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In this episode of Born to Disrupt, hosts Mark Walker, Simon Hardie, and Grant Niven speak with Oliver Kreusen, Partner and Managing Director at Bridgemaker Gulf, about the growth and evolution of venture building in the Middle East and globally. The conversation explores how venture building is shaping new business models, the challenges and opportunities it presents for corporates, governments, and family offices, and how AI and talent are reshaping the venture development process
From Car Sales to Venture Studios: Oliver’s Journey
Oliver shares his unconventional career path—from starting out in car sales to strategy consulting and managing startup portfolios for a family office in Germany. His journey led him to Bridgemaker, a venture builder focused on helping corporates, investors, and governments create new businesses. Since 2022, Oliver has led Bridgemaker’s expansion in thOliver reveals that Bridgemaker has developed its own proprietary AI tool, Torsion, to accelerate idea generation and validation. This has reduced time-to-validation by up to 80%, enabling faster market testing and lower costs. However, he cautions that AI is not a silver bullet—human insight, talent, and market engagement are still crucial, especially in customer validation.
AI’s real value lies in enhancing human capability, not replacing it. Venture builders must still get on the ground, speak with real users, and understand their needs.
What Is Venture Building?
Oliver describes venture building as the structured creation of new businesses from scratch, solving real market problems, validating ideas quickly, and scaling them sustainably. Unlike traditional venture capital models that chase unicorns, venture building is more methodical and strategic, often partnering with corporates to build profitable, long-term ventures.
He distinguishes between different models—corporate venture building, venture studios, strategy firm spin-offs, and innovation hubs—noting that while the terminology varies, the core objective is the same: to create high-value, sustainable businesses.
The Venture Building Landscape in the Middle East
The discussion turns to how venture building is developing in the Middle East. Oliver notes that the region is trying to leapfrog stages of maturity seen in Europe and the U.S., with a proliferation of players, from consultancies like BCG and McKinsey to independent studios and government-backed innovation labs.
However, he emphasises that venture building is complex, especially when multiple stakeholders—corporates, governments, family offices—are involved. Unlike startups, which are typically founder-led, venture building often requires navigating layers of internal politics and expectations.
Success Stories & Models That Work
A standout example is Noon, an e-commerce platform adapted for the Gulf market. Though often seen as a startup, Noon was strategically developed with major corporate backing and tailored to regional needs—a testament to how venture building can rival and outpace global giants like Amazon in local markets.
Oliver also highlights the importance of setting realistic expectations. Venture building isn’t a quick route to profitability; it’s about future-proofing businesses, with timelines often spanning 5 to 10 years.
Family Offices & Innovation in the Gulf
The conversation explores how family businesses in the region—often rooted in traditional industries like real estate, automotive, or logistics—are grappling with succession planning and the need to diversify. While many are risk-averse, the younger generation is often better educated and eager to innovate.
Oliver explains that venture building offers a structured path for families to explore new sectors, leverage their assets, and develop new business models without compromising existing operations.
The Role of AI in Venture Building
Oliver reveals that Bridgemaker has developed its own proprietary AI tool, Tautiom AI, to accelerate idea generation and validation. This has reduced time-to-validation by up to 80%, enabling faster market testing and lower costs. However, he cautions that AI is not a silver bullet—human insight, talent, and market engagement are still crucial, especially in customer validation.
AI’s real value lies in enhancing human capability, not replacing it. Venture builders must still get on the ground, speak with real users, and understand their needs.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Venture Building
The episode closes with reflections on the nimbleness and adaptability of venture builders compared to large consultancies. Oliver argues that venture building is not a replacement for traditional startup models but a complementary, de-risked strategy for corporates and family offices looking to diversify and innovate.
In regions like the Gulf, government support and global interest in FDI are accelerating growth. As infrastructure and talent continue to mature, venture building is poised to become a key driver of economic diversification and sustainable innovation in the Middle East and beyond.
Hope you enjoy the discussion!
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