Startup Fundraising Advisory UAE & Dubai
End-to-end equity capital raising support for UAE and GCC startups and growth companies. Investment memorandum, financial model, investor search, independent pre-money valuation, and term sheet negotiation — seed through Series B.
What this service covers: Corvian Advisory manages your full fundraising process — from defining your raise size and valuation to preparing the investment memorandum and financial model, identifying and approaching the right UAE and GCC investors, managing the data room and investor Q&A, and supporting you through term sheet negotiation to close. CFA Charterholder-led. Fixed retainer plus success fee. Typical raise timelines: 4–6 months for a well-prepared process.
How We Run Your UAE Fundraising Process
Six stages. Fully managed. Principal-led throughout.
Define raise size, valuation basis, investor type target, instrument (equity, convertible, SAFE), and timeline. Set go/no-go criteria and prepare for investor questions before outreach begins.
Prepare the investment memorandum to institutional standard — executive summary, market opportunity, business model, financials, team, use of proceeds. Build a standalone, investor-grade financial model with defensible assumptions.
Provide an independent CFA-led pre-money valuation using comparable transactions, revenue multiples, or DCF as appropriate. A credible, defended valuation prevents price anchoring and strengthens your negotiating position.
Build a targeted list of 30–60 relevant investors by type, sector focus, stage, and geography. Manage outreach through warm introductions where possible. Track investor engagement through a structured pipeline.
Prepare for and attend investor meetings. Manage the virtual data room for investors in due diligence. Coordinate Q&A responses to prevent multiple investors pulling you off daily operations.
Review and advise on term sheet economics and control provisions. Support negotiation of key terms (liquidation preference, anti-dilution, board rights, drag-along). Coordinate with legal counsel through to legal close.
What We Prepare for Your Round
Every Corvian Advisory startup fundraising engagement includes the following core deliverables.
Full-length IM prepared to institutional standard. Executive summary, market analysis, business model, team, financials, use of proceeds, and investment thesis — structured for UAE and GCC investor investment committees.
A standalone Excel financial model with 5-year P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow — with clearly documented assumptions, monthly Year 1 detail, sensitivity analysis, and use-of-proceeds waterfall.
Independent CFA-led pre-money valuation using comparable transactions, revenue multiples, and/or DCF. Provides a credible, defensible basis for valuation negotiations with investors.
A curated list of 30–60 UAE and GCC investors matched to your sector, stage, and raise size — with contact information, investment thesis, portfolio context, and warm introduction strategy.
Review and revision of your existing pitch deck, or preparation of a new deck aligned to the IM. Structured for both initial investor calls and management presentation stage.
Set up and manage the virtual data room for due diligence-stage investors. Structure document categories, track access, coordinate Q&A responses, and maintain document version control through close.
What Each Round Looks Like in the UAE
Round sizes, investor types, and instruments follow recognisable patterns in the UAE and GCC. Knowing where you sit determines who you approach and what you prepare.
| Stage | Typical UAE Round Size | Who Invests | Usual Instrument |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-seed | USD 150K - 500K | Angels, accelerators (Hub71, DIFC Launchpad, in5), founder networks | SAFE or convertible note |
| Seed | USD 500K - 3M | Regional seed VCs, family offices, strategic angels | SAFE or priced equity round |
| Series A | USD 3M - 15M | GCC and international VCs, sovereign-linked funds | Priced round, preference shares |
| Series B and beyond | USD 15M+ | Growth funds, PE, sovereign wealth vehicles, strategics | Priced round with full institutional terms |
Two practical notes for UAE founders. First, most institutional investors expect a clean holding structure, commonly ADGM, DIFC, or a Cayman/Delaware topco, before they wire funds; restructuring mid-round costs weeks. Second, an independent valuation strengthens your negotiating position on the priced round and is required later for ESOP and IFRS 2 purposes anyway. Both are cheaper to fix before outreach begins.