Leap Ventures

Co-founders Henri Asseily and Hala Fadel act as Managing Partners and make all investment decisions. Fadel brings deep operational and venture-building experience from her tenure as chair of the MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab, while Asseily has a background in technology commercialization and regional startup policy. The firm does not publicize a broader investment committee.

Leap Ventures sources heavily through the MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab network, the American University of Beirut's entrepreneurial community, and the partners' personal relationships across the Levant and GCC. The firm also maintains ties to diaspora Lebanese founders who return to build companies in the region. This network-driven approach provides access to early-stage companies that international funds often overlook.

Since the 2019 banking crisis, Leap Ventures has systematically helped portfolio companies restructure their legal entities outside Lebanon, commonly relocating holding companies to the UAE or Cayman Islands. This restructuring aims to protect companies from Lebanese capital controls and make them investable for foreign follow-on capital. The firm itself operates from Beirut but structures new investments under foreign holding vehicles.

Leap Ventures often leads or co-leads early-stage rounds in its portfolio companies, particularly in deals sourced directly through its regional network. In later-stage rounds, the firm tends to participate alongside larger international and Gulf-based venture funds, leveraging its local expertise to help outside investors navigate the operating environment.