E62: Misbah Naqvi (General Partner, i2i Ventures)

The Desi VC: Indian Venture Capital | Angel Investors | Startups | VC

Misbah Naqvi is the Co-founder and General Partner at i2i Ventures, an early-stage fund investing in startups solving some of Pakistan's biggest problems.

Misbah brings over 20 years of global experience in finance, development, fintech and impact investing. She was previously Head of Market Development at Boloro Global Limited, a US-based fintech startup. While at Boloro, she led the company’s expansion to a number of markets, including South Africa, Kuwait, Pakistan, India, UAE, Nigeria, and Jordan. Misbah spent a number of years at Acumen Pakistan & USA and at Citibank Pakistan.

Follow Misbah and i2i Ventures on Twitter to stay up-to-date with the firm’s operations.

In this episode, we will cover:

1. Misbah’s journey (2:54)

2. What experiences set Misbah up for a future within Venture? (9:28)

3. Is operator experience important to be a VC? (14:39)

4. What’s driving the tech innovation within Pakistan? (18:08)

5. What is the govt of Pakistan doing to support the tech ecosystem? (26:44)

6. Where are the opportunities within Pakistan? (34:49)

7. LP appetite for Pakistani startups and funds? (49:26)