One Team. In Lockstep.
Integrity. Discipline. Kindness. We are building a team where these values matter.
Who we are.
MASNA Ventures is led by partners who have built and operated across defense technology, manufacturing, and capital. The people sourcing the technology are the same people accountable for delivering it in the Kingdom.
GENERAL PARTNER
Lucien Zeigler
Saudi Arabia's defense sector represents one of the most compelling investment opportunities of our generation. We are a region at war. War has changed. Threats will persist. Vision 2030's defense localization just became an urgent national emergency. We built MASNA to meet this moment.- Lucien Zeigler
American defense entrepreneur and investor heavily involved in Saudi Arabia's defense localization and manufacturing sector.
Lucien Zeigler is a defense entrepreneur and investor focused on building next-generation defense and technology platforms in Saudi Arabia. He is CSO and Co-Founder of SR2 Defense Systems, Chairman and CEO of REDSALT Defense, and General Partner of MASNA Ventures, the first-ever venture capital fund focused on Saudi Arabia's defense sector.
Previously, Lucien was Principal and Head of MENA at Pilatus Venture Capital in Silicon Valley. A 3x entrepreneur, he holds a B.A. from the University of Virginia and an M.A. from George Mason University. He sits on the panel of experts at Prince Sultan University's Haqiaq Center for Legal Studies in Riyadh and serves on the board of multiple entities across tech, defense, and investment.
Lucien is a member of the Tomouh Community of leaders, a frequent public speaker, and has been working and living in Riyadh for over 15 years. He lives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Saint Michaels, Maryland with his family.
General Partner
PresentMASNA VenturesSaudi Arabia's first and only defense-focused venture capital fundCSO & Co-Founder
PresentSR2 Defense SystemsSaudi Arabia's leading ITAR-compliant private advanced defense manufacturing groupChairman & CEO
PresentREDSALT Defense USA/KSAU.S. and Saudi-based defense technology company focused on advanced defense tech domainsCo-Founder
PresentTWENTY30 MediaPrincipal + Head of MENA
FormerPilatus VC (Silicon Valley)B.A.
University of VirginiaM.A.
George Mason UniversityLinkedIn →
GENERAL PARTNER
Nehal Farooqui
Rigorous financial discipline combined with bold vision creates exceptional value in emerging markets. The window to be first is now, and MASNA is the only vehicle positioned to capture it.- Nehal Farooqui
Senior C-Suite executive and capital markets veteran with over 25 years of experience spanning investment management, structured finance, credit, and private equity.
Nehal Farooqui is a senior C-Suite executive and capital markets veteran with over 25 years of experience spanning investment management, structured finance, credit, and private equity. A decisive leader who bridges the gap between sophisticated capital structuring and hands-on company building, Nehal brings a rare combination of strategic vision and operational depth to every platform he leads.
He serves as General Partner of MASNA Ventures, the Kingdom's first defense-focused venture capital fund, with a deliberate emphasis on embedding ESG principles into an industry that is increasingly recognising the strategic imperative of responsible, sustainable capital deployment. Nehal also serves as CFO of Zension Technologies, a GCC-based device lifecycle management company at the forefront of the circular economy, where he led the company's USD 30M Series A raise.
Nehal began his career on the buy side at CDC Investment Management and HSBC Asset Management in New York as a fixed-income portfolio manager. He subsequently joined Moody's Investors Service, where he underwrote and rated over $50 billion of structured securities, and chaired over $500 billion of ABS deals.
In Europe, he headed the real estate groups at ABN AMRO/RBS and Cantor Fitzgerald Europe, accumulating involvement in approximately €40 billion of pan-European transactions across CRE lending, CMBS, distressed debt, and private equity.
He brings deep principal experience across debt, equity, acquisitions, and restructurings, with particular expertise in complex structured transactions and buy-side advisory for private equity firms.
General Partner
PresentMASNA VenturesSaudi Arabia's first and only defense-focused venture capital fundCFO
PresentZension TechnologiesGCC-based device lifecycle management company; USD 30M Series AFounder & CIO
FormerShield CapitalLondon-based boutique private equity and distressed investment managerGroup Head
FormerCantor Fitzgerald EuropeSenior Roles
FormerABN AMRO / RBSHeaded real estate groups; ~€40B in pan-European transactionsAnalyst / Rating Officer
FormerMoody's Investors ServiceUnderwrote $50B+ structured securities; chaired $500B+ ABS dealsFixed-Income Portfolio Manager
FormerCDC Investment / HSBC Asset ManagementM.S., Mathematics of Finance
Columbia UniversityCFA Charterholder
CFA InstituteLinkedIn →