Venture Capital in Developing Markets

Harvard Center for International Development

What does it take to grow entrepreneurial ecosystems in the developing world? The talk will share some lessons from our experience at Alter across 14 markets in SE Asia and Africa. Specifically, the talk will focus on three aspects of early-stage entrepreneurship in such markets: (i) thin capital markets and the implications for early stage companies and ventures; (ii) the demand-supply gaps in the high-skill labor market (and the role of the diaspora); and (iii) the potential for using a network-based sourcing and investment model within small, dense ecosystems. // Interview recorded on October 25, 2019. In this Speaker Series podcast, CID Student Ambassador Valeria sits down for a discussion with Ozair Ali, co-founder and COO of Alter Global - a network of tech entrepreneurs across emerging cities in the world. Ozair works with entrepreneurs to provide them with access to talent and capital. Ozair has previously worked at the Central Bank of Pakistan and at CID at Harvard University. He holds an MBA from Stanford University and an MPA/ID from Harvard University. Podcast edited by Charles Hua '22