Publication
What’s Next for Equity Crowdfunding?
https://www.toptal.com/management-consultants/startup-funding-consultants/whats-next-for-equity-crowdfunding
Bechara is available for hire
Hire BecharaBechara Kara, ACMA, CGMA
Verified Expert in Management Consulting
Management Consulting Expert
London, United Kingdom
Toptal member since December 7, 2018
Bio
Bechara is a private equity professional with ESW Capital, a $5 billion software buyout fund, and a former investment banker at UBS, where he worked on $1+ billion in transactions. He has worked with executives on corporate finance initiatives and advised on due diligence for M&A and fundraising transactions. Experienced with firms of all sizes, Bechara freelances to utilize his financial insight and experience to enhance value for his clients.
Career Highlights
Investment Manager
Crowdcube Ventures
Associate
UBS Investment Bank
Education Highlights
Master's Degree
University of Warwick
Bachelor's Degree
American University of Beirut
Certification Highlights
Private Markets
University of Oxford
Case Studies
Waterfall Model for Private Equity Fund of Funds
Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)Financial MarketingValuationValuation ModelingExcel ModelingLeveraged Buyout Modeling+ 6 more
National Telecom Operator IPO
FundraisingCapital MarketsInitial Public OfferingsRoadshowsBusiness DevelopmentFinancial Markets+ 2 more
Software Expertise
- Microsoft PowerPoint
Other Expertise
- Debt Structuring
- Due Diligence
- Enterprise SaaS
- Equity Financing
- Equity Offerings
- Excel Modeling
- Financial Marketing
Work Experience
Director
2024 - 2025
Tawuniya
- Contributed to the development of internal M&A governance frameworks, establishing decision-making protocols and approval processes.
- Led financial due diligence and analytical assessments on potential acquisitions and greenfield projects across the insurance and adjacent sectors.
- Designed and implemented a portfolio management framework to evaluate, track, and optimize performance across the company’s investment holdings, improving strategic alignment and capital deployment efficiency.
Focus areas: Equity Investment, Modeling, Excel Modeling, Financing, Capital Advisory, Microsoft Word, Debt, Funding Process, Excel 2010, Investment Analysis, Investment Research, Alternative Investments, Investment Funds, Financial Analysis, P&C Insurance, M&A (Buy-side), Executive Reporting, Market Risk, Regulatory Reporting, Risk Management, Scenario Analysis, Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs), Financial Reporting, Revenue Strategy, Cash Flow Management, Financial Operations & Processes, Pitch Decks, Board Reporting, Strategic Partnerships, Research Analysis, Fractional CFO, Annual Planning, Business Process Management (BPM), Management Consulting, Workflow Design, Operational Assessments, Operating & Service Model Improvement, Digital Transformation, Acquisition Analysis, Company Analysis, Data Collection, Profitability Analysis, Microsoft Excel, Communication, Revenue & Expense Projections
FP&A Director
2021 - 2024
Salla
- Led the Series A fundraising process for the business and contributed to the subsequent Series B round as part of a broader team. Developed a network of venture capital investors locally and internationally.
- Restructured the FP&A function by developing processes for engaging and collaborating with the company's different departments, resulting in increased accuracy in the budgeting exercise and the tracking of key indicators.
- Built an extensive and comprehensive operating model for the business, drafted pitch decks and various other tools for analyzing financial and operational data, and communicated them to relevant internal and external stakeholders.
Focus areas: Fundraising, Series A, Series B, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Pitch Books, Operating Models, Excel Modeling, Investment Capital Raising, Strategy, Product Strategy, Strategic Planning & Execution, Capital Advisory, Product Marketing, Business Strategy, Growth Strategy, Digital Strategy, SME/SMB Financing, Software Equity, HubSpot, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Equity Raises, Corporate Finance, Three-statement Modeling, Microsoft Word, EMEA, Growth Equity, Capital Raising, Revenue Modeling, Funding Process, Accounting, Excel 2010, Private Company Valuation, Content Creation, Content Writing, Alternative Investments, Finance Blog, Financial Analysis, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Digital Payments, Payment Gateways, M&A (Buy-side), Executive Reporting, Risk Management, Scenario Analysis, Financial Reporting, Revenue Strategy, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategy, Sales Strategy, Sales, Cash Flow Management, Financial Operations & Processes, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), Pitch Decks, Board Reporting, Strategic Partnerships, Microsoft Power BI, Deal Flow Origination, Research Analysis, Fractional CFO, Financial Forecasting, Consolidation, Annual Planning, Business Process Management (BPM), Management Consulting, Workflow Design, Operational Assessments, Operating & Service Model Improvement, Digital Transformation, Product-market Fit, Acquisition Analysis, Company Analysis, Data Collection, Crunchbase, Pricing, QuickBooks Online, Microsoft Excel, Legal, Communication, Revenue & Expense Projections
Associate Director
2019 - 2021
Razorhorse Capital
- Sourced investments for growth equity and private equity clients. Built the entire origination back and front offices, researching B2B software and tech-enabled solutions focusing on key verticals and horizontals.
- Drafted extensive reports and presentations, quantifying the target markets for venture capital and private equity investors, identifying potential investment targets, and highlighting key M&A and capital raising trends.
- Analyzed US-based venture capital funds' portfolios, contributing to the development of their investment thesis and its formulation.
- Developed the marketing strategy of US- and EMEA-based investment funds, enabling them to communicate their investment rationale effectively online and offline through presentations and newsletters.
- Engaged with CEOs and founders across the technology space, developing a network of C-level executives in EMEA and the US, both on the investor and investee sides.
Focus areas: B2B, Software, Fintech, Insurance Technology (Insurtech), Software as a Service (SaaS), Enterprise SaaS, SaaS, Venture Funding, Venture Capital, Market Research, Market Research & Analysis, Investment Memoranda, Financial Modeling, Investments, Interim CFO, CFO, Pricing Strategy, Pricing Models, Subscription Pricing, Forecasting, Dashboards, Financial Reporting Dashboards, Budgeting, Early-stage Funding, Startups, Finance, Investment Manager, Modeling, Excel Modeling, Investment Capital Raising, Equity, Financing, Strategic Planning & Execution, Capital Advisory, Business Strategy, Salesforce Knowledge, HubSpot, Email Marketing, Equity Raises, Microsoft Word, EMEA, Funding Process, United States, Growth Capital Raising, Salesforce, Private Company Valuation, Content Writing, Alternative Investments, Financial Analysis, Market Risk, Risk Management, Scenario Analysis, Financial Reporting, Revenue Strategy, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategy, Sales Strategy, Sales, Fund Management, Cash Flow Management, Pitch Decks, Board Reporting, Strategic Partnerships, Buy-side, Deal Flow Origination, Research Analysis, Fractional CFO, Financial Forecasting, Management Consulting, Workflow Design, Digital Transformation, Acquisition Analysis, Company Analysis, Data Collection, Profitability Analysis, Crunchbase, Microsoft Excel, Private Equity, LLC Agreements, Communication
Trade Finance Expert
2020 - 2020
Arjan Capital Ltd
- Oversaw the setup of Artis Trade, a trade finance financing house focused on trade financing instruments including but not limited to invoice factoring, sale and purchase agreements, etc.
- Contributed to the development of a recurring financing strategy for pharma financing in Spain worth north of €20 million.
- Developed the Artis brand managed by Arjan Capital, an entity with experience in trade financing in the MENA and Central Asia regions.
Focus areas: Corporate Finance, Fundraising, Project Finance, Investment Banking, Pitch Decks, IT, Trade Finance, Fintech Consultant, Deal Sourcing, Market Risk, Risk Management, Scenario Analysis, Investor Relations, High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI), Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs), Financial Reporting, Fund Management, Cash Flow Management, Board Reporting, Buy-side, Deal Flow Origination, Research Analysis, Fractional CFO, Financial Forecasting, Management Consulting, Product-market Fit, Data Collection, Microsoft Excel, Private Equity, Legal, Fund Accounting & Administration, Waterfall Modeling, Distribution Management, Communication
Business Development and Investment Management
2018 - 2019
ESW Capital
- Identified M&A and strategic opportunities in the B2B software and financial technology spaces, developed relationships with C-level executives, and executed transactions.
- Researched market trends and conducted competitive analyses by analyzing and presenting information as part of internal and external market reports.
- Drove the market expansion and the implementation of the investment thesis by developing a sales and customer relationship management process using software including HubSpot and DealCloud.
- Managed the due diligence processes, created financial models, and determined the valuation based on critical software metrics, including retention and customer lifetime value.
- Prepared investment recommendations for the ESW Investment Committee, including presentations and financial models, for the successful acquisitions of Olive Software, ResponseTek, and Knowledge Marketing.
Focus areas: Due Diligence, Financial Modeling, Transaction Modeling, Valuation Modeling, M&A Modeling, Investment Memoranda, Investment Thesis, Fintech, Finance Strategy, Business Planning, Financial Marketing, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Market Research, Market Research & Analysis, Investments, Interim CFO, CFO, Pricing Strategy, Pricing Models, Subscription Pricing, Forecasting, Dashboards, Financial Reporting Dashboards, Budgeting, Startups, Early-stage Funding, Investment Strategy, Finance, Investment Manager, Equity Investment, Modeling, Excel Modeling, Investment Capital Raising, Strategy, Equity, Financing, Strategic Planning & Execution, Capital Advisory, Salesforce Knowledge, Email Marketing, Equity Raises, EMEA, Capital Raising, Funding Process, Excel 2010, United States, Growth Capital Raising, Salesforce, DealCloud CRM, Investment Analysis, Alternative Investments, Investment Funds, Financial Analysis, Deal Sourcing, M&A (Buy-side), Market Risk, Risk Management, Scenario Analysis, Financial Reporting, Revenue Strategy, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategy, Sales Strategy, Sales, Fund Management, Cash Flow Management, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), Pitch Decks, Board Reporting, Strategic Partnerships, Buy-side, Deal Flow Origination, Research Analysis, Fractional CFO, Financial Forecasting, Management Consulting, Workflow Design, Digital Transformation, Acquisition Analysis, Company Analysis, Data Collection, Profitability Analysis, Crunchbase, Microsoft Excel, Private Equity, LLC Agreements, Communication, Revenue & Expense Projections
Investment Manager
2014 - 2016
Crowdcube Ventures
- Conceptualized an innovative debt-raising platform and managed the product development strategy from inception to execution.
- Designed financial models to assist the senior management of small and medium-sized UK companies with fundraising and to help optimize their capital-raising strategies.
- Performed in-depth analysis of operating models, stress-testing the critical assumptions that drove a company's revenue and costs, helping to validate the performance outlook of the business for potential investors.
- Structured debt transactions with features including security, amortization, and inflation-linkage for companies in the technology, consumer, real estate, and renewable industries.
- Conducted and closed crowdfunding campaigns across a wide range of sectors, raising as much as GBP 10 million in retail bonds, including a complex inflation-linked offering for a renewable energy business.
Focus areas: Due Diligence, Subordinated Debt, Debt Workouts, Venture Debt, Debt Capital Markets, Equity Crowdfunding, Equity Financing, Business Planning, Transaction Modeling, Transaction Structuring, Capital Structuring, Debt Structuring, Debt Raises, Equity Capital, Revenue & Expense Projections, Five-year Projections, Business Advisory, Financial Marketing, Fundraising, Investment Memoranda, Financial Modeling, Investments, Interim CFO, Pricing Strategy, Pricing Models, Subscription Pricing, Budgeting, Forecasting, Dashboards, Financial Reporting Dashboards, Early-stage Funding, Startups, Investment Strategy, Finance, Investment Manager, Crowdfunding Consultant, Debt Financing, Modeling, Operating Models, Excel Modeling, Investment Capital Raising, Strategy, Product Strategy, Strategic Planning & Execution, Capital Advisory, Marketing, Product Marketing, Business Strategy, Crowdfunding Promotion, Crowdsourcing, Digital Strategy, SME/SMB Financing, Software Equity, Corporate Finance, Three-statement Modeling, EMEA, United Kingdom, Growth Equity, Debt, Revenue Modeling, Cost of Capital, Funding Process, Excel 2010, Crowdinvesting, Crowdfunding, Investment Analysis, Private Company Valuation, Content Creation, Content Writing, Alternative Investments, Creative Financing, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Payment Gateways, Deal Sourcing, Executive Reporting, Market Risk, Regulatory Reporting, Risk Management, Scenario Analysis, Investor Relations, Financial Reporting, Revenue Strategy, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategy, Sales Strategy, Sales, Fund Management, Cash Flow Management, Financial Operations & Processes, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), Pitch Decks, Board Reporting, Buy-side, Deal Flow Origination, Research Analysis, Fractional CFO, Financial Forecasting, Annual Planning, Management Consulting, Workflow Design, Digital Transformation, Product-market Fit, Company Analysis, Data Collection, Profitability Analysis, Crunchbase, QuickBooks Online, Microsoft Excel, Private Equity, Legal, Fund Accounting & Administration, Communication
Investment Manager
2011 - 2013
QWin Capital
- Worked with the co-founders for the launch of a $500 million fund targeting primary and secondary investment opportunities in Asia and the Middle East, communicating with potential limited partners.
- Managed the fundraising process and met with a wide range of limited partners, securing $50 million in commitments from a family office located in the Middle East.
- Performed a fundamental fund analysis and selection, mapping and ranking general partners in relevant regions after meeting a wide range of private equity funds operating in Asia and the Middle East.
- Built a data room for the fund including documents for corporate governance, the investment thesis, and the marketing strategy as well as waterfall models replicating potential fund investments over the full lifecycle of the vehicle.
- Evaluated the acquisition of Chinese secondary portfolios as well as primary investments in Turkey and Citadel for Turkish and Egyptian general partners.
Focus areas: Due Diligence, Fund Governance, Fund Management, Private Equity Secondaries, Private Equity Valuation, Private Equity, Structuring of Funds, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Financial Marketing, Market Research & Analysis, Investment Memoranda, Investments, Budgeting, Investment Strategy, Finance, Banking & Finance, Leveraged Finance, Private Placements, Investment Banking, Equity Investment, Modeling, Excel Modeling, Investment Capital Raising, Strategy, Equity, Capital Advisory, Marketing, Growth Strategy, EMEA, United Kingdom, Growth Equity, Capital Raising, Funding Process, Excel 2010, Growth Capital Raising, Investment Analysis, Content Writing, Alternative Investments, Investment Funds, Creative Financing, Deal Sourcing, M&A (Buy-side), Market Risk, Regulatory Reporting, Risk Management, Scenario Analysis, Investor Relations, High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI), Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs), Financial Reporting, Cash Flow Management, Pitch Decks, Board Reporting, Deal Flow Origination, Research Analysis, Fractional CFO, Financial Forecasting, Product-market Fit, Company Analysis, Data Collection, Microsoft Excel, Legal, Fund Accounting & Administration, Waterfall Modeling, Distribution Management, Communication, Revenue & Expense Projections
Associate
2007 - 2011
UBS Investment Bank
- Built leveraged buyout and M&A models for infrastructure and transport corporations, including airports, ports, and airline operators.
- Determined and executed capital structure optimization mandates advising on complex fundraising solutions such as rights issues, initial public offerings, as well as equity-linked and derivative products.
- Prepared presentations for capital raise and advisory meetings developing equity financing models for UK real estate and construction companies seeking to recapitalize in the wake of the financial crisis.
- Worked as part of the syndicate team liaising with investors and marketing capital raises on behalf of issuers, aligning marketing with investment strategies of various fund managers.
- Built corporate finance transaction models for earnings estimates and to determine the sustainability of dividend payouts incorporating financial variables, including estimated volatility and credit spread.
Focus areas: Due Diligence, Transaction Modeling, Leveraged Buyout Modeling, Valuation Modeling, M&A Modeling, Cash Flow Modeling, Debt Workouts, Subordinated Debt, Debt Restructuring, Debt Capital Markets, Convertible Equity, Convertible Debt, Derivatives, Equity, Equity Financing, Equity Offerings, Equity Valuation, Equity Research, Transaction Structuring, Capital Structuring, Debt Structuring, Financial Marketing, Fundraising, Debt Raises, Equity Capital, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Market Research & Analysis, Investment Memoranda, Investments, Investment Strategy, Finance, Banking & Finance, Leveraged Finance, Private Placements, Investment Banking, Equity Investment, Debt Financing, Modeling, Excel Modeling, Financing, Capital Advisory, Product Marketing, Corporate Finance, Three-statement Modeling, Microsoft Word, EMEA, United Kingdom, Capital Raising, Debt, Revenue Modeling, Funding Process, Excel 2010, France, Growth Capital Raising, Bloomberg, Investment Research, M&A (Buy-side), Executive Reporting, Market Risk, Regulatory Reporting, Risk Management, Scenario Analysis, Financial Reporting, Cash Flow Management, Financial Operations & Processes, Pitch Decks, Deal Flow Origination, Research Analysis, Fractional CFO, Financial Forecasting, Company Analysis, Data Collection, Profitability Analysis, Real Estate Modeling, Microsoft Excel, Revenue & Expense Projections
Financial Analyst
2006 - 2007
General Electric
- Managed the base costs for the integrated IT Solutions business unit P&L in Europe, covering 300 employees and totaling $40 million in expenses.
- Contributed to the quarterly financial reporting by consolidating accounts and analyzing performance as the business unit grew by acquiring new entities.
- Worked on accounts reconciliation and the reorganization of cost and profit centers, constituting the overall reporting structure.
- Developed detailed spreadsheets to analyze trends and forecasts, contributing to the company's budget review and leading to the identification of legacy costs from acquisitions and ultimately increased margins.
- Created and delivered presentations to senior management of the European Healthcare division of General Electric.
Focus areas: Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Financial Management, Budgeting, Interim CFO, Finance, Excel Modeling, Financing, Accounting, Excel 2010, France, SAP BusinessObjects (BO), Executive Reporting, Scenario Analysis, Financial Reporting, Cash Flow Management, Financial Operations & Processes, Pitch Decks, Fractional CFO, Consolidation, Annual Planning, Business Process Management (BPM), Operational Assessments, Operating & Service Model Improvement, Data Collection, Profitability Analysis, Microsoft Excel
Other Experience
Education
2005 - 2008
Master of Business Administration (MBA) in General Management
ESSEC - Paris, France
2004 - 2005
Master's Degree in Political Science
University of Warwick - Warwick, UK
2000 - 2003
Bachelor's Degree in Economics
American University of Beirut - Beirut, Lebanon
Certifications
MARCH 2024 - PRESENT
MIT
Commercial Real Estate
FEBRUARY 2024 - PRESENT
Private Markets
University of Oxford
JANUARY 2024 - PRESENT
Family Enterprises and Wealth
Columbia University
JANUARY 2018 - PRESENT
Chartered Accountant
CIMA
Skills
Finance
Budgeting, Financial Modeling, Revenue & Expense Projections, Investment Memoranda, Fund Management, Equity Financing, Equity Valuation, Debt Structuring, Capital Structuring, Financial Marketing, Accounting, Capital Raising, Growth Capital Raising, Equity Raises, Equity Offerings, Private Equity, Equity Capital, Growth Equity, Convertible Debt, Debt, Debt Raises, Subordinated Debt, Venture Debt, Crowdinvesting, Crowdfunding, Equity Crowdfunding, Revenue Modeling, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Corporate Finance, Creative Financing, Three-statement Modeling, Fundraising, Seed Fundraising, Capital, Cost of Capital, Funding Process, Due Diligence, Market Research, CFO, Pricing Strategy, Forecasting, Private Company Valuation, Trade Finance, M&A (Buy-side), Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs), Financial Reporting, Profitability Analysis, Pricing, Debt Workouts, Financial Management, Transaction Structuring, Equity Research, Convertible Equity, Debt Restructuring, Cash Flow Modeling, M&A Modeling, Valuation Modeling, Leveraged Buyout Modeling, Transaction Modeling, Business Advisory, Five-year Projections, Finance Strategy, Investment Thesis, Structuring of Funds, Private Equity Valuation, Private Equity Secondaries, Fund Governance, Venture Funding, Valuation, Series A, Series B, Project Finance
Output Software
Excel 2010, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel
Data & Analysis Software
Salesforce, Crunchbase, QuickBooks Online, Bloomberg
Industry Expertise
Technology, Capital Markets, Financial Markets, Venture Capital, Banking & Finance, Real Estate Modeling, Software, Debt Capital Markets, Insurance Technology (Insurtech)
Geographic Expertise
United States, EMEA, United Kingdom, France
Other
Pricing Software, Equity Investment, Debt Financing, Excel Modeling, Pitch Books, Financials, Business Planning, Business Development, Investment Capital Raising, Crowdfunding Promotion, Crowdsourcing, Strategy, Business Strategy, Product Strategy, Growth Strategy, Digital Strategy, HubSpot, Modeling, Models, Operating Models, Equity, Financing, Strategic Planning & Execution, SME/SMB Financing, Capital Advisory, Marketing, Email Marketing, Product Marketing, Software Equity, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Crowdfunding Consultant, Software as a Service (SaaS), SaaS, Enterprise SaaS, Salesforce Knowledge, Financial Analysis, Market Research & Analysis, Investments, Interim CFO, Pricing Models, Subscription Pricing, Dashboards, Financial Reporting Dashboards, Startups, Early-stage Funding, Investment Strategy, Finance, Investment Manager, Leveraged Finance, Private Placements, Investment Banking, Investment Analysis, Content Creation, Content Writing, Investment Research, Alternative Investments, Investment Funds, Objectives & Key Results (OKRs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Digital Payments, Payment Gateways, Fintech Consultant, Deal Sourcing, Executive Reporting, Market Risk, Regulatory Reporting, Risk Management, Scenario Analysis, Investor Relations, High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI), Revenue Strategy, Go-to-market (GTM) Strategy, Sales Strategy, Sales, Cash Flow Management, Financial Operations & Processes, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), Board Reporting, Strategic Partnerships, Buy-side, Deal Flow Origination, Research Analysis, Fractional CFO, Financial Forecasting, Consolidation, Annual Planning, Business Process Management (BPM), Management Consulting, Workflow Design, Operational Assessments, Operating & Service Model Improvement, Digital Transformation, Product-market Fit, Acquisition Analysis, Company Analysis, Data Collection, LLC Agreements, Waterfall Modeling, Communication, SAP BusinessObjects (BO), Finance Blog, Microsoft Power BI, Legal, Fund Accounting & Administration, Distribution Management, Derivatives, Fintech, B2B, eCommerce, eCommerce Analysis, Questionnaires, Historical Modeling, Metrics, Key Performance Metrics, Initial Public Offerings, Roadshows, Limited Partnerships, DealCloud CRM, Commercial Real Estate Finance (CREF), Family Office, Family Office Management, Family Office Consultants, Pitch Decks, IT, P&C Insurance
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