Vikas A. Aggarwal

Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise

Email [email protected]

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Citron: Global Expansion of a Consumer Goods Start-up from the Middle East

By Vikas A. Aggarwal, Katia Kachan

In January 2022, Sara Chemmaa, founder and CEO of Citron, a Dubai-based start-up that made distinctive lunchboxes and other carry containers, is reviewing her pitch deck for a Series A investment round. Will her growth story appeal to institutional investors? Will the expansion strategy for her consumer goods company convince funds with an investment remit in tech-based ventures?

Published 25 Aug 2022

Reference 6768

Topic Entrepreneurship

Industry Consumer Goods

Region Middle-East

Citron: Global Expansion of a Consumer Goods Start-up from the Middle East

By Vikas A. Aggarwal, Katia Kachan
Published 25 Aug 2022
Reference 6768
Topic Entrepreneurship
Region Middle-East
Industry Consumer Goods

In January 2022, Sara Chemmaa, founder and CEO of Citron, a Dubai-based start-up that made distinctive lunchboxes and other carry containers, is reviewing her pitch deck for a Series A investment round. Will her growth story appeal to institutional investors? Will the expansion strategy for her consumer goods company convince funds with an investment remit in tech-based ventures?

Brake or Turn? Seez Ponders its Direction at the Cusp of the Pandemic

By Vikas A. Aggarwal, Aly Madhavji

In March 2020, Tarek Kabrit, founder and CEO of Seez, the online car marketplace and aggregator, must determine how to proceed given the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. His decision could make or break the company.

Published 07 Jul 2021

Reference 6666

Topic Entrepreneurship

Industry Automotive

Region Middle-East

Brake or Turn? Seez Ponders its Direction at the Cusp of the Pandemic

By Vikas A. Aggarwal, Aly Madhavji
Published 07 Jul 2021
Reference 6666
Topic Entrepreneurship
Region Middle-East
Industry Automotive

In March 2020, Tarek Kabrit, founder and CEO of Seez, the online car marketplace and aggregator, must determine how to proceed given the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. His decision could make or break the company.

Managing in Crisis: Raising a Fast-Growing Unicorn during the Covid-19 Pandemic

By Vikas A. Aggarwal, Jean Wee

SWVL, a well-funded start-up in the Middle East, solved the mass transportation problem in emerging markets with a unique bus-hailing model. In March 2020, with 150,000 bookings in one day across its operating geographies, it reached its highest utilization rate and gross profit margin. Then Covid-19 hit. SWVL’s first reaction was to shut down operations and hunker down.

Published 08 Jun 2021

Reference 6680

Topic Entrepreneurship

Industry Internet, Transportation/Trucking/Railroad

Region Middle-East

Managing in Crisis: Raising a Fast-Growing Unicorn during the Covid-19 Pandemic

By Vikas A. Aggarwal, Jean Wee
Published 08 Jun 2021
Reference 6680
Topic Entrepreneurship
Region Middle-East
Industry Internet, Transportation/Trucking/Railroad

SWVL, a well-funded start-up in the Middle East, solved the mass transportation problem in emerging markets with a unique bus-hailing model. In March 2020, with 150,000 bookings in one day across its operating geographies, it reached its highest utilization rate and gross profit margin. Then Covid-19 hit. SWVL’s first reaction was to shut down operations and hunker down.

Corporate Venturing and Innovation: Driving Growth and New Business Development

By Claudia Zeisberger, Vikas A. Aggarwal, Vibha Gaba, Sara Lim, Alexandra von Stauffenberg

This background note introduces the topic of corporate venturing activities (CVA) and describes the four most common types (Corporate Venture Capital Unit, Corporate Venture Builder, Venture Client Model and Corporate Incubator/ Accelerator).

Published 27 May 2021

Reference 6651

Topic Entrepreneurship

Region Global

Corporate Venturing and Innovation: Driving Growth and New Business Development

By Claudia Zeisberger, Vikas A. Aggarwal, Vibha Gaba, Sara Lim, Alexandra von Stauffenberg
Published 27 May 2021
Reference 6651
Topic Entrepreneurship
Region Global

This background note introduces the topic of corporate venturing activities (CVA) and describes the four most common types (Corporate Venture Capital Unit, Corporate Venture Builder, Venture Client Model and Corporate Incubator/ Accelerator).

Tipalti (A): A Tale of Two Founders

By Vikas A. Aggarwal, Gopi Rangan, Peter Zemsky, Laura Heely

In 2017, Chen Amit and Oren Zeev, co-founders of Tipalti, an end-to-end payment processing start-up, are about to close its Series C investment round when they receive a warning about one of the new investors slated to fund over half the round.

Published 06 Apr 2020

Reference 6570

Topic Entrepreneurship

Industry Financial Services

Region North America

Tipalti (A): A Tale of Two Founders

By Vikas A. Aggarwal, Gopi Rangan, Peter Zemsky, Laura Heely
Published 06 Apr 2020
Reference 6570
Topic Entrepreneurship
Region North America
Industry Financial Services

In 2017, Chen Amit and Oren Zeev, co-founders of Tipalti, an end-to-end payment processing start-up, are about to close its Series C investment round when they receive a warning about one of the new investors slated to fund over half the round.

Tipalti (B): Down to the Wire

By Vikas A. Aggarwal, Gopi Rangan, Peter Zemsky, Laura Heely

In 2017, Chen Amit and Oren Zeev, co-founders of Tipalti, an end-to-end payment processing start-up, are about to close its Series C investment round when they receive a warning about one of the new investors slated to fund over half the round.

Published 06 Apr 2020

Reference 6570

Topic Entrepreneurship

Industry Financial Services

Region North America

Tipalti (B): Down to the Wire

By Vikas A. Aggarwal, Gopi Rangan, Peter Zemsky, Laura Heely
Published 06 Apr 2020
Reference 6570
Topic Entrepreneurship
Region North America
Industry Financial Services

In 2017, Chen Amit and Oren Zeev, co-founders of Tipalti, an end-to-end payment processing start-up, are about to close its Series C investment round when they receive a warning about one of the new investors slated to fund over half the round.

Unlocking the Closet: Venture Capital and the Global Expansion of a Middle East Luxury Goods Marketplace

By Vikas A. Aggarwal, Katia Kachan

In 2018, the Luxury Closest (TLC), an e-commerce marketplace for pre-owned luxury goods based in Dubai, receives Series C investment from two venture capital firms, Middle East Venture Partners and Wamda Capital. CEO Kunal Kapoor needs to evaluate three distinct paths for the company’s expansion over the coming 18 months.

Published 31 May 2019

Reference 6505

Topic Entrepreneurship

Industry Venture Capital, Luxury Goods and Jewelry, E-Commerce

Region Middle-East

Unlocking the Closet: Venture Capital and the Global Expansion of a Middle East Luxury Goods Marketplace

By Vikas A. Aggarwal, Katia Kachan
Published 31 May 2019
Reference 6505
Topic Entrepreneurship
Region Middle-East
Industry Venture Capital, Luxury Goods and Jewelry, E-Commerce

In 2018, the Luxury Closest (TLC), an e-commerce marketplace for pre-owned luxury goods based in Dubai, receives Series C investment from two venture capital firms, Middle East Venture Partners and Wamda Capital. CEO Kunal Kapoor needs to evaluate three distinct paths for the company’s expansion over the coming 18 months.

Finding the Perfect Recipe: KKR's Buyout of WMF

By Vikas A. Aggarwal, Claudia Zeisberger, Jean Wee

In May 2012, private equity firm KKR is considering the buyout of WMF group (WMF), a diversified kitchenware and professional coffee machine manufacturer headquartered in Geislingen, Germany. The deal seems a potentially compelling investment opportunity, with various options for value creation – expanding WMF’s well-established brand to other geographies as well as reducing costs.

Published 28 Aug 2017

Reference 6310

Topic Entrepreneurship

Industry Private Equity

Region Europe

Finding the Perfect Recipe: KKR's Buyout of WMF

By Vikas A. Aggarwal, Claudia Zeisberger, Jean Wee
Published 28 Aug 2017
Reference 6310
Topic Entrepreneurship
Region Europe
Industry Private Equity

In May 2012, private equity firm KKR is considering the buyout of WMF group (WMF), a diversified kitchenware and professional coffee machine manufacturer headquartered in Geislingen, Germany. The deal seems a potentially compelling investment opportunity, with various options for value creation – expanding WMF’s well-established brand to other geographies as well as reducing costs.

Adara Venture Partners: Building a Venture Capital Firm

By Anne-Marie Carrick, Vikas A. Aggarwal

This case examines a critical decision faced by the partners of a venture capital firm, Adara Venture Partners, in June 2013. In the course of raising their second fund, the partners face the prospect of an anchor investor pulling out because Adara had not yet assembled sufficient capital to meet the end-of-month deadline to complete the fund’s first closing.

Published 11 Jun 2015

Reference 5822

Topic Entrepreneurship

Industry Venture Capital, Private Equity

Region Europe

Adara Venture Partners: Building a Venture Capital Firm

By Anne-Marie Carrick, Vikas A. Aggarwal
Published 11 Jun 2015
Reference 5822
Topic Entrepreneurship
Region Europe
Industry Venture Capital, Private Equity

This case examines a critical decision faced by the partners of a venture capital firm, Adara Venture Partners, in June 2013. In the course of raising their second fund, the partners face the prospect of an anchor investor pulling out because Adara had not yet assembled sufficient capital to meet the end-of-month deadline to complete the fund’s first closing.

Chips on the Side (B): The Buy-Out of Avago Technologies

By Claudia Zeisberger, Vikas A. Aggarwal, Michael Prahl

A consortium of private equity firms (KKR and Silver Lake Partners) is in the process of acquiring the semi-conductor division of Agilent. To prepare for the signing of the acquisition agreement and the subsequent transfer of ownership, the deal team is revisiting their investment thesis with respect to upsides and risks.

Published 27 Mar 2012

Reference 5832

Topic Entrepreneurship

Industry Private Equity

Region North America

Chips on the Side (B): The Buy-Out of Avago Technologies

By Claudia Zeisberger, Vikas A. Aggarwal, Michael Prahl
Published 27 Mar 2012
Reference 5832
Topic Entrepreneurship
Region North America
Industry Private Equity

A consortium of private equity firms (KKR and Silver Lake Partners) is in the process of acquiring the semi-conductor division of Agilent. To prepare for the signing of the acquisition agreement and the subsequent transfer of ownership, the deal team is revisiting their investment thesis with respect to upsides and risks.

Chips on the Side (A): The Buy-Out of Avago Technologies

By Claudia Zeisberger, Vikas A. Aggarwal, Michael Prahl, Swati Sawjiany

A consortium of private equity firms (KKR and Silver Lake Partners) is in the process of acquiring the semi-conductor division of Agilent. To prepare for the signing of the acquisition agreement and the subsequent transfer of ownership, the deal team is revisiting their investment thesis with respect to upsides and risks.

Published 31 Jan 2012

Reference 5832

Topic Entrepreneurship

Industry Private Equity

Region North America

Chips on the Side (A): The Buy-Out of Avago Technologies

By Claudia Zeisberger, Vikas A. Aggarwal, Michael Prahl, Swati Sawjiany
Published 31 Jan 2012
Reference 5832
Topic Entrepreneurship
Region North America
Industry Private Equity

A consortium of private equity firms (KKR and Silver Lake Partners) is in the process of acquiring the semi-conductor division of Agilent. To prepare for the signing of the acquisition agreement and the subsequent transfer of ownership, the deal team is revisiting their investment thesis with respect to upsides and risks.

Adaptation and Innovation in Dynamic Settings