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Doha, Qatar: Qatar’s fintech sector and cross-border expansion, presents significant untapped potential, according to Michael Lints, Partner at Golden Gate Ventures, who outlined growing opportunities for startups and investors.
Speaking to The Peninsula, Lints said that the financial technology tailored to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could become one of the country’s most promising verticals.
“In Qatar, I still think that there’s a lot of opportunity on the fintech side,” he said. “Especially B2B fintech solutions that collaborate with banks and build services around them.”
He noted that SMEs, in particular, are seeking more sophisticated financial services, ranging from corporate cards to earned wage access platforms.
“There’s a lot of potential to service that demographic more on the B2B side,” Lints said, adding that such solutions could strengthen the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Drawing comparisons between Qatar and Singapore, where Golden Gate Ventures is headquartered, Lints pointed to similarities in market size and institutional backing.
“Singapore has a relatively small home market, and Qatar is similar,” the market expert said.
Lints said that “Singapore has strong sovereign wealth funds like Temasek and GIC, while Qatar has QIA. The level of government support is very comparable.”
However, the MENA region plays a distinct role as a global hub, often serving as a gateway between Europe, Africa, and Asia. In contrast, Singapore primarily functions as a hub for Southeast Asia.
“You are seeing funds and corporates use MENA as a hub either toward Africa, toward Europe, or from Europe toward Asia,” Lints said. “That’s a unique positioning.”
He emphasised that Qatar, like Singapore, must navigate the “nuances” of doing business across multiple markets within its wider region.
While Singapore’s startup ecosystem is more mature, the industry expert affirms that Qatar has room to grow into a launchpad for globally competitive companies.
“I feel that Qatar could be positioned to build more companies for global expansion in the coming years,” he said.
Speaking at a session during this year’s Web Summit Qatar, Lints stressed why the GCC should not be overlooked in 2026, citing the recent extension of the Qatar Investment Authority’s fund-of-funds programme as a clear signal of continued capital deployment.
Lints also highlighted sectors such as AI infrastructure, healthcare, food security, and quantum computing as areas with strong upside potential.
“Quantum computing is underestimated and under-invested, but we are bullish on more development coming from here,” he said.
Golden Gate Ventures is also actively supporting cross-border collaboration between Asia and the Gulf. The firm aims to help Asian portfolio companies establish business partnerships in Qatar, particularly in sectors such as space tech, healthcare, fintech, and food security.
“It’s about helping companies land and expand,” Lints said. “We are looking at technology transfer, bringing R&D experience from Singapore, and fostering collaboration between later-stage Asian companies and early-stage founders here.”
The official further added that such cross-border ties could unlock acquisition opportunities and accelerate the flow of innovation between the two regions.
