In the early 2000s, before smartphones were ubiquitous.
Umar Akram was already shaping the mobile ecosystem. He founded Apsto also known as
Mobile Weaver, one of the world’s first independent app stores, enabling OEMs, developers,
and telecom operators to distribute mobile content globally well before Apple and Google
dominated the market.
“I saw early on that platforms would define the future of technology distribution.
That insight has guided everything I’ve built since.” – Umar Akram
Today, Akram aims to redefine how venture capital and startups operate from machines
building startups to autonomous agents investing in frontier tech opportunities. His latest
venture, Dealbook.ai, represents the next frontier in AI-driven deal intelligence.
A Track Record of Innovation and Scale
Akram leveraged his early experience in mobile platforms to take on advisory and strategy
roles with high-growth technology companies.
A standout example is Lingokids, the global ed-tech platform now used by over 120 million
families worldwide. As an early advisor on strategy and partnerships, Akram helped forge
collaborations with Apple, Google, and Oxford University Press, significantly contributing to
the company’s global growth at an early stage.
“After working with nearly 1,000 founders, I’ve learned this: capital isn’t the moat
networks are..” – Umar Akram
From pioneering mobile app distribution to shaping the future of venture capital, Akram’s career
demonstrates a consistent pattern: spotting opportunities early, scaling globally, and building
networks that amplify impact.
“Umar Akram has an exceptional ability to translate platform thinking into real-world
growth.” – Michael Koehn Milland, former CEO, Octoshape Inc (acquired by
Akamai)
Dealbook.ai: Better Fundraising and Investing
Akram is applying his platform expertise and insights to the venture capital ecosystem with
Dealbook.ai, an AI-powered platform connecting startups with the right investors and
delivering high-quality deal flow to VCs.
For Founders: Dealbook.ai acts as a fundraising copilot. Upload a pitch deck and the AI:
● Analyzes and refines the presentation to highlight strengths
● Benchmarks the startup against competitors
● Creates a secure, AI-powered data room
● Matches founders with the right investors aligned with their sector, stage, and growth
trajectory
For Investors and VCs: The platform goes beyond standard deal flow. Its AI agents analyze
investor preferences—sector, stage, ticket size, risk appetite—to provide actionable insights:
● Extract key metrics from startup decks
● Highlight opportunities aligned with investor strategy
● Enable faster, more confident decision-making
“In today’s ecosystem, information isn’t scarce; insight is. Dealbook.ai surfaces the
signals that matter most, helping founders and investors act faster and smarter.” –
Umar Akram
Machines as Builders: The Future of Startups
Akram envisions a radical shift in entrepreneurship. He believes that machines will
increasingly build startups, automating idea generation, product development, and initial
go-to-market strategies. Humans will focus on building unique insights, while AI handles
execution at scale.
“The next generation of startups will be built by machines. Humans will still be
crucial but more as guides rather than builders.” – Umar Akram
Platforms like Dealbook.ai are critical to this vision, embedding AI into fundraising and
investment today to prepare for a future of autonomous, data-driven entrepreneurship.
Is Autonomous Investing the Future?
Akram also foresees autonomous venture capital, where firms can spot opportunities and
invest in real time.
“Venture capital is moving toward autonomy. Firms will soon be able to identify
promising startups, analyze deal quality, and even execute investments almost
instantly.” – Umar Akram
This reflects his philosophy of combining data-driven insights, AI, and platform thinking to
reshape how capital flows, opportunities are discovered, and startups scale. Dealbook.ai is
designed not just to improve fundraising today, but to pioneer the future of autonomous
deal-making.
Why the Market Is Ready
The venture capital and startup landscape is increasingly complex. Thousands of startups
emerge daily, yet investors and founders struggle to identify the right opportunities efficiently.
Dealbook.ai addresses this by bringing intelligence, personalization, and automation to
every stage of fundraising and investing, improving efficiency and reducing risk.
“Dealflow moves faster than humans can track. AI is now the backbone of the future
ecosystem.” – Umar Akram
Looking Ahead
Dealbook.ai is rolling out its platform to selective founders and investors. With a focus on AI model validation, user experience, and global scale, the platform aims to become an essential tool for deal makers worldwide. Dealbook Inc is backed by Thomas Petersen, Founder of First Principle, a New York based venture studio and other investors.
“We’re building for a world where deal-making is autonomous. Our goal is to
connect the right opportunities with the right investors in real-time, wherever they
are.” – Umar Akram
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