Founder

A Founder is an individual or group of individuals who conceive, establish, and launch a business venture. Founders are responsible for shaping the company’s mission, vision, business model, and product or service offering from inception. Unlike a CEO, who might be hired to manage an existing company, a founder typically initiates the concept, assembles the founding team, raises early capital, and navigates the business through its formative stages.

Founders often wear multiple hats — acting as product manager, salesperson, marketer, operations head, and financial planner — especially in the early days. They are the custodians of the original idea and typically hold significant equity stakes, giving them both financial incentive and strategic control over the company’s direction.

Over time, a founder may assume or delegate roles such as CEO, CTO, or board chairperson, depending on the business’s scale, structure, and governance needs.

In venture-funded businesses, especially within fast-growing tech or fintech sectors in the UAE and MENA, founders play a central role in investor relations, capital raising, strategic partnerships, and long-term exits.