Capital
Financial support to build, test and reach first revenue, without waiting for traction you can't yet show.
Incubator · Lebanon & the regionWhere Bold Ideas
Where Bold Ideas
RYSE
An incubator for early-stage startups
48hFrom pitch to investment decision
Day 0Is when we're ready to invest
Companies built and backed by the Ryse partners
Our belief
Turn today's boldest founders into tomorrow's industry leaders
Starting a business takes courage. Building it takes the right people around you. At RYSE, founders gain access to a team of entrepreneurs, operators, and specialists who help turn bold ideas into businesses built to grow.
48hFrom pitch to investment decision
Day 0Is when we're ready to invest
Our thesis
What we believe about early-stage investing
Founders over pedigree
We judge ambition, speed and execution, not CVs, degrees or connections.
Day zero is the best day
The best moment to back someone is when no one believes in them yet.
Built under pressure
Companies born in hard markets learn discipline early.
More than an investor
Capital opens the door. Strategy and hands-on support move the needle.
Local proof, global scale
Validate in Lebanon, build for the region, expand to the world.
Speed is respect
Founders hear back within 48 hours. Their time matters as much as ours.
Our philosophy
Capital is where our support starts but not where it ends
Strategy
Direct guidance from three partners who have started, operated, sold and advised companies across the region.
Support for Growth
Hands-on support from Ryse's functional departments, so you never worry about marketing, branding, finance, and product and tech.
Our approach
How we work with founders
- 01
Start with the founder
We get to know you, the problem you want to solve, and why it matters. We look for conviction, resourcefulness, and a willingness to learn.
- 02
Challenge the idea
Together, we test the assumptions behind your business: who needs it, what they will pay for, and why they will choose you. We help you gather evidence before committing significant time and money.
- 03
Build what matters
We turn that insight into a focused plan. From your product and business model to branding, pricing, and operations, we help you prioritize and work alongside you to execute.
- 04
Get into the market
We support you in reaching your first customers, testing your sales approach, and developing relevant partnerships. Real customer feedback guides what happens next.
- 05
Build for growth
As traction develops, we help strengthen your team, processes, and financial foundations. When funding is required for the business's next step, we help you prepare a credible investment case.
Leadership
Built by founders, for founders
Ryse is led by three partners who have founded businesses, achieved successful exits, and advised some of the region's largest organizations and government ministries on strategy and growth.
Roy Yammine
Managing partnerSerial entrepreneur with 12+ years in strategy consulting, specializing in business growth, operational excellence, and transformation.
Read bio
Bechara Koyess
Managing partnerSerial entrepreneur with 9+ years across industry and consulting, specializing in corporate strategy, operating models, and strategic partnerships.
Read bio
Raoul Aoun
Managing partnerSerial entrepreneur and investor with a strong background in fintech, health tech, digital product development, and go-to-market strategy.
Read bioManaging partner
Roy Yammine
Managing Partner · Serial Entrepreneur & Strategy Advisor
- 12+ years in strategy consulting, Strategy&
- Founder, Multiflow
- MBA, London Business School
- Co-founder, Upwell
- Founder, Virtual Universe
- Founder, Goldish
Roy is a serial entrepreneur and strategy consultant with an MBA from London Business School and over 12 years of experience advising leading organizations across the Middle East on growth strategy, market entry, operational excellence, and business transformation. Alongside his consulting career, he has founded and co-founded multiple ventures across diverse industries, successfully exiting some while continuing to scale others.
His entrepreneurial portfolio spans technology, consumer products, and construction materials. He is currently a Managing Partner at Multiflow, a UAE-based building materials company, and co-founder of Upwell, a functional beverage brand. His experience combines strategic advisory expertise, an international business education, and hands-on business building, from concept development and market validation to commercialization and growth.
In the program
Helping founders validate business opportunities, develop commercially viable models, establish strong go-to-market strategies, and turn promising ideas into scalable businesses.
Managing partner
Bechara Koyess
Managing Partner · Entrepreneur & Strategy Advisor
- 9+ years in industry & consulting, Strategy&
- Co-founder & CEO, Rinov8 Group
- Partner, Kopibat
- Partner, PuraVida
- Co-founder, Upwell
Bechara is an entrepreneur and strategy consultant with over 9 years of experience across industry and consulting, advising leading public and private sector organizations in the Middle East on corporate strategy, business transformation, operating model design, and strategic partnerships. With a background in engineering and an MBA from HEC Paris, he combines strategic advisory expertise with a practical understanding of business operations and execution.
Alongside his consulting career, Bechara has built and managed ventures across entertainment, real estate, hospitality, and consumer products. His entrepreneurial experience includes co-founding Rinov8 Group, leading real estate activities at Kopibat, and supporting the growth of PuraVida and Upwell. His experience spans the full business lifecycle, from opportunity identification and business development to operational management and strategic growth.
In the program
Helping founders refine business strategies, structure effective operating models, establish strategic partnerships, and turn ambitious ideas into actionable plans for sustainable growth.
Managing partner
Raoul Aoun
Managing Partner · Serial Entrepreneur & Investor
- Founder, Beta Investment Group
- Founder, Beta App
- Co-founder, MyClinic
Raoul is a serial entrepreneur and investor with extensive experience building, investing in, and scaling businesses across fintech, healthtech, and consumer technology. As the founder of Beta Investment Group, an independent investment firm established in 2021, he combines investment expertise with a strong understanding of business strategy, capital allocation, and digital innovation.
Beyond investment management, Raoul has founded and backed technology-driven ventures, including MyClinic, a healthcare management software platform, and Beta App, an emerging digital investment platform. His approach goes beyond financial investment, leveraging his team's expertise across product development, technology, marketing, and operations to actively support the businesses he backs from their earliest stages.
In the program
Helping founders validate products, build go-to-market strategies, leverage technology, and access the capital and operating support needed to scale.
Portfolio
Companies we've built and backed
Startups and businesses the Ryse team has founded, run or backed across finance, healthcare, technology, hospitality, entertainment and real estate. The same playbook now goes to every founder we back.
Multiflow Building Materials Trading
Construction Material Trading and ManufacturingBeta Investment Group
Investment managementUpwell
Functional BeveragesKopibat
Real Estate · EngineeringGoldish
Hospitality TechnologyExitedPuraVida
Lifestyle · HospitalityRinov8 Group
Events & EntertainmentMyClinic
HealthTech · SaaSVirtual Universe
VR · EntertainmentExitedHow it works
From application to decision, in four steps
A simple process with no committees and no months of waiting.
- 01
Apply
Online, or through a Ryse campaign.
Takes about 5 minutes - 02
Screening
The three partners review every application themselves, against our investment thesis.
Reviewed by the partners - 03
Pitch meeting
Shortlisted founders present to the partners in person and answer their questions.
Face to face - 04
Decision
You receive a clear answer with honest feedback, whatever the outcome.
Within 48 hours
Route A
Apply online
Open all year. Ideal for graduates, professionals and founders already building.
Route B
Apply through a campus campaign
Ryse runs campaigns with university entrepreneurship clubs across Lebanon.
Who can apply
Open to every founder
No degree, age or sector requirements. If you're building something and ready to execute, we want to hear from you.
- StudentsBuilding alongside your studies
- GraduatesStarting your first company
- ProfessionalsLeaving a career to build
- Repeat foundersBack for the next one
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can't find your answer? Write to hello@ryseventure.com.
Do I need to be a student to apply?
No. Ryse is open to anyone building a company: students, graduates, professionals and repeat founders. Campus campaigns are one way in; applying online is the other.
What stage should my startup be at?
Any early stage, including an idea with a strong founder behind it. We care most about who you are, how fast you move, and whether the business can earn.
Which sectors do you invest in?
We're sector-agnostic. Our partners' experience spans finance, health, technology, real estate and consumer, so we can add value in most areas.
How fast will I hear back?
You receive an investment decision within 48 hours of your in-person pitch, with honest feedback whatever the answer.
What support do I get after investment?
Financial support plus hands-on work with the partners and the Ryse departments: strategy, growth and brand, finance and legal, and product and tech.
Do you only back Lebanese companies?
We validate in Lebanon, build for the region, and help founders expand to the world. Founders based elsewhere in the region are welcome to apply.
Apply
Building something? Pitch it.
Applications are open all year. The partners read every one, and you hear back within 48 hours of your pitch.
48hTO HEAR BACK
Emailhello@ryseventure.com
Websiteryseventure.com
Based inBeirut, Lebanon
Roy YammineManaging partnerBechara KoyessManaging partnerRaoul AounManaging partner