Can you share the vision behind Offline and what inspired you to create a private members’ community for scaled-up founders?
Offline was born from the realization that scaling founders often lack a trusted network for honest conversations. Our vision is to create a close-knit community where founders can share insights, navigate challenges, and support one another. Inspired by platforms like Tiger 21, we wanted to foster a space focused on peer learning, personal growth, and meaningful connections. Offline bridges the gap between ambition and shared experience, offering founders a sanctuary to thrive, both professionally and personally.

How does Offline distinguish itself from other entrepreneur networks, and what unique value does it offer its members?
Offline prioritizes deep, peer-led connections over broad networking. Our small, curated groups (pods) are led by executive coaches, ensuring focused discussions. Unlike traditional networks, we emphasize personal growth alongside professional milestones through retreats, leadership treks, and expert resources. Members gain access to a high-trust environment where they can openly discuss challenges, collaborate on ideas, and build lifelong relationships. This holistic approach sets us apart.

What motivated the decision to expand Offline from India into the UAE, and why was this region a strategic choice?
The UAE is a global hub for innovation, with strong government support for entrepreneurship and a vibrant ecosystem of diverse founders. Its strategic location as a gateway to the Middle East and Africa aligns with our vision of creating cross-border synergies. Expanding here allows us to connect Indian founders with UAE entrepreneurs, fostering collaborations that can lead to transformative outcomes.

How does Offline plan to integrate local UAE entrepreneurs with its existing community of India’s top founders?
We’re fostering cross-border collaboration through joint events, curated pods, and retreats designed to encourage interaction. By pairing complementary founders based on industry and expertise, we ensure meaningful exchanges. Additionally, our focus on addressing shared challenges—like scaling globally and navigating regulations—helps bridge cultural and market differences, building a unified community.

What challenges did you face while bringing Offline to the UAE, and how did you overcome them?
Adapting our India-focused model to the UAE required understanding local cultural and business nuances. Building trust with UAE entrepreneurs was crucial, so we partnered with local ecosystem leaders to co-host events and establish credibility. We also tailored our offerings to align with the UAE’s entrepreneurial landscape, ensuring relevance and value for members.

Can you share some examples of the success stories or synergies achieved through Offline’s community in India? How do you envision replicating them in the UAE?
In India, Offline has facilitated partnerships, joint ventures, and even co-founder matches. One founder pivoted their business model based on pod discussions, achieving rapid growth. In the UAE, we aim to replicate this by creating spaces for open dialogue and structured collaborations, while leveraging the region’s strengths in global trade and innovation.

What kind of founders or businesses are you targeting in the UAE, and what criteria do you use to select members for the community?
We target founders with a proven track record—scaling startups, securing significant funding, or achieving impactful exits. Beyond metrics, we look for members with a collaborative mindset, openness to learning, and a commitment to community engagement. Founders in tech, fintech, and global trade-focused sectors are particularly aligned with our UAE goals.

Looking ahead, how do you plan to scale Offline further in the UAE and other regions, and what are your long-term goals for the initiative?
Our next phase involves expanding pods and hosting flagship events to engage local founders deeply. We’ll continue building cross-border initiatives between India, the UAE, and other innovation hubs. Long-term, our goal is to establish Offline as the go-to community for scaling founders worldwide, creating a global network of trust, growth, and collaboration.

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Founded by Utsav Somani, the man behind bringing AngelList to India and one of the leading investors of the country, Offline aims to build a close-knit network of startup founders on a significant growth trajectory.

“In 2016, as I launched my own company, I yearned for a community that hand-picked seasoned founders to share ideas with, problem-solve, or simply get candid feedback. The same old networking events didn’t offer opportunities for deeper connections and knowledge sharing. When I realised none existed, I founded Offline” said Somani.

The community focuses on founders of companies who meet one of the following criteria: $5 million raised, $5 million in ARR, $10 million from a previous exit, or currently valued at $50M. Notable early members in the UAE include the co-founders of CoinDCX, Hunch, Fuze, Ultrahuman, and Verloop, while in India, Offline boasts prominent figures from Zomato, Rentomojo, Awfis, 1mg, Shiprocket, Cred, Noise, and Bizongo.

Benefits of an Offline membership include high impact closed-door meetings in groups of 8-10 members facilitated by skilled executive coaches, out-of-the-box social experiences to connect with fellow members, front-row seats to talks by coveted speakers, special brand benefits and perks, masterclasses with industry experts for skill-building and a 24/7 digital community for prompt advice and feedback.

“With Abu Dhabi and Dubai coming at the forefront of technology, the ecosystem in the UAE is buzzing with unmatched energy and potential,” he added.

The UAE’s booming funding rounds highlight its growing prominence as a tech hub. Since 2022, the UAE has attracted over $2.5 billion in venture capital funding, accounting for nearly 50% of the total venture funding in the MENA region, with more than 4,000 active startups operating in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

“This dynamic ecosystem, rapidly evolving and full of opportunity, sets the perfect stage for Offline to expand its community to the UAE,” added Somani.

Unlike any other initiative in the region, Offline offers an exclusive platform that bridges the gap for founders seeking a high-caliber network and targeted support. As the tech landscape in the UAE evolves, founders are increasingly in need of a space where they can connect with peers who understand their unique challenges, access top-notch executive coaching, and engage in tailored upskilling programs. This type of specialized community is more crucial now than ever, as the demand for effective, collaborative environments grows amidst the competitive global startup ecosystem.

Another key feature of Offline’s offering is its annual retreat, which will take place in the UAE on 6-8 December this year. Members will also have the exclusive opportunity to attend the F1 Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, combining high-caliber networking with unforgettable experiences.

Offline has also attracted funding from prominent investors including Better Capital, DeVC, Huddle, and Riverwalk Ventures. The community has quickly grown to nearly 100 members in India since its launch in January 2024, with a goal to reach 150 by the end of the year.

As Offline continues to expand its community across the UAE, it remains focused on building a network of elite members who can benefit from this unique blend of support, guidance, and connection. This expansion firmly establishes Offline as a pioneer in shaping the future of professional and entrepreneurial communities, setting a new standard for excellence and innovation in the UAE and the wider region.

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While becoming a startup founder is one of the most exhilarating and potentially rewarding professional paths to take, it is clear from listening to founders that entrepreneurship can be a tremendously stressful affair.

Startups operate in an environment of high uncertainty and risk, with founders never really knowing whether their product or service will be successful in the market. At the same time, as the leader of a brand-new company they tend to wear several hats and are responsible for various aspects of the business, such as strategy, operations, finance, and marketing – and the weight of these responsibilities can be overwhelming. Startups often operate with limited resources and leaders must make critical decisions about how to allocate funds efficiently. It is a huge amount of mental and emotional pressure.

And ironically – although this is rarely discussed – some studies show that people with mental health challenges are likelier to become entrepreneurs, because they aren’t quite so well suited to ‘ordinary’ jobs. Their unique talents lead them to plough their own, sometimes lonelier, path.

That is why it is essential for founders to prioritise their own mental wellbeing. It means they can retain their focus and lead with clear and effective decision making, without getting burned out. Burnout is a genuine concern, according to a recently released report titled ‘The Untold Toll: The Impact of Stress on the Well-being of Startup Founders and CEOs’, created by Startup Snapshot in partnership with Intel Ignite, Econa, Arnon-Tadmor Levy, and The Zell Entrepreneurship Program.

For the report, researchers surveyed over 400 early-stage startup CEOs and found that 72% said that entrepreneurship has impacted their mental health, with 37% suffering from anxiety. Sadly, most said they had decided to grin and bear it, with only 23% seeking help or having seen a psychologist to discuss the issues facing them.

We also need to focus on the mental and emotional wellbeing of startup founders – not just for the good of the individual, but so they can set a good example for any staff they employ as the business grows. This will not only help attract excellent quality people to join the company, but also make it more likely these professionals are happy working for the business and more likely to stay.

So, what can those at the top do to mitigate the mental burden and lead by example?

First, founders need to set clear boundaries, otherwise, it is very easy to work excessive overtime and become burned out. Ideally, they should also cultivate hobbies that take them away from the work environment and get them off their smartphones for a bit. Team sports are great as the boss is less likely to cancel and let the other players down – but in general, any commitment to regular physical exercise is a good idea.

In office hours, founders need to get good at sharing responsibilities or delegating so they don’t become overloaded. As Steve Jobs famously said, “delegation is not a sign of weakness, but of strength.”

It is also important for leaders to take regular short breaks away from the artificial light of the computer screen, ideally outdoors in nature. Fifteen minutes of peace a couple of times a day can have a huge positive benefit.

Overall, the most important thing to emphasise is there should be no shame in proritising workplace wellness. Indeed, the independent spirit of a startup makes it the ideal setting to practice a more progressive approach to corporate life.

Modern startup founders have a fantastic opportunity – especially in the aftermath of the pandemic – to decide and design their company wellness culture from the outset. After surviving a global health crisis and being cut off from work colleagues and loved ones, employees may be back in the office, but they have a whole new mindset. According to a big new study published by Forbes, a massive 80% of surveyed jobhunters said they seriously consider how a position will affect their work-life balance before they send in an application.

There are many ways leaders can address this new expectation, from modelling a healthy work-life balance themselves, to allowing flexible working hours in and out of the office, as well as creating a wellness programme with input from the team and asking them what activities they would like to see made available.

For founders who embrace this approach, I always recommend giving everyone the opportunity to plan around any activity, so there are no excuses, and nobody misses out. It comes down to inclusivity and strong lines of communication.

I have seen great success in companies that implement regular meetups and wellness programmes – whether it be in the morning, afternoon, or monthly planned trips. Wellbeing then becomes part of the workplace DNA – and the knock-on effects on every aspect of the business can be profound.

But again, none of the above works without founders taking a holistic approach to their own well-being. With that as a starting point, great things can happen.

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