‘A recession is a good time to make startup investments’, says CE-Ventures Tushar Singhvi

‘A recession is a good time to make startup investments’, says CE-Ventures Tushar Singhvi

Dubai: Dubai’s aim-for-the-skies D33 program aims to build on the strengths the city has already garnered, in trade for instance. Then there are those priorities that will have Dubai flesh out its strengths further, notably in the startup space. Startups, innovation, digital smarts, and access to funding and investors – these will remain constant themes for Dubai and the UAE over the next 10-year cycle. The funds are there, whether that comes from government-affiliated entities, such as the Khalifa Fund or ADIO, or from private sector entities such as MEVP, GII, CE-Ventures and others. Tushar Singhvi is Deputy CEO and Head of Investments at Crescent Enterprises, and part of his remit includes overseeing CE-Ventures, which is the PE arm of the UAE-based entity. Through recent years, CE-Ventures had picked and chose its way through a slew of startups/early stage businesses and thus provide a platform for entrepreneur ideas to turn into profitable reality. Both in the UAE and outside. In an interview, Singhvi goes through CE Ventures strategy roadmap – and how it plans to cash in on those funding commitments it makes in businesses. CE-Ventures is focused on both early stage and growth stage companies, depending on geography, domain,