Raising your first institutional round is a different problem to raising private equity growth capital, and it needs a different advisor. We help pre-profit and early-revenue founders in the UAE and GCC build the materials, reach the right angels, VC funds and family offices, and negotiate terms that don't quietly cost you control three rounds from now. CFA-led. No equity taken.
A pitch deck built for a VC seed round will not survive private equity diligence, and a PE-style investment memorandum will lose a VC audience before they reach page three. Investors at this stage aren't underwriting audited EBITDA, they're underwriting a founder, a market, and a growth trajectory that doesn't exist yet in the financials.
The GCC venture landscape has also matured fast: regional VC funds now co-invest alongside international funds opening GCC-dedicated vehicles, family offices increasingly write direct venture cheques instead of only backing funds, and corporate venture arms of major UAE banks and conglomerates are active at Series A and beyond.
"The founders who raise well aren't the ones with the best product, they're the ones who can explain, in the investor's own language, why the numbers that don't exist yet will exist soon."
We build the materials, identify the right investors for your stage and sector, and negotiate terms, without taking a stake in your company.
Narrative, market sizing, traction, and ask, structured the way GCC angels and VCs actually evaluate a deck, not a generic template.
Unit economics, cohort assumptions, and runway modelling built to withstand real investor scrutiny, not a top-down guess.
Warm and structured introductions to angels, VC funds, and family offices actually investing at your stage and in your sector.
Valuation, board composition, protective provisions and option pool sizing, negotiated so early terms don't compound against you at later rounds.
Indicative UAE and GCC ranges. Actual terms vary by sector, traction, and investor appetite at the time of raise.
| Stage | Typical Raise | Primary Investor Type | What They're Underwriting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Seed | AED 500K–2M | Angels, accelerators, founder network | Founder-market fit, early signal |
| Seed | AED 2M–8M | Seed VC funds, angel syndicates | Product-market fit signals, early traction |
| Series A | AED 8M–30M | Regional & international VC funds | Repeatable growth engine, unit economics |
| Series B / C | AED 30M–100M+ | Growth VC, family offices, corporate VC | Scalable economics, market leadership path |
Raising later-stage growth or buyout capital from institutional PE funds? See our Private Equity Fundraising Advisory →
UAE and GCC angel networks and syndicates writing Pre-Seed and Seed cheques, often the first institutional-style capital a founder raises.
GCC-focused VC funds and international funds opening dedicated GCC vehicles, active from Seed through Series B.
Increasingly writing direct venture cheques rather than only backing funds, particularly at Seed and Series A.
Venture arms of major UAE banks and conglomerates, active at Series A and beyond where strategic fit adds value beyond capital.
All fees agreed in writing before work begins. We never take equity or board seats in exchange for advisory work.
Pitch deck, financial model, and data room build, standalone or as part of a full mandate.
Materials, investor targeting and outreach, process management, and term sheet negotiation through to close.
We do not take equity or warrants in exchange for advisory work, keeping our advice fully independent and aligned with your outcome.
The questions founders ask us most before their first institutional raise.
This covers Seed through Series C rounds from angels, VCs and family offices for pre-profit startups. PE fundraising targets larger, typically profitable businesses raising from institutional funds.
Pre-Seed AED 500K–2M, Seed AED 2M–8M, Series A AED 8M–30M, Series B/C AED 30M–100M+, depending on sector and traction.
Regional VC funds, family offices writing direct venture cheques, corporate venture arms, angel syndicates, and international VCs with GCC-dedicated vehicles.
No. Fixed fee only, agreed upfront, we never take equity or board seats, keeping our advice fully aligned with your outcome.
Typically 3–6 months: materials 2–3 weeks, outreach 4–8 weeks, diligence 4–8 weeks, and negotiation 2–4 weeks.
An institutional-quality pitch deck, a bottom-up financial model, a clean data room, and a defensible narrative connecting traction to your ask.
Yes. As a corporate finance advisory firm, Corvian Advisory provides Seed and Series A capital raising advisory, investor targeting strategy, term sheet negotiation support, and SAFE structuring advisory for UAE and GCC startups.
Capital raising advisory here covers Seed through Series C equity rounds from angel investors, venture capital funds, and family offices for pre-profit, growth-stage startups. Private equity fundraising targets larger, typically profitable or near-profitable businesses raising growth or buyout capital from institutional PE funds, a later stage with different investor expectations and governance requirements.
Pre-Seed typically AED 500K–2M, Seed AED 2M–8M, Series A AED 8M–30M, and Series B/C AED 30M–100M+, though exact ranges depend heavily on sector, traction, and investor appetite at the time of raise.
Regional VC funds, GCC family offices increasingly allocating direct to venture, corporate venture arms of UAE conglomerates and banks, angel syndicates, and international VCs opening GCC-dedicated funds or co-investing alongside regional lead investors.
No. We work on a fixed engagement fee agreed upfront, we do not take equity or board seats, which keeps our advice fully aligned with the founder's outcome rather than a cap table position.
Typically 3 to 6 months from investor materials ready to signed term sheet: 2–3 weeks for materials, 4–8 weeks of investor outreach and meetings, 4–8 weeks of diligence, and 2–4 weeks for term sheet negotiation and legal close.
An institutional-quality pitch deck, a bottom-up financial model with clear unit economics, a data room with cap table, incorporation and IP documents, and a defensible narrative connecting traction to the round's use of funds.
A SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) converts to shares at a future priced round rather than pricing the company immediately, common for Pre-Seed and Seed rounds. UAE and DIFC-based startups increasingly use SAFE-equivalent instruments, though local counsel input on enforceability under UAE or DIFC law is essential – the mechanics differ from the standard US-style SAFE.
Yes. Most UAE startups are structured through DIFC or ADGM holding entities specifically because their common-law frameworks and 100% foreign ownership rules make it straightforward for international VCs to invest, without the mainland ownership and licensing considerations that used to complicate foreign investment.
Yes. We stay engaged through term sheet negotiation – valuation, liquidation preference, board composition, and protective provisions – and through legal documentation to close, not just the initial investor introduction.