K&S Perspectives: Recent Episodes
King & Spalding
Hear what industry leaders think about the latest business and legal developments and trends, from all over the world, from wherever you are, with K&S Perspectives.
In this episode, we speak with Rawan AlRasheed, Director (Venture Capital) at Aljazira Capital, one of Saudi Arabia’s leading investment firms. With over a decade of experience in private equity, venture capital, and asset management, Rawan shares her insights into the evolution of the Kingdom’s startup ecosystem and what it takes for founders to build sustainable, long-term businesses.
We explore the journey from early-stage growth to institutional maturity, the challenges of scaling responsibly, and the role investors play in shaping the future of innovation in Saudi Arabia. Rawan also discusses the importance of governance, leadership development, and strategic partnerships in helping startups transition into enduring institutions.
This episode offers a deep dive into the dynamics of venture capital in Saudi Arabia and the mindset required to build generational companies in a rapidly evolving market.
In this episode, Iyad Aldalooj, CEO and Co-Founder of Penny Software shares his entrepreneurial journey with us. We also discuss Penny Software, a leading Saudi B2B SaaS procurement startup launched in 2020 which is revolutionising procurement with its enterprise software.
In this episode, Eyad Albayouk, General Partner at Flat6Labs, which is one of the most active investors in startups in Saudi Arabia provides us with an insight into early stage investing in Saudi Arabia. Flat6Labs made its first regional expansion in Saudi Arabia in 2013 with the goal of supporting Saudi entrepreneurs to successfully launch their businesses and scale to reach regional and global markets. King & Spalding recently assisted Flat6Labs with the launch of their flagship Startup Seed Fund. The Fund’s focus is to invest into Saudi startups, supporting innovation and creating space for pioneering Saudi youth to develop their technology startups and expand their scope in the region.
SecondSTAX, a technology company that is building solutions to enhance intra-Africa capital and investment flows recently announced a new partnership with the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) that will enable institutional investors from across Africa to directly invest into Nigeria’s capital markets. In this episode, Eugene Tawiah, CEO and Co-Founder of SecondSTAX discusses the regulatory environment for Fintechs in Africa as well as the fundraising journey for SecondSTAX to date.
How are regulators grappling with rapidly advancing technology in healthcare and medical devices? K&S Partner Lisa Dwyer speaks with the FDA Commissioner Robert Califf in wide-ranging conversation covering the rise of AI, assessing algorithms in post-market settings and combating bias. This conversation took place at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January 2024, the first time that an FDA Commissioner has ever attended the event.
Jihad El-Eit, Founder of the cloud kitchen platform Kaykroo discusses new trends and developments emerging in response to consumer preferences in the dynamic and constantly evolving food and beverage (F&B) industry in the MENA region. Jihad shares his personal journey with Kaykroo, a cloud kitchen platform which operates 20 cloud kitchens in the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia and is at the centre of the move away from ‘brick and mortar’ restaurant concepts.
In this podcast series, we provide unique and engaging viewpoints on the issues affecting our clients in Asia. In each episode, co-hosts Zoe Bromage and Soumya Bhagavatula explore changing legal landscapes and market developments by posing 10 questions to industry experts and thought leaders.
When Adam Vandervoort joined Teladoc Health as Chief Legal Officer in 2015, the company hadn’t yet hit its first million visits. The industry has seen rapid growth since then, fueled by technology advances and shifting consumer expectations in the wake of COVID-19. Today, Teladoc Health remains the global leader in virtual care: Its providers have delivered more than 50 million visits, and one in four Americans has access to a Teladoc Health service. K&S Partner Marisa Maleck speaks with Adam about the growth in the industry, developing risks to telehealth companies and how Teladoc Health’s legal strategy is responding to the evolving landscape.
More than 50 percent of spine surgeries in the U.S. are unnecessary and don’t lead to improved outcomes. SWORD Health, a virtual and digital physical therapy company, is changing that by bringing clinical-grade musculoskeletal (MSK) care to the home. K&S partner Rick Zall speaks with two senior executives from SWORD Health, Neil Sharma, Executive Vice President Strategy Partnerships and Corporate Development, and Vijay Yanamadala, Chief Medical Officer, about the company’s mission and their path to becoming the world’s fastest-growing virtual MSK care provider.
How are digital health companies changing the healthcare industry, and what do they need to do to succeed? K&S Partner Rick Zall speaks with digital health pioneer Karin Ajmani, who currently serves on the boards of five leading digital health companies, about her 20-year career in the industry, the ever-changing digital health landscape, and the path to success for digital health innovators.
King & Spalding associates Christian Craft-Ellison (Funds & Real Estate), Will Jordan (M&A and Capital Markets), and John Hale (Funds & Real Estate) are joined by special guest Carolyn Pitt, RICE Pacesetter and CEO of Productions.com, to discuss the firm’s pro bono initiative with the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs, Carolyn’s journey as an entrepreneur and the challenges black business owners face in the U.S.
It is estimated that 80 percent of our health is governed by our behavior. This is particularly true for chronic diseases. Yet chronic diseases are notoriously resistant to the traditional model of treatment, which relies on infrequent interactions with healthcare professionals. AndHealth is changing that model via a mobile app that provides continuous support from specialist physicians and health coaches, facilitating patient participation and behavioral modifications to target the root cause of chronic disease and to reverse such conditions. In this episode, King & Spalding partner Bob Cooper talks to AndHealth founder and CEO Matt Scantland about this revolutionary development and what it and other digital technologies mean for the future of healthcare.
In this episode, Macky O’Sullivan speaks to Andy Ayim MBE, Founder of the Angel Investing School, an organisation which is creating opportunities for people from marginalised communities and helping more women and people of color get on the cap tables of some of the world’s most ambitious start-ups. Andy shares anecdotes about his entrepreneurial journey which has seen him awarded an MBE for services to diversity in Tech and recognised by the Financial Times as a leader in Tech.
In April 2021, Cairo-based fintech Paymob closed the largest ever Series A investment round raised by a fintech in Egypt. The US$18.5 million round which was led by Global Ventures, with participation from A15 and the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, FMO provided Paymob with capital which the company aims to use to accelerate its expansion into Saudi Arabia and other regional markets this year. In this episode, Macky O’Sullivan speaks to Islam Shawky (CEO and Co-Founder of Paymob) about his entrepreneurial journey and the role the digital payments facilitor is playing in Egypt’s transition to a cashless society.
SME lending is known for its complexity, high risk and high cost. The brainchild of serial entrepreneur Craig Moore, supported by Rick Pudner (former group CEO of Emirates NBD bank), Beehive is an online lending platform that directly connects businesses looking for finance with investors that can provide funding support for their growth. In this episode, Macky O’Sullivan speaks to Craig Moore (Founder & CEO of Beehive) about the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s first peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform to be regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority and the efforts being made to close the gap for SME Finance.
From a soccer pitch in a favela in Rio De Janeiro to the Dupont Circle near the White House in Washington D.C., Pavegen has used a combination of kinetic and solar energy to provide power. In this episode, Macky O’Sullivan speaks to Pavegen’s award winning Founder and CEO Laurence Kemball-Cook about his journey creating the innovative clean technology company which is making an impact globally from its headquarters in London.
The Fintech ecosystem in the Middle East is experiencing heightened interest from investors and key stakeholders.
In this episode, Macky O’Sullivan, a venture capital lawyer in our Dubai office speaks to Ambareen Musa, Founder and CEO of Souqalmal about the growth of Fintech in the MENA region. Souqalmal is the leading financial comparison site in the Middle East and recently ranked second among Forbes’s “Top 20 Most Disrupting FinTech Startups” in the Middle East. Ambareen Musa has been featured on Forbes Middle East’s list of the top “Women Behind Middle Eastern Brands” and has been recognized by Arabian Business as one of the “50 Most Influential Women In The Arab World”.
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated changes in the way medicine is practised. In Africa, where access to medical care is often restricted, startups across the continent are innovating in various areas to solve very real challenges associated with the delivery of healthcare. One such company is Helium Health, a Nigerian company which has developed a digital solution to the problem of recordkeeping in the Nigerian healthcare sector. The company has built a solution around the peculiarities of the African market by developing an electronic medical records system that healthcare providers, regardless of their levels of computer literacy, can use.
In this episode, Macky O’Sullivan, a venture capital lawyer in our Dubai office speaks to Demiji Sofowora and Tito Ovia, co-founders of Helium Health about the Healthtech industry in Africa.
We find ourselves in unprecedented times, amid a pandemic that has seen the rapid spread of the coronavirus disease across the globe. In this episode, Macky O’Sullivan, a venture capital lawyer in our Dubai office, and Basil Moftah, General Partner of venture capital firm Global Ventures, discuss the venture capital landscape in the Middle East and Africa region in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.