Mohsen Sadri, Board Member of the Iran Venture Capital Association, was the guest of the 34th episode of Cheragh, a program broadcast on Radio Tehran. The episode focused on venture capital, reviewing the state of startup investment and the future of Iran’s innovation-driven economy.
During the discussion, Sadri highlighted the critical role of venture capital investors in scaling startups and emphasized that investing in emerging technologies—particularly artificial intelligence—can provide effective solutions to challenges faced by major industries such as steel, healthcare, mining, and other industrial sectors. According to him, implementing economic and business models powered by AI is an inevitable path for addressing the country’s complex problems.
He also stressed the importance of efficient use of existing GPU resources in the country, warning that repetitive redevelopment under the pretext of “localization” does not contribute to technological progress and may even hinder it. Sadri noted that the pace of technological advancement has accelerated significantly, and if investment in this field is not viewed as the “future gold,” Iran risks falling behind global trends.
Addressing the shortage of investors, Sadri stated that, compared to neighboring countries, Iran sees very limited investment in dollar terms. On average, around USD 100 million is invested annually, while neighboring countries attract up to 40 times more. Nevertheless, the presence of diverse talent and a few “tech stars” in the ecosystem has helped startups remain resilient.
Sadri described the way forward as gaining a clear understanding of Iran’s position within the global ecosystem. He emphasized that focusing on the commercialization and economic implementation of AI-based models can help maintain international connections and attract foreign investment. He also identified Iran’s high inflation rate as one of the serious competitors to venture capital investment.
In the final part of the program, Sadri discussed fundraising for innovative ideas, noting that the process has become more accessible. Entrepreneurs can visit the website of the Iran Venture Capital Association to review investment firms by specialization and portfolio, and by presenting their ideas effectively, increase their chances of attracting investor interest.
You can click here to listen to the full episode of the Cheragh program.
No comment