Founders

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Hassan Ikram

FOUNDER & CEO – COTYLEDON HOLDING

Hassan Ikram is a visionary entrepreneur with a proven track record of success in the field of Fintech, Consultancy, Logistic Tech, Accelerator, Healthcare, and more. As a former investment banker, Hassan brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table, having spent over 15 years working in product and business development, financial advisory, asset allocation, incentivization and pricing strategies, fund and product structuring, and investment banking.

Hassan has a deep understanding of the financial landscape and is well-versed in valuation, Due Diligence (DD), Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Initial Public Offerings (IPO), Rights Issues (RI), debt restructuring, private placements, and more. As a founder, Hassan has a proven track record of creating and scaling successful startups. From Fintech and Consultancy to Logistic Tech and Healthcare, Hassan has a talent for identifying and capitalizing on opportunities in emerging markets.

Additionally, Hassan has a deep understanding of the startup ecosystem and has founded a co-working space and result-driven accelerator programs to support the growth of new businesses. Under his leadership, the accelerator program won the number 1 accelerator award from the SME authority (Monsha’at) within less than two years. For years, he has been committed to reshaping the startup space while helping other businesses thrive.

With his extensive experience working with other entrepreneurs, Hassan has a well-rounded mastery of the founder experience, allowing him to understand founders better than traditional investors. This enables Cotyledon to bridge the gap between modern investors and entrepreneurs, fostering long-term, mutually beneficial relationships.

Hassan is a seasoned venture capitalist and investor, with multiple exits in various ventures since 2006, even while he was still in university. Some examples of his ingenuity include unique structures and products such as ThriftPlan and innovative cash management solutions. He also played a key role in transforming social security in the MENA region in KSA, creating a first-of-its-kind fund with multiple share classes for diverse allocation and strategies.

 As a trusted advisor to various startups and family offices, Hassan Ikram has a wealth of experience working with entrepreneurs in various capacities. He is passionate about helping businesses achieve their goals and is dedicated to providing the guidance and support they need to not only succeed but also prosper.

As a visionary with a proven track record of success, Hassan is dedicated to helping SMEs and startups realize their full potential while exceeding their goals. He is not only a businessman and a seasoned professional but also a passionate and innovative entrepreneur committed to being a part of positive change in future business landscapes.

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Hamza Ikram

CO-FOUNDER & COO – COTYLEDON HOLDING

Hamza is a serial entrepreneur with over 12 years of experience in managing and optimizing SMEs and enterprises in both local and global markets. He has founded multiple successful SMEs in fast-moving industries such as technology, F&B, logistics, healthcare, FMCG, and other pivotal sectors in the MENA region.

Throughout his career, Hamza has honed his ability to analyze performance and specializes in efficiency optimization, performance tracking, and stakeholder reporting. He is a firm believer in operational excellence and has mentored startups and SMEs, providing guidance and support for success in various markets, including KSA, Dubai, Germany, Pakistan, and North America.

With over 12 years of experience in managing and optimizing SMEs and enterprises in both local and global markets, Hamza is considered a serial entrepreneur and founder of multiple successful SMEs in the MENA region in fast moving industries such as Technology, F&B, Logistics, Healthcare, FMCG and other pivotal industries.

Having experienced different business stages from Pre-Seed to Growth to established corporations, he is well specialized in the different needs and requirements of entities, such as corporate governance framework, business & resource planning, reporting and attracting investors, as well as global expansion programs.

Throughout the journey, being versatile is key, and having experienced industries that are fundamentally different, he understands the importance of adapting to changes in the market and creating suitable strategies and implementing appropriate measures to ensure tracking and achieving of targets throughout the organization.

Some of the successes of his career so far include the restructuring of a major Logistics operation, implementing data & business analytics to support data-based decision making, helping the reorganization of entities and cost optimization to reshuffle profit margins into sustainable ranges. As well as a range of set-ups, including technically challenging enterprises such as Healthcare and Fintech, which require significant licensing and governance considerations.

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