Abu Dhabi: Cedar-IBSi Capital has received a key commitment from KSH Investments, the strategic Global investment and Wealth Management arm of the Private Department of H. E. Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalid Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, for its debut fund. The fund has firmed up its positioning of being one of the region’s only sector specialist FinTech funds, with a sharp focus on B2B and enterprise software for the Financial Services industry.
The $25-30mn fund aims to build a portfolio of 10–15 companies over the life of the fund, with initial investment cheques ranging between $500k–$1 million, with typical investments in Pre-A and A rounds.
KSH Investments, the Strategic Global investment and Wealth Management vehicle, has recently made a sizeable commitment as a LP to the fund, with the goal of tapping the Indian and regional FinTech ecosystem leveraging Cedar’s strong sector expertise and track-record in this space. Finmark Capital, a DIFC wealth management firm, and Profit Financial Advisory, a consulting firm engaged in providing tailored financial solutions to its clients, acted as strategic advisors to this partnership.
Cedar-IBSi Capital was founded by Sahil Anand in 2023 and is built on the past legacies of Cedar Consulting and IBS Intelligence’s global expertise. The independent VC fund backs founders building next-gen enterprise software for the Financial Services industry; leveraging AI and deep technologies. The fund has completed initial investments in intelligent-document-processing company, Cogniquest, and incentive compensation software company, WonderLend Hubs. A 3rd investment is in the process of being constructed and the final close is targeted by end-2025.
“We are excited to welcome the Private Department of H. E. Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalid Al Nahyan to the Cedar-IBSi Capital LP base and look forward to exploring our common synergies when it comes to everything Financial Services-technology across the region. The India-UAE corridor is important when it comes to Financial-Services-technology and we hope to use our strategic relationship to unlock this further”, Sahil Anand, Founder and Managing Partner, Cedar-IBSi Capital said.
“At the Private Department of H.E. Sheikh Mohamed bin Khalid Al Nahyan, we are committed to supporting transformative opportunities that shape the future of finance. Our investment through KSH Investment into Cedar’s fund reflects our confidence in India’s innovation ecosystem and the role it will play in driving the next phase of global financial services”, Dr. Ahmed Mansour, Group CEO of The Private Department H.E. Sh. Mohamed Bin Khalid Al Nahyan, The CEO of KSH Investments.
About Cedar-IBSi Capital:
Cedar-IBSi Capital is a leading early-stage tech venture capital fund backing founders building next-gen enterprise software for the Financial Services industry; leveraging AI and deep technologies. The fund has completed initial investments in Cogniquest and WonderLend Hubs, both disruptive solutions that address large opportunities in Banking and Financial Services and beyond.
The fund thesis is built on the legacy of Cedar Consulting and IBS Intelligence – a platform that brings together over 70 years of technology consulting and research experience with banks and technology players globally.
The fund’s Founder and GP, Sahil Anand, is credited for being the creator of the region’s only FinTech Lab and accelerator, which since 2017 has successfully nurtured 60+ FinTechs in helping them scale and expand across the region (www.cedaribsifintechlab.com).