When we set out to create Viaka, we were trying to solve a problem we had seen repeatedly across markets, sectors, and stages: exceptional founders with global ambition were not lacking talent or ideas, they were lacking access. Access to capital, access to the right networks, and access to the kind of trust that unlocks opportunity across borders.
Over the years, it became increasingly clear that diaspora founders, particularly those connected to the MENA region, were uniquely positioned to build globally relevant companies. They operate across cultures, understand multiple markets, and are often forced early on to think beyond a single geography. This naturally gives them an edge. They are not building for one market and then expanding. They are building with global scale in mind from day one.
The diaspora plays a critical role in shaping the future of global startup ecosystems. It acts as a bridge between regions that historically have operated in silos. Founders who have lived, studied, or worked across geographies bring with them not just knowledge, but context. They understand customer behavior in different markets, they can navigate regulatory environments more effectively, and they are often more resilient because they have had to operate with fewer resources and greater complexity.
We see this very clearly in the MENA diaspora. Founders are building companies in North America and Europe while staying deeply connected to the region. They are creating pathways for talent, capital, and ideas to flow in both directions. In doing so, they are not only building companies, they are building ecosystems.
At the same time, there are common misconceptions, particularly among founders coming from emerging ecosystems, about what it takes to expand into the U.S. market. Many assume that the U.S. is simply a larger version of their home market. It is not. The level of competition, the expectations around product, the speed of execution, and the sophistication of customers are all significantly higher.
One of the biggest mistakes founders make is underestimating the importance of go to market strategy in the U.S. It is not enough to have a strong product. Distribution, positioning, and early customer acquisition matter just as much, if not more. Another common mistake is assuming that capital will come easily once they enter the market. In reality, fundraising in the U.S. is deeply network driven. Without the right introductions and credibility, even strong companies can struggle to raise.
This is where global networks become essential. Trust does not scale easily across borders, but networks can accelerate it. When founders are introduced to investors or partners through trusted intermediaries, the dynamic changes. Conversations start from a place of credibility rather than skepticism. Opportunities that would otherwise take months or years to unlock can happen much faster.
Global networks also play a critical role in helping founders learn from others who have walked the same path. Scaling across borders is complex, and there is no single playbook. Having access to a group of founders, operators, and investors who can share insights, make introductions, and provide feedback is invaluable.
Yet, despite the growing globalization of entrepreneurship, there is still something missing in today’s startup ecosystems. Most ecosystems remain fragmented. They are either highly localized, focusing on a specific geography, or they are global in theory but network driven in practice, relying on a relatively closed set of relationships.
What is missing is intentional connectivity. There are very few platforms that are designed from the ground up to bridge regions in a meaningful way. Not just by hosting events or facilitating introductions, but by building long term infrastructure that connects capital, talent, and opportunity.
This is the gap we set out to address with Viaka.
At its core, Viaka is about access to capital, but capital is only one part of the equation. We believe that in order for founders to succeed globally, they need more than funding. They need the right investors, the right partners, and the right support systems around them.
This is why our approach is ecosystem driven. Through our Angel Network, we bring together investors who are not only willing to back founders financially, but who are also willing to engage, support, and open doors. Through our city chapters, we create local nodes of activity in key markets like New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Boston, and London. And through convenings like MENA Rising, we bring these networks together in a highly curated setting.
The goal is not to create more noise. It is to create signal.
We want founders to be able to access the right people at the right time. We want investors to see high quality opportunities that they would not otherwise encounter. And we want to build a layer of trust that allows these interactions to translate into real outcomes, whether that is investment, partnerships, or customer relationships.
Platforms like Viaka have an important role to play in the next phase of global entrepreneurship. As the world becomes more connected, the barriers to building a company are decreasing, but the barriers to scaling one globally remain high. Bridging that gap requires intentional effort.
It requires building networks that are not just broad, but deep. It requires creating environments where relationships can form organically, but with purpose. And it requires a long term commitment to supporting founders beyond the initial investment.
Ultimately, what we are trying to build is not just a platform, but infrastructure. Infrastructure that enables founders to move more seamlessly across markets, to access capital more efficiently, and to build companies that are truly global from day one.
The opportunity is significant. The talent already exists. The ambition is there. What is needed now is the connective tissue that brings it all together.
About the Author
Reem Goussous has spent the past two decades operating at the intersection of founders, capital, and ecosystems, observing how brilliant MENA entrepreneurs often build in isolation while global markets accelerate ahead. Viaka was born from a simple idea: the region does not lack talent or ambition, it lacks connections and bridges.
Today, she is building those bridges.
As Co-Founder of Viaka, she brings together founders, investors, and operators with ties to or interest in the MENA region: people who understand the region, believe in its potential, and want to see its companies succeed on the global stage. Through a growing angel syndicate, city chapters, and convenings across New York, Toronto, London, San Francisco, Dubai, and beyond, she is creating more pathways.
Prior to Viaka, she spent years at Village Capital and Endeavor, working with founders and investors across continents and witnessing firsthand the gaps that continue to keep MENA talent out of global conversations.
Her work now is focused on changing that, one network, one investment, and one founder at a time.
