I learnt fundraising the hard way first.

My first raise was as Head of Investor Relations at an early-stage company, where I handled investor outreach, materials and diligence. We closed a €1.2m pre-seed, but it took far longer than it should have. At the time, I couldn't fully explain why.

I began to understand from the other side. I joined a Parisian VC fund as its first employee, helping build the investment thesis, run dealflow and deploy more than €50M across European tech. I saw good businesses get passed on and heard the internal discussions that a polite rejection email rarely captures.

I also worked as a venture partner at a French Venture Studio, leading UAE expansion for three portfolio companies. Securing partnerships and capital from leading strategic players in the region.

Today, I run AvenirX Labs from Dubai. I work directly with founders to understand the business, challenge the assumptions before investors do, and build a case that holds up when they discuss it without you in the room.