FWDstart

Jamie Lane

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ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The FWDstart Podcast is a weekly show at the intersection of venture capital, startups, and strategic industries shaping the MENA region. Each episode features candid conversations with founders, investors, and operators behind the region’s most ambitious companies, from frontier AI and fintech infrastructure to climate tech, construction, energy, and space.

4D AGO

Nour Al Hassan (Arabic AI, Tarjama) on Building Arabic AI from MENA, Why Most Pilots Fail, and Hiring Only A Players

Nour Al Hassan is the Founder and CEO of Tarjama& and Arabic AI, a UAE-based AI company building Arabic-first language models, enterprise agents, and document intelligence systems for governments and large organisations. Before Arabic AI, Nour spent more than 16 years building Tarjama& from a bootstrapped translation business into a profitable, technology-led platform serving global enterprises. That long runway of proprietary Arabic data became the foundation for the creation of Arabic AI, enabling a leap into small language models, agentic workflows, and on-prem deployments for highly regulated customers. She joins the podcast to discuss what it takes to build technology from the region, overcoming internal doubt, why Arabic remains fundamentally underserved in AI, how human-in-the-loop systems will evolve rather than disappear, and why AI adoption fails unless it is driven top-down by leadership rather than delegated to teams. ----------------------------------------------- Timestamps: 00:00 The State of Arabic Content Online00:46 Introduction to Nour Al Hassan and Tarjama03:49 Nour's Entrepreneurial Journey07:43 Building and Evolving Tarjama21:14 The Rise of Arabic AI25:54 Building Custom AI Solutions26:56 The Importance of Data Quality29:19 Challenges in Arabic AI Development31:00 Real-World AI Applications34:49 Sales and Business Development38:20 Future of AI and Business Strategy ----------------------------------------------- Thank you to the partners who make this possible: • Sarwa – An all-in-one investing and money-management platform. It brings together do-it-yourself trading in stocks, ETFs, crypto, and options with Sarwa Trade, hands-off investing with Sarwa Invest, and high-yield estimated returns with Sarwa Save. 👉 Register using this link to be eligible for a $200 bonus when you fund $5,000 across your Sarwa accounts within three months of signing up:https://www.sarwa.co/register?promoCode=FWDSTART Promo code: FWDSTART Sarwa is regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority. All investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future results. • Hubpay – A fully digital, ADGM-regulated fintech platform that gives UAEbusinesses instant access to multi-currency accounts with named IBAN in 30+ currencies, payment links, payroll and more. No hidden fees, no minimum balance, and no waiting. 👉 Open your Hubpay business account today and get 30-day free trial athttps://wearehubpay.com/pricing and scale your UAE business with confidence. ----------------------------------------------- Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6GxkYxN2hNSvQsIOjjqyse?si=4f2f8be6b7294c8e Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fwdstart/id1859499563 Subscribe on Anghami: https://open.anghami.com/mjWOJeeJ2Yb Follow Jamie Lane on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamienlane/ Follow Jamie Lane on X:https://x.com/jamienlane Follow Nour Al Hassan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nour-al-hassan-106778138/ Follow FWDstart on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/fwdstart/ Follow FWDstart on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@fwdstart Visit our Website:https://www.fwdstart.me/ Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://www.fwdstart.me/subscribe -----------------------------------------------

49 min
12/22/2025

Arya Bolurfrushan (AppliedAI) on Raising $42M for AI Before ChatGPT, The Future of Work & Why AI Needs Human Supervisors

Arya Bolurfrushan is the Founder and CEO of Applied AI, the company behind Opus, a platform enabling enterprises to design AI-native workflows. The company raised a $42 million seed round in November 2022, days before ChatGPT launched, and earlier this year closed a $55 million Series A led by G42, with Palantir and Bessemer also participating. Before founding Applied AI, Arya developed his conviction during a Covid quarantine in the UAE, where time alone led him to conclude that AI would be the most significant shift in human productivity since hydrocarbons. He joins the podcast to discuss why he was "doing AI before it was cool," how the company had to rebuild its tech stack post-ChatGPT, why he believes democracies will struggle with AI-driven displacement, and how Opus is designed to keep humans as moral decision-makers rather than obsolete bystanders. ----------------------------------------------- Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction04:04 - Raising Before ChatGPT Was Cool05:46 - The COVID Quarantine Epiphany10:30 - From Oil to Electricity: Why Applied AI is Like General Electric15:29 - Opus: Building the Machine That Builds Machines22:17 - Hiring Less Than 1% of Applicants & Building an AI-Native Team25:15 - Business Process Re-Engineering: Adding Humans to AI-Native Workflows30:41 - The Large Work Model: Mapping 2.7 Million Business Processes33:27 - Sharing Productivity Gains with Labour: Lessons from Das Kapital39:51 - The $2 Trillion Investor Who Believes Humans Will Have No Work44:57 - Building for His Son's Future in a World Where AI is Always Smartest ----------------------------------------------- Thank you to the partners who make this possible: • Sarwa – An all-in-one investing and money-management platform. It brings together do-it-yourself trading in stocks, ETFs, crypto, and options with Sarwa Trade, hands-off investing with Sarwa Invest, and high-yield estimated returns with Sarwa Save. 👉 Register using this link to be eligible for a $200 bonus when you fund $5,000 across your Sarwa accounts within three months of signing up:https://www.sarwa.co/register?promoCode=FWDSTART Promo code: FWDSTART Sarwa is regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority. All investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future results. • Hubpay – A fully digital, ADGM-regulated fintech platform that gives UAEbusinesses instant access to multi-currency accounts with named IBAN in 30+ currencies, payment links, payroll and more. No hidden fees, no minimum balance, and no waiting. 👉 Open your Hubpay business account today and get 30-day free trial athttps://wearehubpay.com/pricing and scale your UAE business with confidence. ----------------------------------------------- Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6GxkYxN2hNSvQsIOjjqyse?si=4f2f8be6b7294c8e Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fwdstart/id1859499563 Subscribe on Anghami: https://open.anghami.com/mjWOJeeJ2Yb Follow Jamie Lane on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamienlane/ Follow Jamie Lane on X:https://x.com/jamienlane Follow Arya Bolurfrushan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bolurfrushan/ Follow FWDstart on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/fwdstart/ Follow FWDstart on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@fwdstart Visit our Website:https://www.fwdstart.me/ Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://www.fwdstart.me/subscribe -----------------------------------------------

47 min
12/15/2025

Ibrahim Manna (BRKZ) on Lessons from Careem, Founder Grit & Disrupting Saudi Construction

Ibrahim Manna is the Founder and CEO of BRKZ, a Saudi construction tech startup built to address inefficiencies in construction procurement: fragmented supply chains, manual processes, and cash flow gaps faced by contractors and factories. Before founding BRKZ, Ibrahim spent eight years at Careem as one of the core architects of its expansion, launching 11 out of 15 markets ahead of the company's $3.1 billion acquisition by Uber in 2019. BRKZ has raised over $50 million in equity and debt financing, and serves 850+ contractors across major giga-projects including NEOM, King Salman Park, and Red Sea. He joins the podcast to discuss how buying a house during the pandemic revealed a broken industry, why Saudi's 7-8 layer supply chain creates massive inefficiency, what Careem taught him about building culture and empowering operators as founders, and how BRKZ is using technology to work with — not against — entrenched contractor behaviours. ----------------------------------------------- Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction to Ibrahim Manana and BRKZ04:02 – Ibrahim's Early Entrepreneurial Endeavours07:35 – Lessons from Kareem11:11 – Challenges in Market Expansion22:37 – Leadership and Culture at Careem26:23 – Navigating Legal and Operational Hurdles28:59 – Stories from Iraq32:16 – Launching and Learning from Careem Cash34:58 – Transition to BRKZ36:27 – Identifying Gaps in the Construction Industry40:21 – Challenges and Innovations in Construction47:09 – The AI Story51:09 – Building Relationships and Customer Trust58:12 – Regional Tech Ecosystem and Entrepreneurship01:01:24 – Future Prospects and Final Thoughts ----------------------------------------------- Thank you to the partners who make this possible: • Sarwa – An all-in-one investing and money-management platform. It brings together do-it-yourself trading in stocks, ETFs, crypto, and options with Sarwa Trade, hands-off investing with Sarwa Invest, and high-yield estimated returns with Sarwa Save. 👉 Register using this link to be eligible for a $200 bonus when you fund $5,000 across your Sarwa accounts within three months of signing up:https://www.sarwa.co/register?promoCode=FWDSTART Promo code: FWDSTART Sarwa is regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority. All investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future results. • Hubpay – A fully digital, ADGM-regulated fintech platform that gives UAEbusinesses instant access to multi-currency accounts with named IBAN in 30+ currencies, payment links, payroll and more. No hidden fees, no minimum balance, and no waiting. 👉 Open your Hubpay business account today and get 30-day free trial athttps://wearehubpay.com/pricing and scale your UAE business with confidence. ----------------------------------------------- Transcript: ----------------------------------------------- Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6GxkYxN2hNSvQsIOjjqyse?si=4f2f8be6b7294c8e Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fwdstart/id1859499563 Subscribe on Anghami: https://open.anghami.com/mjWOJeeJ2Yb Follow Jamie Lane on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamienlane/ Follow Jamie Lane on X:https://x.com/jamienlane Follow Ibrahim Manna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ibrahimmanna/ Follow FWDstart on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/fwdstart/ Follow FWDstart on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@fwdstart Visit our Website:https://www.fwdstart.me/ Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://www.fwdstart.me/subscribe -----------------------------------------------

1h 2m
12/08/2025

Mark Kahn (Omnivore) on GCC Food Security, India’s Venture Depth & Agritech Investing

Mark Kahn is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Omnivore, India’s leading agritech and climate-tech venture capital firm with more than $300 million under management. Backing over 45 startups transforming food, agriculture, and sustainability, Omnivore has played a defining role in shaping India’s agritech ecosystem and the country’s emerging climate investment landscape. He joins the podcast to discuss how Omnivore is building bridges between India and the GCC, why he’s not trading India’s deep venture ecosystem for newer regional opportunities, and how food sovereignty, controlled-environment agriculture, and life sciences innovation will define the next decade of climate resilience and food security. ----------------------------------------------- Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro4:00 - Why Omnivore isn't pivoting to MENA6:46 - India vs GCC venture ecosystems10:00 - India's IPO advantage14:45 - Food sovereignty vs food security22:00 - Controlled environment agriculture: hype vs reality28:00 - Why we avoided alt-protein34:15 - The agribusiness-first mindset40:15 - Mark's path from politics to agritech45:30 - Omnivore's evolution across three funds52:00 - The GMV trap in B2B marketplaces59:45 - Why India missed a beat on life sciences1:04:45 - Eruvaka exit: from shed prototype to Nutreco acquisition1:09:00 - Exit paths in Indian agritech1:11:00 - What value-add actually looks like1:13:45 - Building the India-GCC food bridge ----------------------------------------------- Thank you to the partners who make this possible: • Sarwa – An all-in-one investing and money-management platform. It brings together do-it-yourself trading in stocks, ETFs, crypto, and options with Sarwa Trade, hands-off investing with Sarwa Invest, and high-yield estimated returns with Sarwa Save. 👉 Register using this link to be eligible for a $200 bonus when you fund $5,000 across your Sarwa accounts within three months of signing up:https://www.sarwa.co/register?promoCode=FWDSTART Promo code: FWDSTART Sarwa is regulated by the ADGM Financial Services Regulatory Authority. All investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future results. • Hubpay – A fully digital, ADGM-regulated fintech platform that gives UAEbusinesses instant access to multi-currency accounts with named IBAN in 30+ currencies, payment links, payroll and more. No hidden fees, no minimum balance, and no waiting. 👉 Open your Hubpay business account today and get 30-day free trial athttps://wearehubpay.com/pricing and scale your UAE business with confidence. ----------------------------------------------- Transcript: https://share.transistor.fm/s/1b43e0ae/transcript.txt ----------------------------------------------- Follow Jamie Lane on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamienlane/ Follow Jamie Lane on X:https://x.com/jamienlane Follow Mark Kahn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-kahn-20490a/ Follow FWDstart on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/fwdstart/ Follow FWDstart on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@fwdstart Visit our Website:https://www.fwdstart.me/ Subscribe to our Newsletter:https://www.fwdstart.me/subscribe -----------------------------------------------

1h 15m

4 Episodes

Creator

Jamie Lane
Years Active

2K
Episodes

4
Rating

Clean
Show Website

FWDstart

FWDstart

Episodes

Nour Al Hassan (Arabic AI, Tarjama) on Building Arabic AI from MENA, Why Most Pilots Fail, and Hiring Only A Players

Arya Bolurfrushan (AppliedAI) on Raising $42M for AI Before ChatGPT, The Future of Work & Why AI Needs Human Supervisors

Ibrahim Manna (BRKZ) on Lessons from Careem, Founder Grit & Disrupting Saudi Construction

Mark Kahn (Omnivore) on GCC Food Security, India’s Venture Depth & Agritech Investing

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