See Our Thesis: AI-First Enterprise & FinTech VC Fund

We are an early-stage venture capital fund backing founders building AI-first enterprise technology for the financial services industry.

The fund’s investment thesis is anchored in a deep legacy in financial-services technology research and consulting, drawing on a platform that represents over 70 years of global experience in the sector.

Our GP and Operating Partners are also the creators of the region’s only Financial Services Technology Lab, which since 2017 has supported and accelerated 60+ enterprise technology companies, helping them scale products, build partnerships with financial institutions, and expand internationally.

We operate as an independently structured venture fund, following a traditional LP–GP model, and are backed by leading institutional investors and family offices across the region.

Our Legacy

1985

Cedar Consulting: With a 35-year track record, Cedar is a Forbes-ranked global consulting firm with deep expertise in strategy and technology transformation for global banks and corporations.

1991

IBS Intelligence: Founded in 1991 and headquartered in London, IBS Intelligence (IBSi) is the world’s only pure-play Financial Technology focused Analyst firm, providing research and advisory to the global FinTech industry.

2017

Cedar-IBSi FinTech Lab: Founded in 2017, and co-created by Sahil Anand, the Cedar-IBSi Tech lab has been home to 60+ regional technology companies seeking acceleration and guidance as they grow internationally.

Our investment strategy stands on a strong foundation

B2B enterprise technology focus

Core to the evolution of the global Financial Services ecosystem
Strong legacy and credibility via the 70+ year research and consulting track record in this space
Focus on profitable and scalable technology businesses with clear unit economics

Significant founder value-add

Subject matter expertise
Access to mentors at Cedar and IBS Intelligence
CTO and wider Banking network
RFPs via the Cedar-IBSi FinTech Labs
Visibility with the right audience
Global expansion and GTM support

In-house FinTech Labs

Track record and credibility in assisting 60+ players scale since 2017
Marketplace model and cohort programs help FinTechs boost growth across areas
Multi-region labs between Europe, the Middle East, and India
$940 mn+ successfully raised by past and current lab members

Super-specialist expertise

Built on a legacy of transforming enterprise technology for 300+ banks globally
Built on a legacy of advising 500+ global tech players on product, growth, and market strategy
Proprietary research and data on emerging and established players. 5,000+ companies scanned annually

Deep ecosystem access

1-1 relationships with industry veteran founders
70+ opportunities screened weekly
Proprietary emerging player directories
FinTech Labs with regular cohorts
Global research across software types
10+ in-house annual summits and conferences

Strong fund manager network

Access to established strategic players globally
Access to banks and financial services players across the region
Associations with key industry bodies

Multiple global banking technology companies have scaled in our FinTech Labs. An area of our core expertise and right to win.

We enter early-stage but at revenue-stage when at least 1-2 paying enterprise clients exist. This mitigates some risk. Additionally, our ability to value-create and supercharge GTM is unique. This excites us.

Banking and Technology veterans with complementary skillsets, building product-oriented companies. Strong unit economics and a path to profitability are natural.

Enterprise technology for Financial Services is geography agnostic. Our ability to take portfolio companies to dollar-revenue markets such as the Middle East and Europe is a key investment factor.

Formal partnerships with key financial institutions and ecosystems