Head of the Innovation and Prosperity Fund Stresses the Need to Develop Tools for Iran’s VC Industry
In a meeting with the board members of the Iranian Venture Capital Association (IRVC), Dr. Mohammad Sadegh Khayyatian, President of the Innovation and Prosperity Fund, emphasized the need for a strategic and structured approach to advance Iran’s venture capital (VC) industry.
“If we are serious about developing the VC sector as a national strategy—both at the Fund and within the Association—we must design the appropriate infrastructure, tools, and solutions to meet its unique needs,” he said.
Khayyatian praised the IRVC’s progress, stating:
“The Association is evolving like other components of Iran’s innovation ecosystem. Its presence is both meaningful and valuable for the country’s development.”
He positioned IRVC as an intellectual, advisory, and operational partner to the Secretariat of the Specialized Taskforce on R&T Funds:
“This Secretariat must expand, and with your collaboration, we can fulfill its mission more effectively.”
Khayyatian also addressed the urgent need to establish an evaluation and ranking system for R&T funds:
“This is a non-negotiable necessity. Without it, the ecosystem will suffer. The IRVC’s insight is especially valuable—provided it rises above narrow sectoral perspectives.”
He acknowledged persistent gaps in venture capital development, even within R&T funds:
“We need a serious push to grow the VC space. But we also need R&T funds to prepare themselves for this transformation.”
Khayyatian further underlined the importance of ecosystem-building for VC, noting:
“Legally, the framework is largely in place. However, this is not a massive market yet. We must move carefully, incrementally. Early-stage success stories will be critical for scaling broader impact.”
On the topic of Clause 18 of Iran’s 2023 national budget, which promotes interest-free loans for job creation in knowledge-based firms, he commented:
“A sound plan has been put in place. We’re hopeful that implementation will exceed 50%.”
Finally, Khayyatian spoke about the IPO-readiness of knowledge-based firms and their role in public capital markets:
“Public listing of these companies is a key priority in our partnership with the Securities and Exchange Organization. Our target is to prepare and list 10–15 high-performing firms within two years.”
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