In February 2024, at Web Summit Qatar 2024 in Doha, our Managing Partner Erdem Mümtaz Hacıpaşaoğlu took the stage as a keynote speaker, a roundtable facilitator, and an interview guest. Across a single week, the event offered a multi-format setting for the digital-transformation conversation — far beyond a single podium.
The central thesis of the week was clear: a venture’s evolution from a service into a comprehensive software solution — and ultimately into a SaaS platform — shares the same discipline as building the legal infrastructure for the blockchain world: when product and law are not designed together, scaling stalls.
Keynote: Clemta’s transformation into a SaaS platform
In his keynote, Mümtaz shared the journey of Clemta‘s transformation from a service layer into a comprehensive software solution, and then into an integrated SaaS platform. He walked through the critical inflection points — the moments when the boundary between service and product was redrawn, the thresholds at which team composition had to change, and the operational redesigns that made scale possible. The talk offered a concrete reference for founders planning to evolve their professional services into SaaS.
Vircon Legal roundtable: legal infrastructure for blockchain
In the roundtable he facilitated on behalf of Vircon Legal, Mümtaz examined the legal infrastructure required by blockchain companies. The discussion ranged across multiple layers — from jurisdiction selection to token classification, KYC/AML compliance to custody architecture, DAO governance to consumer-protection obligations. The session’s main takeaway: for blockchain to settle at the center of the digital future, the legal framework has to be designed alongside the product.
Interview with Sonya Barlow: future of work, discrimination, AI
Another highlight of the week was the interview with BBC broadcaster, founder and author Sonya Barlow. The conversation covered the future of work, discrimination in working life, and the integration of AI into everyday business operations. Opening up thought-provoking exchanges, this dialogue stood out as one of the most generative sessions of Mümtaz’s week.
Connecting with a global founder network
Web Summit Qatar 2024 also created the opportunity to engage directly with hundreds of founders from across jurisdictions. The long-term relationships seeded by these conversations sharpened concrete insights into both the Qatari market and the wider regional business ecosystem.
Highlights from this week
- Keynote: Clemta’s transformation from service to SaaS
- Roundtable: Layers of legal infrastructure for blockchain
- Interview: Future of work, discrimination, AI integration
- Network: Cross-jurisdictional founder relationships built to last
For the topics that emerged from the closed Web3 Legal Trends workshop that Mümtaz hosted during the same week, see our related piece.
You can read Mümtaz’s reflection on the week on LinkedIn at this link.
