Dakhil Al Dakhil

As an investment organization focused on SMEs and start-ups, Rasameel Investment Co. now helps its clients make money, while empowering technological advancement around the world.

What qualities do you seek when deciding to financially support newcomers to the market?

Rasameel has been through many changes over the past years. We have changed the structure of our company, focusing on asset management and venture capital investing. This is actually a new unit that we have recently opened. When it comes to investments, we do not want to “reinvent the wheel.” Instead, we look at the potential of replicating a particular product or service of a company when put in a different market; if there is a chance of success elsewhere, we know the company is a good fit. We want to invest in companies that have the potential to grow and expand beyond the borders of the GCC. With each investment consideration, we think of the bigger picture, and based on our calculations, we decide whether to go for it. The things to pay in mind are also the company’s ability to pivot and approach challenges, and their financial backing. It is important to understand the team that is leading the SMEs before investing. A great advantage of our firm, as a shariah-compliant organization, is the fact that we do not invest in initiatives that are not sustainable. Our philosophy determines our actions, and we believe that whatever we do, we should help the world develop and keep it safe. We are all responsible for the wellbeing of the planet and people, and anything you do has to bring value—that is our philosophy. With all these in mind, the underlying strength and uniqueness of our approach is the fact that for us to participate, both parties have to be able to gain from this participation.

What changes have you observed in terms of the entrepreneurial ventures in the Kuwaiti market?

Right now, there is a trend toward entrepreneurship and SMEs. Many people with great ideas have launched their businesses with success over the past few years. There are a few major reasons why Kuwait is a great space to start a business and scale. First, there are no taxes, which allows companies to save as much as they can while they try to break at the beginning. Secondly, the environment is peaceful here. There are not many costs, and, especially for Kuwaitis, the support is immense. Finally, the population is small, so you can quickly experiment and explore what works and what does not before you take your product or service abroad; however, for that same reason you have to take it abroad at some point, because there aren’t enough people here to make a business scalable. That is the model and success story of the many companies that started here: practice, grow, experiment within, and then take it elsewhere.

What is your approach to investing and the unique strategy of Rasameel?

First, we should use our investments to not only save for the future but build and empower advancement. This is what we are doing at Rasameel. Through our products such as the disruptive technologies portfolio, we help our clients gain and make money, while empowering technological advancement of the world. This way, we are truly investing in the future, rather than just investing for the sake of saving money. There is not much innovative investing in the country, which is what we are trying to change. By empowering these new solutions and experimental approaches, we can influence the growth and change in our economy. Moreover, we will soon launch an all-encompassing platform that will enable our clients to learn about investments, build their own portfolios, and research the market with the use of our expertise and technology. Instead of looking through dozens of websites and magazines, they will be able to go onto our platform and see it all, segregated, analyzed, and updated on the daily basis. We provide the power from insights with conviction on the direction of certain stocks and themes.