For a long time, communications sat at the edge of an investment firm’s operation — a press release when a deal closed, a logo on a panel backdrop. That is changing. In a market where LPs form conviction before a fundraise, where founders research a fund before they pitch, and where co-investors read visibility as a proxy for credibility, the firms that communicate with intent close faster and on better terms. Perception, in MENA’s capital markets, is not a vanity metric. It is a commercial one.
Appointing a dedicated communications partner — rather than treating each announcement as a one-off — is how a firm moves from reacting to the news to shaping it. It signals an intent to own the narrative across a full fundraising cycle, not only at its milestones.
This step sits inside a clear trajectory. Founded in Abu Dhabi in 2017 and the first regional venture firm regulated by ADGM, Shorooq has built a multi-strategy platform spanning venture capital, venture debt and private credit, with a portfolio of more than 80 companies across the Middle East, North Africa, Pakistan and beyond.
More recently, Shorooq has been entrusted to manage capital on behalf of major institutions — appointed by du to run du Ventures, its $50 million corporate venture fund, and partnering with Presight on a $100 million innovation fund. Institutions do not delegate capital deployment to firms they are unsure of. A firm that others increasingly trust with their capital is now investing in owning its own narrative with the same rigour it brings to investing. That is a mature move, and the right one.
Narrative One is a communications partner built specifically for investment firms operating in MENA — by people who have sat inside them. We are glad to bring that discipline to Shorooq: PR and media relations, GP thought leadership, bilingual English and Arabic content, and portfolio-wide monitoring, built around the milestones that matter to a fund and its LPs. Our role is quiet by design. The work, and the track record, are Shorooq’s.
We are proud to partner with Shorooq, and we are looking forward to what comes next.