Jamil Akhtar is a strategic Advisor of Knight Ventures Accelerator and Investment Platform and has been instrumental in creating a platform that allows African startups connect with Investors, Mentors, Angel Investors & Micro VC firms and Partners towards collaborating with each other. He is actively engaged in the Investment platform arm to scout & evaluate deals through organised pitching sessions with potential investor groups. Jamil comes with key experience particularly in the VC space having been a member of cohort 7 VC lab in July 2022. The VC Lab is a San Francisco based Venture Capital Accelerator which helps Emerging VCs launch a VC Fund. Previously, Jamil founded a fintech startup Quikkloan, which raised a seed round of funding from a clutch of Angel investors. He’s entrepreneurial skills lead to his startup being selected in the Mumbai Fintech Program 2017 by Startupbootcamp, a London based Global Accelerator where he gained experience in product/market entry fit, customer development, product design & development. Prior to starting Quikkloan, Jamil worked as an Independent Consultant in Dubai to offer consulting services to SMEs towards raising working capital finance from local banks. He also has extensive experience working with NYSE/ Nasdaq listed companies. His skills have helped India based SaaS startups raise capital and helped multiple startups in analysing their business model to connect with potential investors. High notes of Jamil’s abilities are in research, consulting, and investment banking across a variety of industries including consumer & retail, M&A, industrial growth and strategic advisory. He has an MBA from ILM School of Business, New Delhi India, a Masters Degree in Business & Commerce from Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu India and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business & Commerce from Delhi University, India.