Startup Funding: Alessio Vinassa, Founder, BlockTech Group Global strategist, entrepreneur, and technology builder Alessio Vinassa on how to differentiate your startup in order to attract capital in the MENA region.

This article is part of Startup Funding - Investor Insights Every Entrepreneur Needs by Entrepreneur Middle East, a series where the MENA region's leading venture capitalists share practical advice to help founders navigate the challenges of building and scaling a startup.

Alessio Vinassa, Founder, BlockTech Group, on how to differentiate your startup in order to attract capital in the MENA region.

Where do you see real, defensible value being created in MENA versus hype?

The startups still attracting serious capital in MENA are the ones that have learned to build quietly, not loudly. They've moved beyond selling ideas and started proving endurance — operationally, technically, and culturally.

Real value in this region is being built in sectors where technology meets infrastructure: cybersecurity, AI governance, identity solutions, and enterprise automation. These are not glamorous topics, but they're essential. They tackle the backbone problems — how to make digital systems reliable, compliant, and secure.

The strongest founders I've seen don't chase global headlines; they build locally relevant models that can scale globally. They understand that trust and adaptability travel further than hype.

The hype, of course, is still there — usually attached to projects that spend more time branding themselves than pressure-testing their models. I think we're entering a phase where investors, especially in MENA, are rewarding focus over flash. The region is maturing quickly, and the best founders are those designing their businesses with uncertainty in mind—not waiting for stability to arrive before they act.

Related: Startup Funding: Rema Alyahya, Vice President - Venture Capital, Merak Capital

Can you share a personal anecdote, either a pitch that truly impressed you, or one that missed the mark, and why?
One that stands out came from a founder who wasn't trying to impress anyone. No theatrics, no buzzwords — just a simple, structured conversation about how they designed resilience into their model. They had mapped out failure points, backup systems, and what "stress" would look like operationally.

What struck me was their mindset. They didn't talk about their product as a dream — they spoke about it as a system. Every part had a reason to exist. It reminded me that promising founders are builders first; they think about stability before success.

On the other side, I've seen many pitches collapse because they were built on surface-level confidence. The story was strong, but it lacked depth. I've learned that it's not the intensity of belief that convinces investors; it's the clarity of thought. A founder who can explain what could go wrong — and how they'll respond — earns far more trust than one who insists nothing ever will.

Beyond capital, how do you measure your impact as an investor in shaping founder mindsets, governance, and long-term growth?
I measure impact through what I call the shift in perspective. It's when a founder stops thinking in quarters and starts thinking in systems — when they begin to view governance not as control, but as acceleration.

Good governance makes companies faster, not slower. It creates alignment, and alignment is what allows innovation to move freely. Most of my work involves helping founders build that discipline early, so they don't have to fix it under pressure later.

When I see a founder transition from reacting to anticipating — from firefighting to planning ahead — that's when I know the relationship is working. Money is easy to measure, but mindset determines whether that money multiplies.

I also think about legacy. If a company can outlast its founding team, if its culture becomes self-sustaining, that's the real return on investment. It means the vision has become structural — it can evolve rather than depend on others.

For founders pitching in 2025, what are the biggest red flags you're seeing — and the traits you wish more entrepreneurs would show?
The most enormous red flag right now is mistaking visibility for progress. It's easy to get attention — a viral post, a new funding announcement, a quick pilot partnership — but those don't always translate into traction. If a business can't show repeatable behavior from customers or predictable outcomes from operations, it's not ready.

Another red flag is a poor understanding of regulation. In fast-moving fields like AI, fintech, or blockchain, ignoring policy is almost irresponsible. You can't build for the future if you don't understand the rules that will shape it.

As for the traits I'd like to see more of — humility and structure. Humility to question assumptions, and structure to turn a vision into something testable and measurable. The best founders don't get defensive when challenged. They use feedback as data.

Resilience isn't just emotional toughness; it's intellectual flexibility. The founders who stand out in 2025 will be the ones who stay curious, not just confident.

Sectors to watch — what sectors are standing out to you now?
Cybersecurity continues to dominate the conversation, and rightly so. It's no longer an IT department issue — it's a boardroom priority. Every company now operates in a digital battlefield, and resilience depends on how well you protect identity, data, and continuity.

I'm also paying attention to AI governance and ethics — not just how AI performs, but how it behaves. Companies that build transparency and accountability into their models will lead the next wave of digital trust.

Then there's the ongoing fusion between Web3 and gaming ecosystems. What's happening in gaming — tokenized incentives, microtransactions, community-led economies — is quietly reshaping how people engage with digital value. It's a preview of how broader digital economies will function.

MENA is well-positioned for this evolution. It has youthful energy, strategic ambition, and a willingness to experiment. The real test will be consistency — whether the region can keep translating potential into lasting infrastructure.

In the end, the most exciting sectors are those where technology meets purpose — where innovation doesn't just create speed, but stability.

Related: Startup Funding: Sietse van de Kerkhof, Investment Manager, STV Saudi