Produced by Foundersuite (www.foundersuite.com) and Fundingstack (www.fundingstack.com), "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders and investors who have raised capital.

This episode is with Amir Farha of COTU Ventures, a VC fund that invests in early-stage startups in the Middle East / MENA region.

In this episode, we talk about what he looks for in startup founders, how to find your "champion" LPs and secure an anchor investor, tips for getting to a first close, tips for pitching sovereign wealth funds, the startup scene in the UAE vs. Saudi Arabia vs. Egypt and much more.

COTU most recently raised a $54 million inaugural fund to support startups in the Middle East from pre-seed to seed stages. The firm typically invests between $500,000 and $2 million.

COTU Ventures’ limited partners include Lunate, Mubadala, Dubai Future District Fund, Arab Bank, Bupa KSA, and GPs from VCs, including Foundry Group, Tribe Capital, Stride, and several family offices. Portfolio companies include Huspy and MoneyHash, among others.

How I Raised It is produced by Foundersuite, makers of software to raise capital and manage investor relations. Foundersuite's customers have raised over $17 Billion since 2016. Create a free account at www.foundersuite.com. If you are a VC or investment banker, check out our new platform, www.fundingstack.com