People - Oraseya
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Meet the Directors
Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni
Executive Chairman, DIEZ
With over 25 years of experience leading and developing free economic zones, H.E. Dr. Mohammed Alzarooni is considered one of the region’s most influential leaders in free zones and integrated economic ecosystems. In 2021, H.E. Dr. Alzarooni was appointed as Executive Chairman of Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ).
See more Ms. Amna Lootah
Director General, DAFZ & DCC
Ms. Amna Lootah is Director General at Dubai Airport Free Zone (DAFZ). With over 20 years’ extensive experience, she is one of the leading experts within the special economic zones sector in the region. As part of her critical role at the heart of the organization, Ms. Lootah is responsible for the design and implementation of DAFZ’s strategic plans.
See more Dr. Juma Al Matrooshi
Assistant Executive Chairman for Investments & Partnerships DIEZ
Dr. Juma Al Matrooshi is Director General at Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO). In his capacity as Director General, Dr. Al Matrooshi is responsible for the development, implementation and communication of DSO’s strategy, including the organization’s mandate, mission, vision and values.
See more Paul Keely
Chief Financial Officer, DIEZ
Paul Keely is the Chief Financial Officer of Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ), overseeing the financial strategy across Dubai Airport Freezone, Dubai Silicon Oasis, and Dubai CommerCity. He also serves on the boards of Tradeling and Oraseya Capital. With over 25 years of international experience at firms such as KPMG and Glencore, Paul brings deep expertise in finance, M&A, and strategic growth and he is pursuing advanced studies in blockchain, supporting Dubai’s innovation and digital economy agenda.
See more Hassan AlFarsi
EVP Corporate Finance & Treasury, DIEZ
Hassan AlFarsi has over 15 years of experience in Finance & Investments. He is currently Head of Corporate Finance & Treasury at Dubai Integrated Economic Zones where he is in charge of financial planning, investments and treasury. Hassan has been actively involved in the startup scene since 2014 through advisory and investments.
See more Meet the Investment Team
Julien Plouzeau
Senior Partner
Julien is a Partner at Oraseya Capital, spearheading the investments across all stages and managing the fund’s portfolio. He has been in the UAE startup ecosystem since 2012, as a founder then as Principal & Portfolio Manager of Dtec Ventures since 2019, holding board duties. He previously worked as an Investment Banker for Societe Generale CIB in Italy.
Hassan AlFarsi
Partner
Hassan AlFarsi has over 15 years of experience in Finance & Investments. He is currently Head of Corporate Finance & Treasury at Dubai Integrated Economic Zones where he is in charge of financial planning, investments and treasury. Hassan has been actively involved in the startup scene since 2014 through advisory and investments.
Omar Khan
Partner
An investment professional with 12+ years of experience in VC & PE investments across the UAE and USA, Omar has closed $500m+ in transactions on both the buy & sell side across various deal types such as PE buyout / M&A transactions, minority early & growth stage VC investments, VC fund of funds investments and government grants. He joins Oraseya Capital as Principal managing deal flow end to end for core investments from Seed to Series B stage deals.
Elliott Denham
Head of Programs - Sandbox
Having traveled the world helping founders develop, refine, and execute their go-to-market strategies, Elliott now leads the Startup Programs team in Oraseya Capital supporting early-stage tech startups to scale, fundraise and grow.
Mohanad Elhartany
Senior Investment Associate
As Senior Investment Associate at Oraseya Capital, Mohanad works on the execution of principal investments from Seed to Series B stages. He previously held roles across regional and international VC firms including Rocket Internet, Flat6Labs, and Arzan VC, where he sourced and closed over 25 investments across diverse sectors and stages. He achieved his first exit as an investor at the age of 24 and continues to focus on identifying and supporting high-potential startups across the MENA region.
Chiara Somma
Investment Associate
Chiara is an investment professional with experience across the European and international VC ecosystem. At Oraseya Capital, she executes venture investments from Seed to Series B across multiple industries. Prior to joining Oraseya, Chiara worked in VC in Europe, leading startup scouting and investment activities and actively supporting the development of the startup ecosystem. She holds an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business
Asad Sheikh
Assistant Manager - Sandbox
With tenures at MAGNiTT and Microsoft for Startups, and over four years of experience in the regional startup ecosystem, Asad joined Oraseya Capital as Assistant Manager for SANDBOX to build upon the foundations of the SANDBOX Accelerator and scale the program to new heights.
Gustav Larsson
Program Executive - Sandbox
Gustav is the Programs Executive at Oraseya Capital, where he works closely with founders to accelerate the growth of the region’s most promising startups. He previously held roles at Wamda Capital and G20 Ventures, gaining experience in early-stage investing across MENA and the U.S. In 2019, Gustav founded Teamtap.io, a team management platform used by leading educational institutions in the U.S.
Sanam Foroughi
Senior Assistant Manager - Sandbox
Sanam specializes in identifying and nurturing Pre-Seed and Seed opportunities. Before joining Oraseya, she worked with Plug & Play Abu Dhabi, focusing on Fintech across MENA, and gained experience in asset management at Societe Generale Private Banking in London. Sanam holds a Master's degree from Imperial College Business School and an undergraduate degree from Northeastern University in Boston.
Karen Marcos
Portfolio Associate
Karen has over 10 years of experience in the UAE startup ecosystem across startup investments, marketing and ecosystem development. As Portfolio Associate for Oraseya Capital, she is responsible for post-deal governance, portfolio oversight and startup investment support. Prior to joining Oraseya, she served as Portfolio & Research Executive at Dtec Ventures, where she was instrumental in managing a portfolio of 20+ tech startups.
Vien Garcia
Portfolio Admin
Vien is the Portfolio Admin at Oraseya Capital, working across investment tracking, portfolio reporting, and post-investment administration. She brings over a decade of experience in banking and finance, having worked at Gold Standard and in investment banking with J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
Alia Ahmad Alshehhi
Senior Executive - Communications
Alia heads communications at Oraseya Capital, where storytelling meets strategy. With a flair for content, community, and brand building, she crafts narratives that connect startups, partners, and the region’s boldest ideas.
Katrina Penafiel
Office Manager
Kat oversees the day-to-day office management and administrative operations at Oraseya, ensuring the efficient and seamless functioning of the organization. With over 14 years of professional experience in the UAE, she brings extensive expertise in office management, HR and Administration, EA/PA support, and a broad understanding of management operations, contributing to effective coordination and operational excellence across the business.
Cora Galenzoga
Administration
Cora oversees the administrative operations and day to day office management at Oraseya Capital, responsible in providing essential administrative support and carrying out various range of tasks. She has more than 15 years of experience as an EA/PA and a demonstrated history of working in government owned companies in Dubai and in the Philippines.
