Sandpit Startups
Hosted by Sam & Abhishek, the Sandpit Startups podcast is the show where they explore entrepreneurship by journeying into the minds of the brightest and the best the Middle Eastern startup scene has to offer. This podcasts connects the entrepreneurs in the studio, with the entrepreneurs listening at home. Sam and Abhishek sincerely hope you find our content educational, motivational or inspiring. And if you do, you know where the follow button is!
Episodes
30 episodes
Amazon Acquisition to Anghami Listing | Sandpit Startups | Ep30 | Mary Ghobrial
In this episode, we speak with Mary Ghobrial who is the former Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer of Souq.com, Mary launched White Friday, drove regional retail strategies, and led Souq.com to its landmark acquisition by Amazon in 2017. Mary...
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Season 3
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Episode 30
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25:48
From Founders to Unicorns | Sandpit Startups | Ep29 | Khaled Talhouni
In this episode, we engage with Khaled Talhouni, the Managing Partner of Nuwa Capital. Nuwa Capital has successfully backed several innovative startups, including Eyewa, Seez, Silkhaus, Calo, and many more. Khaled’s extensive experience in lead...
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Season 3
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Episode 29
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35:12
Pivoting Masterclass | Sandpit Startups | Ep28 | Andrew Kabrit
In this conversation with Andrew Kabrit, Co-founder of Seez—a resilient startup backed by Nuwa Capital—he shares how Seez navigated the pandemic and adapted to survive when other startups struggled. Hear how Seez evolved its model, pivoted mult...
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Season 3
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Episode 28
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42:14
Crossing Over From VC to Startup | Sandpit Startups | Ep27 | Ajinkya Tanpure
In this conversation with Ajinkya Tanpure, also known as AJ, the Founder and CEO of CrossVal, we dive into essential topics every entrepreneur needs to master to become investor-ready. We'll explore how to justify valuations and effectively man...
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Season 3
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Episode 27
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41:57
How Private is My Equity? | Sandpit Startups | Ep26 | Dr. Brandon Guthrie
With Dr. Brandon Guthrie, General Partner at Shatranj Capital, we explore the strategic world of Private Equity. Dive into the intricacies of how PE firms help global enterprises like YUM Brands expand internationally, and learn when they consi...
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Season 3
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Episode 26
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43:05
Where is my Zofeur?! | Sandpit Startups | Ep25 | Bunty Monani
In an engaging session with Bunty Monani, Founder & CEO of Zofeur, we unravel the journey of Zofeur's meteoric ascent. From its humble inception to securing customer funding and navigating rapid expansion, every facet of Zofeur's growth sto...
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Season 3
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Episode 25
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40:29
From First VC to a Foremost VC - MEVP | Sandpit Startups | Ep24 | Walid Mansour
In this podcast episode with Walid Mansour, Co-founder of Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP), we explore the journey of the first and now one of the largest Venture Capital firms in MENA. Since its inception in 2008, MEVP has built an impressi...
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Season 3
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Episode 24
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46:36
Hardware as a Service? | Sandpit Startups | Ep23 | Atul Bhansal
Join us for an engaging conversation with Atul Bansal, co-founder of Livlyt, a cutting-edge IT platform designed to help companies optimize their tech spending. Atul provides valuable insights into how Livlyt tracks SaaS usage, manages device i...
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Season 3
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Episode 23
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40:13
Family Offices: A New Investor Class | Sandpit Startups | Ep22 | Obediah Ayton
We have a deep dive discussion with Obediah Ayton, Director Dhabi Holding Company and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Family Office Summit. Obediah shares his experience on the rise of the new investor class that many startups aren't aware of. We also un...
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Season 3
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Episode 22
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45:16
From FoodPanda KSA to FinTech Founder | Sandpit Startups | Ep21 | Tarek Ghobar
Join us in this inspiring session with Tarek Ghobar, co-founder of Paymennt and recognized as a Forbes Top 20 FinTech Entrepreneur. Discover how Paymennt is is transforming digital payments for micro and small businesses handle online payments ...
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Episode 21
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44:16
From Idea to Acquisition | Sandpit Startups | Ep20 | Benjamin Mouflard
In this episode, we have a food chat with Benjamin Mouflard, the co-founder of Chatfood. ChatFood offers restaurants a commission-free platform for online ordering and sales via social media and websites, with integrated payment and logistics s...
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Episode 20
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33:47
Talking "Boring Business" with Washmen's Co-Founder | Sandpit Startups | Ep18 | Jad Halaoui
In this squeaky clean episode we sit down with Jad Halaoui, the co-founder of Washmen, a digital laundry and dry-cleaning service in the UAE. We talk about Jad's journey from working in Canada one day for an Oil & Gas giant to take the leap...
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Episode 18
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54:24
Your Virtual Legal Advisor | Sandpit Startups | Ep19 | Ahmed Arif
In this startup forensics episode, we discuss with Ahmed Arif, the co-founder of Clara. Clara simplifies the intricate legal procedures of starting, expanding, and selling a startup in the UAE with their cutting-edge legal software. With Ahmed,...
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Episode 19
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40:30
Sky full of Startups | Sandpit Startups | Ep17 | Lukas Krejca
In this episode we are with the operations director of Astrolabs Lukas Krejca, Dubai-based digital capability building company. Astrolabs supports expansion of startups and scaleups to UAE and Saudi Arabia. It's a startup community where entrep...
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Episode 17
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34:24
This $5M Idea Will End Car Ownership by 2030 | Sandpit Startups | Ep16 | Claudio Esposito-Aiardo
In this episode we drive down memory lane with Claudio Esposito-Aiardo co-founder of Carasti, Dubai-based car subscription start-up. From starting with a prototype to raising $5M and also expanding to Saudi Arabia. We learn the do's and d...
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Episode 16
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44:35
He Bootstrapped Dubai's Fastest Growing Community | Sandpit Startups | Ep15 | Cameron Lee Roberts
In this community-focused episode, join us with Cameron Lee Roberts, Founder of DYP Club (now YP Club), as we explore the incredible evolution of UAE's premier hub for aspiring young professionals. From its humble beginnings as a monthly gather...
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Episode 15
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41:40
Haltia.AI The AI Super App | Sandpit Startups | Ep14 | Talal Thabet
In this super charged episode with Talal Thabat the Cofounder of Haltia we discuss all things AI which includes Sam Altman and ChatGPT to data and privacy issues. We talk about how Haltia will change the life of people with this AI super app ma...
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Episode 14
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39:11
The Man That Can Build You a FREE MVP?! | Sandpit Startups | Ep13 | Dennis Kohl
In this unique episode with 'Tech Angel' and Founder of Inheaden, Dennis Kohl. We discover the new form of investment, unlike the venture studios, rather the tech angel concept is a new and unique take on investment that combines the VC busines...
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Episode 13
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35:06
The Dubai Matchmaker | Sandpit Startups | Ep12 | Christiana Maxion
Join us in this exciting episode as with 'The Dubai Matchmaker' and Founder of the Maxion app. Her journey from a Teacher in Abu Dhabi to a Tech founder is inspirational and her matchmaking app is set to change the conventional dating app lands...
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Episode 12
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32:36
Own Home in Dubai with just 500 AED | Sandpit Startups | Ep11 | Siddiq Farid
Join us in this exciting episode as we sit down with Siddiq Farid, the co-founder of SmartCrowd, a revolutionary real estate crowdfunding platform in the UAE! Discover how you can now turn property investment into a hassle-free, stock-like expe...
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Episode 11
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34:39
From Side Hustle to 5,200 Bottles Per Day | Sandpit Startups | Ep10 | Raja Abuljebain
Join us in this episode as we sit down with Raja Abuljebain, the CEO of Essentially Juices, an innovative F&B startup dedicated to health and wellness. Dive into the fascinating journey of "Essentially" as we discuss the challenges and grow...
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Episode 10
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30:37
Inside the SandBox | Sandpit Startups | Ep9 | Elliot Denham
In this episode we are with Elliott Denham the Program Manager at SandBox, a groundbreaking program from Dtec. This startup program is designed to help founders unlock their full potential and guide them on their 0 to 1 journey, providing...
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Episode 9
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33:39
Desert Deals - Venture Capital in MENA | Sandpit Startups | Ep8 | Asher Siddiqui
In this episode with Asher Siddiqui a General Partner at Sukna Ventures, an early stage VC firm . He is a seasoned investor, mentor that has led deals over $15 Billion. Asher has established himself as a trusted advisor to numerous VC firms in ...
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Episode 8
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39:57
Startup Scales and Legal Tales | Sandpit Startups | Ep7 | Bianca Gracias
In this episode we are with Bianca Gracias the managing partner at Crimson Legal, a smart legal services firm providing legal solutions to help startups, SMEs and family offices achieve their business goals in the UAE . We talk about corporate ...
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Episode 7
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29:06
Oldest Startup Ever | Sandpit Startups | Ep6 | Steve Drake & Paul Donnely
Join us for an incredible episode featuring Steve Drake and Paul Donnely from Middle East Advisory Partners who are the masterminds behind a boutique consultancy startup for SMEs. With over 100 years of collective experience, including Big 4 co...
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Episode 6
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28:49