Khaled Helioui
Tunisian-French venture capitalist and former gaming executive; co-founder of European VC firm Plural, and previously CEO of German games publisher Bigpoint through its 2016 acquisition by China's Youzu Interactive.
Helioui is a Tunisian-French investor and operator trained as a telecommunications engineer. He began in investment banking and private equity before moving into gaming, joining German publisher Bigpoint GmbH in 2012 as Chief Games Officer and becoming CEO in early 2013 amid a mobile-driven decline. He led a roughly four-year turnaround; Bigpoint was acquired by China's Youzu Interactive (Yoozoo) in a deal announced in March 2016, and Helioui ran the combined entity until stepping down as CEO in March 2017. He also built an angel-investing portfolio of 80+ companies, including early stakes in Uber and Deliveroo. In June 2022 he co-founded Plural, a European early-stage VC platform, with Taavet Hinrikus, Ian Hogarth, and Sten Tamkivi, where he is a Partner focused on deep tech and defense-adjacent investments including Helsing.
Overview
- Role
- Co-Founder & Partner, Plural
- Based in
- London, United Kingdom
- Prior experience
Companies0
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Frequently asked
- Who is Khaled Helioui?
- Helioui is a Tunisian-French investor and operator trained as a telecommunications engineer. He began in investment banking and private equity before moving into gaming, joining German publisher Bigpoint GmbH in 2012 as Chief Games Officer and becoming CEO in early 2013 amid a mobile-driven decline. He led a roughly four-year turnaround; Bigpoint was acquired by China's Youzu Interactive (Yoozoo) in a deal announced in March 2016, and Helioui ran the combined entity until stepping down as CEO in March 2017. He also built an angel-investing portfolio of 80+ companies, including early stakes in Uber and Deliveroo. In June 2022 he co-founded Plural, a European early-stage VC platform, with Taavet Hinrikus, Ian Hogarth, and Sten Tamkivi, where he is a Partner focused on deep tech and defense-adjacent investments including Helsing.
- What is Khaled Helioui's role?
- Khaled Helioui is Co-Founder & Partner, Plural, based in London, United Kingdom.
Tags
Sources & citations4
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- 1
Helioui co-founded Plural in June 2022 alongside Taavet Hinrikus, Ian Hogarth, and Sten Tamkivi, as a €250M early-stage European VC fund.
Sifted: Taavet Hinrikus and Ian Hogarth launch €250m VC fundReported2022-06-28 - 2
Helioui joined Bigpoint as Chief Games Officer in 2012, became CEO, led a turnaround, and the company was acquired by Youzu Interactive in a deal announced March 2016.
Bigpoint GmbH: Bigpoint GmbH Acquired by Youzu Interactive, Creating One of the Only Truly Global Publishers in Online and Mobile MarketplaceVerified2016-03-22 - 3
Helioui stepped down as CEO of Bigpoint on March 28, 2017, after more than five years with the company.
PocketGamer.biz: Bigpoint CEO Khaled Helioui steps down as Youzu outlines new mobile and investment strategyReported2017-03-28 - 4
Helioui joined Bigpoint at age 29 overseeing roughly 400 staff, became CEO in January 2013 as the company was struggling, and is described as among the first investors in Uber and Deliveroo.
Wamda: What I know about saving a failing company: Khaled HeliouiReported2017-07-01