Mohammad Sheikh Suliman is now widely known primarily as an expert horse trainer, and the owner of the leading Arabian horse stud, Al Sheikh. Many, though – particularly the owners of the start-ups he helped to fund – know him as an entrepreneur and as an angel investor. What’s Mohammad’s story?
Education
Word has it that Mohammad founded his first start-up while he was still in high school – which would make sense, given that it seems every business he turns his attention to flourishes immediately. He went on to study Business Administration and Management at Tel Aviv University – Israel’s largest university, with a seemingly endless list of notable alumni. By the time Mohammad graduated, he was already the founder or co-founder of a number of successful ventures.
Entrepreneurship and angel investments
Mohammad’s success in creating and running his businesses has – as is to be expected – enabled him to build is financial means. Eventually, he focused on real estate entrepreneurship, expanding his wealth, connections, and expertise even further and enabling him to reach a point where he could become an angel investor.
An angel investor provides financial backing to early-stage and start-up businesses at a time when other investors are not prepared to offer financial backing – hence the ‘angel’ in the name. At relatively high risk to himself, the angel investor provides capital for the business to develop, in exchange for either ownership equity or convertible debt. Mohammad has invested more than $7 million into over 40 businesses in this way, mostly start-ups, in a range of industries – including tech, real estate, and healthcare.
Al Sheikh horse stud
It was in 2016 that Mohammad turned his attention to founding an Arabian horse stud. As a qualified horse trainer, this must have been a venture inspired by passion and personal interest, in addition to a drive to explore new business avenues.
Mohammad made remarkably quick work of ensuring that Al Sheikh would be a leader in its field. The stud breeds mixed bloodline Arabian horses with the intention of entering them into championships and shows, and Al Sheikh operates as an equine centre that sets the highest standards for the welfare of these gorgeous animals.
Incredibly, Al Sheikh won its first silver medal within a year of opening. In the four years that the Arabian horse stud has been in operation, it’s collected an astonishing thirty or so medals – most of them gold and silver. These results are down to both careful breeding, intended to perfect the characteristics that set Arabians apart from other horses, and to expert training. Medals and awards are given to these horses depending not only on appearance, but also on their behaviour and other characteristics, such as confidence and intelligence.
2020 has yet to see appearances from Mohammad’s horses in shows and championships, but it’s certain that the stud will continue to set the standards for excellence. Mohammad owns 20 Arabian horses, so we’re curious to see what new contestants might be entered this year. To find out more about Mohammad and Al Sheikh, visit his Instagram and the stud’s official website.
