Capital Is No Longer the Sufficient Condition | Bilal Baloch, Shorooq Partners

Ten years ago you could count the companies. Bilal Baloch on what changed, and what money alone no longer buys. Book Ian for your event → iankhan.com | booking@iankhan.com SUMMARY Bilal Baloch is a partner at Shorooq Partners. He contrasts the venture ecosystem of a decade ago, when fewer than ten companies of scale existed in the region, with talent now relocating from Harvard, Stanford and Oxford, and argues capital has stopped being the deciding factor. KEY FINDINGS • Fewer than ten companies of real scale in the region a decade ago • A shift in both capital availability and founder quality • Talent moving from the traditional centres of excellence • Scientists and operators relocating rather than visiting • Capital no longer being the sufficient condition for outcomes • What actually determines allocation now • How the region competes on more than cheque size NOTABLE QUOTES "I don't think that we are any longer in an environment where capital is the sufficient condition." — Bilal Baloch GUEST Bilal Baloch, Partner, Shorooq Partners FULL TRANSCRIPT iankhan.com/futurist/bilal-baloch-shorooq-capital-condition Recorded at the Future Investment Initiative, Riyadh, for The Futurist. ──────────────────── ABOUT IAN KHAN — AI KEYNOTE SPEAKER Most AI keynotes end with a better understanding. Mine end with a measured readiness score and a ninety-day plan. Your leadership team is assessed before the event, the room sees its own collective result live, and every attendee leaves with a