Iraq Venture Partners

What Iraq Venture Partners does

Iraq Venture Partners (IVP) is the first Baghdad-based early-stage venture capital firm, founded in 2021 to invest in pre-seed, seed, and pre-Series A Iraqi startups and SMEs. The firm operates from its Baghdad headquarters (14 Ramadan, Al Mansour) and a Dubai regional hub (Dubai Digital Park, Dubai Silicon Oasis), and serves as the institutional conduit connecting Iraqi founders with regional and international capital.

Its product surface consists of multiple branded funds and programs rather than a single vehicle. The IVP Catalyst Fund is a seed/early-stage investment vehicle with a $3.5M first close targeting $5M, deploying $100,000–$250,000 tickets at seed/pre-Series A and $250,000–$500,000 follow-on. The Orange Corner Innovation Fund (OCIF) Baghdad is a 2.6-million-euro, 7-year program (Q4 2024–Q4 2030) structured into two tracks supporting 20 entrepreneurs per cohort across 10 cohorts, with 400,000 euro co-funding from IVP. Scale Iraq is an investment-readiness program supporting 30 startups per cohort, implemented by IVP and supported by IFC and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Investment Readiness Lab Certificate delivers IFC-aligned assessment and training, and the upcoming Gateway Fund (planned 2025) extends coverage into pre-Series A and Series A with $250,000–$1,000,000 tickets. Beyond capital, the IVP Value Add Model markets mentorship, regional network access, and technical assistance.

Revenue mechanics are fund-management economics: management fees on committed capital under Catalyst and OCIF, supplemented by programmatic grants from development partners (IFC, World Bank, GIZ, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Co-investment activity is exemplified by IVP's participation in Alsaree3's seven-figure Series A alongside Euphrates Ventures and Snoonu, and recent six-figure tickets into Mabiati and Al Jabal Agriculture sourced through the OCIF pipeline. The firm runs an inbound GTM via online application forms (with pitch deck upload), the Orange Corners/KAPITA implementing-partner channel for sourcing, and regional event sponsorship (GITEX, LEAP, STEP, Web Summit). Founding General Partners are Omar Al-Handal, Bassam Falah (ex-Innovest), and Mohammed Khudairi, with an operating team led by Hady El Samra (Head of Investments & Programs) and Laura Olivier (Deal Flow Manager).

Name

Iraq Venture Partners

Legal name

Iraq Venture Partners

Website

https://iraqventurepartners.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Iraq Venture Partners (IVP) is the first Baghdad-based early-stage venture capital firm, deploying seed and pre-Series A capital ($100K–$500K) into Iraqi tech startups via the IVP Catalyst Fund, OCIF, and Scale Iraq program, and connecting them with regional and international investors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Multi-Sector / Generalist Growth Equity (FSANACAO)

Keywords

• Venture capital investing
• Early-stage funding
• Startup investment
• Seed stage capital
• Investment readiness programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Baghdad

HQ country

Iraq

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Venture Capital Returns: IVP generates returns through equity investments in Iraqi startups and SMEs. The firm invests capital in exchange for equity stakes, seeking capital appreciation through portfolio company growth and eventual exits via acquisition, IPO, or secondary transactions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Iraq Venture Partners is the first Baghdad-based early-stage venture capital firm that invests equity capital in Iraqi startups and SMEs at the pre-seed, seed, and pre-Series A stages. The firm manages multiple investment vehicles (IVP Catalyst Fund, Orange Corner Innovation Fund, and the upcoming Gateway Fund) with ticket sizes ranging from $100,000 to $1 million, and complements capital with an IVP Value Add Model providing mentorship, investment readiness training, and access to regional and international investor networks.

Product overview

Iraq Venture Partners (IVP) operates as the first Iraq-based venture capital firm focused on investing behind high-potential Iraqi startups and SMEs. The firm offers a portfolio of investment products: the IVP Catalyst Fund (seed/early-stage investment of $100K-$500K), Scale Iraq (investment readiness program for 30 startups), Orange Corner Innovation Fund (2.6M euro fund with 10 cohorts of entrepreneurs), Investment Readiness Lab Certificate (investment readiness training), and the upcoming Gateway Fund (later-stage investments of $250K-$1M). The IVP Value Add Model also provides holistic resources including mentorship, industry expertise, and business solutions to support long-term startup success.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IVP Catalyst Fund: A seed and early-stage investment vehicle designed to stimulate Iraq's startup ecosystem by investing in high-potential Iraqi technology companies. Ticket size: $100,000 to $250,000 with follow-on investment of $250,000 to $500,000. Fund size: first close $3.5 million targeting $5 million.
• Scale Iraq
• Orange Corner Innovation Fund (OCIF)
• Gateway Fund

Products and services

• IVP Catalyst Fund

Quantifiable outcome

• Mabiati serves over 20,028 customers with approximately 40% average growth
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KAPITAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKAPITA is a private sector development company that partners with IVP and Orange Corners to empower young Iraqi founders. KAPITA implements Orange Corners Baghdad, providing entrepreneurs with workshops, one-on-one coaching, and ecosystem support before directing qualified startups to OCIF for investment readiness and funding.
• CopyBookscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCopyBooks, an Orange Corners Cohort 10 alumnus, has entered a strategic partnership with IVP and KAPITA under OCIF to provide financial training, advisory services, and digital financial management solutions to participating startups, enhancing financial governance and investment readiness.
• ICFsmeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICFsme appears as a partner logo on the IVP website, indicating a working relationship in supporting Iraqi SMEs and startups.
• FLAT6LABSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFLAT6LABS is listed as a partner, indicating collaboration in the regional startup ecosystem and potentially shared programs or investor networks.
• 51 labsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner51 labs is listed as a partner, indicating collaboration in the Iraqi and regional startup ecosystem.
• THE STATIONminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTHE STATION is listed as a partner, indicating a collaborative relationship in supporting the Iraqi startup ecosystem.
• Rouwad al IraqminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRouwad al Iraq appears as a partner logo, indicating collaboration in supporting Iraqi entrepreneurs and SMEs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KAPITA: Iraqi private-sector development company and IVP's core pipeline partner under Orange Corners Baghdad. Provides incubation and capacity-building to Iraqi startups feeding OCIF, putting it in overlapping territory with IVP's investment readiness programs.
• Euphrates Ventures: Iraq-focused early-stage VC that has co-invested with IVP in Alsaree3's Series A. Operates in the same geographic market and stage focus (seed to Series A), making it the closest comparable to IVP.

Broad incumbents

• FLAT6LABS: MENA-region seed accelerator and early-stage investor listed as an IVP partner. Operates a broader regional footprint across North Africa and the Levant with similar seed-stage ticket sizes, anchoring the same ecosystem IVP targets in Iraq.
• Shorooq Investments: MENA early-stage investor with multi-fund platform and presence in UAE. Provides a regional benchmark for ticket sizes, fund cadence, and value-add support that IVP's Catalyst and Gateway Funds emulate.
• 500 Global (MENA): Global early-stage VC and accelerator with active MENA programs. Competes for the same early-stage Iraqi startups IVP targets and provides a comparable 'capital + readiness' value-add model.

Regional players

• Nuwa Capital: MENA-focused seed VC investing in founders across the region. Overlaps with IVP's seed/Series A thesis and serves as a regional competitor for Iraqi deal flow.
• Algebra Ventures: Egypt-focused early-to-growth-stage VC investing in MENA tech startups. Comparable fund model (multi-fund platform, $100K-$1M tickets) serving a frontier MENA market analogous to Iraq.
• 212 Seed Fund: Turkey-focused seed and early-stage fund. Comparable thesis of backing frontier-market tech startups in challenging operating environments, with similar ticket sizes and accelerator-style support.
• Berytech Fund: Lebanon-based early-stage fund and accelerator supporting MENA startups. Operates a similar accelerator-to-fund pipeline (programs feeding equity investments) in a comparable frontier emerging market.
• Vision Ventures: Saudi Arabia-based early-to-growth-stage VC active across MENA. Comparable in stage focus and ticket size range, competing for the same regional founders and capital partners.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/iraqventurepartners
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iraq-venture-partners
• Instagraminstagram.com/iraqventurepartners

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments4 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Iraq Venture Partners