is an angel investment firm, with one purpose only: to help entrepreneurs scale their company.
loves the challenge of scaling companies and working with highly passionate individuals.
is a traditional Maori practice where a child is raised by someone other than their birth parents.
helps entrepreneurs scale their company, like a wise parent.
“I wanted to create a firm based on the values I have nourished over the years. I believe in the Maori concepts represented by the Hei Matau, Koru, Kiwi, and Wera symbols.”
— Chris Zadeh
Founder of Whangai
Product
In Maori, the symbol ‘HEI MATAU’ is a fishhook.
It represents strength, prosperity and abundance.
Passion
Nelson Mandela said, "There is no passion to be found playing small, in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living."
In Maori, the ‘KORU’ symbol is a ground fern and it represents new life, purity, peace and tranquility. A passionate life leads to sustained growth.
Perseverance
There are three choices in life: give in, give up, or give it all.
The ‘KIWI’ symbol is a bird and it represents perseverance, pride and endearment. If you have perseverance and a willingness to never give up, you’ll be successful at whatever you do in life.
People
When we work with people, a personal connection is a must.
The symbol “WERA” is a whale tail and it represents this personal connection, friendship, family, and harmony.
knows it’s the merge of these values into one tight knit team that will maximize the chances of success.
Services
We help entrepreneurs scale their company. This is as versatile as it sounds. Whangai adds value by providing advice and support on strategy, funding, mergers and acquisitions.
Whether its strategic advisory, funding or M&A advisory, our clients can wake us up at night for these discussions. We have been there ourselves for over twenty years.
We founded companies, scaled them up, raised capital, merged them, listed them and sold them.
Now its time to sit side by side with entrepreneurs and help them scale their company. We use, next to our own experiences and skills, our enormous network of advisors, (fiscal) lawyers, banks, successful entrepreneurs and so on. Whangai creates a specific deal team to match the task in front of us.
Work
Investor
Whangai Expeditions invests in companies with its own capital. For instance, we have invested in Amberscript. Its software automatically transforms audio to text.
Advisor
Whangai adds value by providing advice and support on strategy, funding, mergers and acquisitions. Whether its strategic advisory, funding or M&A advisory, our clients can wake us up at night for these discussions.
Mentor
Some young entrepreneurs have the need for a mentor, and we love to work with inspired and motivated individuals. We mentor them in mind, body, spirit and help them become true leaders.
Chris Zadeh
Chris met the founder of BinckBank, Kalo Bagijn, in the year 2000. He didn’t hesitate for a second and joined Kalo on an amazing adventure. What started on a whiteboard with the idea of creating an online broker emerged into a listed fintech unicorn in just 8 years.
After working in the fintech industry for 15 years Chris founded Ohpen in 2009, the first cloud-based core banking company in the world. As a survivor of a difficult childhood, Chris made the decision that it would not define him. With a give-it-all mindset, Chris embarked on a journey to defy the odds that were stacked against him and exceeded everyone’s expectations, including his own. While pursuing his dream to create the best core banking engine in the world, he was confronted with countless rejections and obstacles, but Chris never gave up.
After leading the company as CEO for ten years, Chris stepped down, sold his shares, and founded Whangai to help entrepreneurs scale their company. It is the merger of his creativity and knowledge of technology and dealmaking into one tight-knit combination that helps his clients, network, and partners achieve their ultimate business goals and lifelong dreams.
He and his wife Myrthe live in Ibiza, Spain, with their three cats and two dogs, Myza and Yucca. When Chris isn’t looking for new ideas and inspiration, or shark diving, he is writing books, practicing yoga, meditating, and martial arts.
He is the author of the #1 Amazon bestselling Monkey Money Mind: How to Stop Monkeying Around with Your Money (Forbes)
and Banking the Cloud: The Comprehensive History of Cloud Banking and Those Who Started It (Forbes)
and the forthcoming Yogi CEO.
Giving back
“Be a part of something that is bigger than yourself. To truly feed your spirit, remember this: the secret to living is giving. No matter how busy or broke you may be, you have something to offer others.”
— Tony Robbins
Our founder, Chris Zadeh, decided, long before he could afford it, that he would try to live by the words of this quote.
Giving back
Throughout his whole career he tried to contribute to other things besides his own life. He donates regularly and supports charities that are dear to him:
Care 4 Cats
‘When I found out that this 82-year-old woman runs a nonprofit organization on Ibiza to save cats, I was hooked and decided to support them.’AH second to none
‘To have the strength to start an organization and raise money to cure others with cancer is something I respect a lot.’IT 4 Kids
‘I genuinely believe that learning about computers and learning to code is a way out of poverty for many kids. ‘Marilles Foundation
‘I admire this foundation that does so much to preserve the beautiful sea around the Baleares.’Marina Mega Fauna
‘When I saw a documentary about Andrea Marshall, who dedicated her life to saving the Manta Ray, I knew what to do.’Oceana
‘Our oceans are our life, and I support this organisation that is committed to preserving our precious resources and habitat.’
