends. This year, Families continue to focus on impact and sustainable investment, while also embracing globalization and a rise in the remote workforce. Impact and sustainable investment. Rising levels of socioeconomic inequality and concern regarding climate change are issues garnering global debate and interest. 65% of family offices will play an integral role in economic inequality alleviation.