Regional Platforms Drive Institutional Investment Across Credit, Private Markets

The Middle East’s fintech landscape is undergoing a significant shift toward sophisticated business-to-business solutions addressing critical infrastructure gaps. Recent winners of the Money20/20 MEA MoneySurge pitch competition are demonstrating this trend by accelerating institutional financial deployments across credit intelligence, private asset management, and more.

AI-Powered Credit Intelligence Gains Traction

Top prize winner Orbii provides an artificial intelligence layer that enhances traditional credit decisioning for business lenders. Founded by Nauman Ali in the UAE, the platform reduces evaluation times by 90% while increasing application approval rates by 48%. This enables financial institutions to efficiently deploy capital into previously underserved segments.

Following its pitch victory, Orbii secured a $3.6 million seed funding round led by Prosus Ventures, alongside VentureSouq, DASH Ventures, Taz Investments, and Sanabil 500. The platform has already facilitated over $280 million in regional lending, with a clear path to exceed $1 billion annually.

“The market validation provides both a clear signal and an operational springboard,” Ali noted. “We’re seeing strong interest from tier-one financial institutions exploring embedded credit models.” He added that the Middle East has the potential to lead global markets in developing next-generation financial architectures.

Digitizing Private Market Transactions

Scale Award winner Zest Equity addresses transaction friction in private markets with a specialized digital platform. Founded by Rawan Baddour, Zest Equity streamlines the entire lifecycle of private equity and venture capital deals—from initial syndication to portfolio management—with tailor-made workflows.

The company recently secured a $4.3 million pre-Series A round led by Prosus Ventures, bringing its total funding to $10 million across two institutional raises. To date, Zest Equity has facilitated over $155 million in transaction value across 115+ deals, positioning it for expansion into North Africa, South Asia, and Turkey.

Corporate Wellness Platform Addresses Workforce Needs

Impact Award winner Eddekhar provides a business-to-business-to-consumer platform that addresses employee financial wellness. This rapidly growing vertical aims to enhance workforce stability by providing personalized financial solutions through employers.