Neal Patel launches venture studio Blue-Sky Thinking

Neal Patel, the former managing director of Incubeta in MENA, has established Blue-Sky Thinking, a Dubai-based venture studio that helps start-ups and companies with concepting and launching new solutions.

“Blue-Sky Thinking is driven by a mission to facilitate visionaries and entrepreneurs in establishing transformative businesses,” said Patel.

The firm’s key offering revolves around helping businesses design and convert ideas into a minimum viable product (MVP). “We facilitate expertise, resources and experience sharing, aiming to convert ideas into tangible results within a three-month timeframe,” Patel explained.

In the venturing space, the studio supports start-ups, as well as collaborates with corporations and government entities to assist with corporate venturing and the development of in-house ventures.

In addition, Blue-Sky Thinking extends its services to management consulting for more mature businesses seeking a path to exit, offering resources and expertise to guide businesses towards their next end state. “Our consulting offering also allows companies and governments to leverage venture-building practices for the development of proprietary products and technology.”

Speaking about the firm’s ambitions for the current year, Patel said that Blue-Sky Thinking has already signed on four launching clients, including start-ups in edtech, martech and generative AI, and aims to expand its portfolio in the months to come.

To support the delivery of its projects, Blue-Sky Thinking has assembled a line-up of team members and associates, supported by several senior-level advisors. “While we’re currently operating on a bootstrap model, we anticipate securing funds in the future to realize our ambitions,” Patel said.

Investor interest has already been noted, underpinned by Patel’s established track record of multiple exits. Most recently, he served as leader of Bruce Clay, joining the firm when it was loss making and turning it into one of the fastest growing agencies in the region. In 2022, Patel spearheaded the sale to Incubeta.

On the launch of Blue-Sky Thinking, Patel said: “Blue-Sky Thinking embodies a culmination of my life and business experiences. I am confident in building substantial value promptly, focusing on cash-generating businesses through subscription models and leveraging technology and AI implementation to manage costs effectively.”