Five One Labs Launches Investment Initiative
Five One Invest will fortify Iraq's growing investment landscape by connecting the nation's top entrepreneurs with top investors.
October 7, 2020 - Erbil, Iraq - Five One Labs, a start-up incubator for Iraqi and Syrian entrepreneurs based in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), has launched Five One Invest. Five One Invest is an investment initiative that creates more efficient deal-making and matchmaking opportunities for local investors and increases access to capital for entrepreneurs as they scale.
“We are thrilled to launch Five One Invest as a way to strengthen the investment environment in Iraq today,” said Five One Labs co-founder Alice Bosley. “On one hand, early-stage investors are facing a fragmented, inefficient market as they attempt to source deals, and on the other entrepreneurs are finding it difficult to access investment capital as they look to scale. By matching the best of our entrepreneur and investor communities, we will be able to facilitate more deals, all while providing additional resources and networking opportunities to the community.”
Through Five One Labs’ ongoing work supporting startups, the incubator has developed an extensive network of entrepreneurs and investors, along with deep expertise in the investment landscape of Iraq. This makes Five One Labs uniquely positioned to launch this initiative, where they will provide resources to both sides of its community, including investment readiness programs and advisory services for start-ups to ensure each is armed with pitch decks and robust investment strategies ahead of connecting with investors.
For investors who become members, Five One Invest will offer curated matchmaking to source, evaluate, and facilitate investment in early-stage companies throughout the country. Members will also be offered unique Master Class workshops and networking opportunities. Non-members will have access to opportunities such as their Fundamentals of Angel Investing Course and a monthly Speaker Series. As Five One Invest continues to expand its network, select investors can experience the growing value of joining the community, including an enhanced pipeline and syndicate partners.
For entrepreneurs seeking access to finance, Five One Invest provides a number of useful resources, including advisory and valuation services, investment readiness workshops and opportunities to showcase their startups through monthly Entrepreneur Spotlights.
Five One Invest will launch its programs on October 14 with its inaugural online panel discussion, "Investment in Iraq: Now and Five Years Forward," which is open to the public and will feature a conversation among local and international investors and Iraqi startups.
This launch of Five One Invest comes during a time of growth for the broader entrepreneurial landscape of the KRI and Iraq, which has seen a massive increase in the number of early-stage ventures launched in the past five years. Five One Labs has been intensively supporting the ecosystem through startup incubation programs, annual investor trips to Iraq for regional and international investors, coworking spaces in Erbil and Sulaimani, and investment readiness workshops since its founding in 2017.
About Five One Labs
Five One Labs is a startup incubator in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) that provides diverse entrepreneurs with training, mentorship, connections and funding to launch scalable businesses. Our vision is to develop a network of entrepreneurs and innovators who have the support, skills, and connections to positively change their communities.
About Five One Invest
Five One Invest, an initiative of Five One Labs, creates more efficient deal-making and matchmaking opportunities for local investors and increases access to capital for entrepreneurs as they scale. With our team of business, investment and startup support experts, both investors and entrepreneurs will benefit from Five One Invest’s services and deal facilitation.