Services

GCC Market Entry, Capital Intelligence and Cross-Border Advisory

For European established companies and startups

Who This Is For

This offering is designed for European established companies, startups and founders who are actively evaluating whether the GCC (specifically the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar) is strategically relevant to their growth, capital or expansion plans.

If you are hearing strong narratives about Gulf capital, accelerators and sovereign investors, but lack grounded clarity on where you actually fit, this advisory is built for that decision moment.

Why the Region Matters Now

• It represents ~40% of global Sovereign Wealth Fund assets, increasingly active in direct private-market investments, the lead late stage startups financing.
• Qatar has expanded its startup and co-investment framework from USD 1B (2024) by adding a further USD 2B targeted at startups and scale-ups, with typical ticket sizes of up to USD 1M at seed and up to USD 5M at later stages.
• UAE-based accelerators now routinely offer packages starting at ~USD 60,000 in cash for equity, combined with housing, healthcare coverage and office infrastructure.
• Saudi Arabia local presence wiht headquarters in Riyadh becomes mandatority to receive investment or conduct business within the country and along the giga-projects.
• GCC capital markets are simultaneously accelerating the development of local public markets, with multiple IPOs expected across the region.
• Overall, GCC capital is repositioning towards local deployment, actively attracting foreign companies and investors and welcoming early-stage startup.

Advisory Areas of Focus

• GCC capital mapping and investor landscape intelligence

• Company to Market fit assessment (UAE vs KSA vs Qatar)

• Pre-entry strategy for European companies and founders

Typical Use Cases

• European startups assessing GCC accelerators or early-stage capital

• Scale-ups evaluating sovereign or strategic co-investors

• Established companies exploring partnerships or regional expansion

• Founders seeking clarity before committing time, capital, or relocation

Engagement Philosophy

I am available for short, focused advisory engagements to help founders assess whether the region makes strategic sense and how to approach it intelligently. Currently based in Europe and in active exploration of the GCC ecosystem, willing to work with founders who want to evaluate the region before committing on-the-ground resources.

Contact email contact@jfbranch.com.

LinkedIn: Felipe Branch