This week’s version of Finovate International seems at latest fintech headlines from Egypt.
Valu Launches Platform in Jordan
Egyptian fintech Valu has secured ultimate approval from the Central Financial institution of Jordan to start operations in Jordan. Valu was granted a Specialised Finance license that can allow the corporate to launch monetary companies within the Kingdom. Valu stated it will being providing companies in Q1 of 2026, offering shoppers with versatile financing options throughout retail, healthcare, electronics, and schooling. Former Jordanian Minister of Funding and Digital Economic system Mothanna Gharaibeh will function Chairman of the brand new entity, with fintech government Mohammad Al Yousef serving as CEO.
“Securing ultimate approval from the Central Financial institution of Jordan below a Specialised Finance license is a pivotal second for Valu and a testomony to the energy of our platform, governance mannequin, and long-term imaginative and prescient for the market,” Valu Chief Market Enlargement and Technique Officer Habiba Naguib stated. “Jordan is a key pillar in Valu’s regional enlargement technique.”
The choice to launch in Jordan displays Valu’s willpower to additional monetary inclusion and deepen its presence within the area. Valu secured preliminary regulatory clearance in 2025, the identical yr it was listed on the Egyptian Change (EGX), and strengthened its partnership with Amazon. Amazon bought a 3.25% stake within the Egyptian fintech final spring.
“As we put together to start operations within the first quarter of the yr 2026, our focus stays on driving monetary inclusion by way of modern, customer-centric merchandise whereas investing in native expertise and contributing meaningfully to the Jordanian monetary ecosystem,” Naguib added.
Based in 2017 and headquartered in Sheikh Zayed Metropolis, Egypt, Valu is a lifestyle-enabling fintech platform and a pioneer in providing Purchase Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options within the MENA area. Valu affords versatile, customizable financing plans throughout greater than 5,000 factors of sale and greater than 600 web sites. The corporate additionally affords funding merchandise, financial savings options, HR payroll companies for companies, and Sha2labaz, an on the spot money redemption program.
Financial institution NXT Groups Up with IBM
Egypt-based Financial institution NXT has chosen a trio of options from IBM to speed up its digital banking transformation. In collaboration with Encourage for Options Improvement, the monetary establishment will implement IBM’s Instana, Turbonomic, and Cloud Pak options to reinforce real-time observability, automated useful resource optimization, and superior integration. The addition of all three applied sciences displays Financial institution NXT’s built-in strategy to boosting resilience, minimizing downtime, optimizing IT sources, and delivering higher banking experiences for purchasers.
“This progress strengthens the reliability of the financial institution’s digital platform and boosts operational effectivity,” Financial institution NXT Chief Government Officer and Managing Director Tamer Seif stated. “It accelerates service supply and expands the vary of digital options we provide, in the end resulting in a greater buyer expertise and sooner, extra responsive service.”
IBM Instana will present the monetary establishment with real-time observability throughout digital banking functions to assist proactive monitoring and sooner situation decision. IBM Turbonomic affords automated, clever useful resource optimization throughout hybrid cloud environments, serving to maximize IT utilization whereas preserving prices low and efficiency constant. IBM Cloud Pak—each for Integration and for Enterprise Automation—runs on Pink Hat OpenShift to create a unified digital platform that streamlines operations, reduces complexity, and promotes sooner growth and deployment of recent options and companies.
“Our collaboration with IBM and Encourage for Options Improvement is a vital a part of the financial institution’s transformation technique,” Seif stated. “By adopting the DevOps mannequin and bettering our enterprise automation capabilities, we’ve got enhanced the pliability of our know-how infrastructure. This advance prepares us to combine with fintech corporations by way of an API-driven ecosystem, fostering a extra open and modern setting.”
Based in 1978 and headquartered in Cairo, Financial institution NXT serves each retail and enterprise clients with companies starting from primary financial institution accounts and loans to wealth administration.
AFS Launches SoftPOS
Arab Monetary Companies (AFS) introduced that its subsidiary in Egypt has secured a SoftPOS license from the nation’s central financial institution. The approval makes AFS Egypt one of many first fintechs in Egypt to deliver a completely licensed SoftPOS answer to market.
AFS’s SoftPOS answer transforms any NFC-enabled smartphone right into a safe and totally practical cost terminal. The answer supplies retailers with a quick, low-cost, and extremely scalable possibility for accepting funds. The know-how eliminates the necessity for costly {hardware} and helps all kinds of contactless playing cards, making digital commerce extra accessible for each retailers and their clients.
“Going dwell with SoftPOS in Egypt is a transformative milestone for AFS and the Egyptian market,” AFS CEO Samer Soliman stated. “This totally licensed answer permits us to immediately flip any NFC-enabled Android smartphone right into a safe cost terminal, eliminating {hardware} prices and making digital acceptance accessible to companies of all sizes. We view this launch as the muse, and our quick plan is to constantly increase its function set and introduce modern use circumstances that can additional speed up monetary inclusion and energy a digitally empowered economic system.”
AFS Egypt is a subsidiary of AFS, which was shaped in 1984 to offer banks and retailers with cost companies, options, and experience. As we speak, the corporate is owned by 37 banks and monetary establishments, serving greater than 60 shoppers in 20+ international locations all through the MENA area. A number one digital cost options supplier regulated by the Central Financial institution of Bahrain, AFS boasts a portfolio that features digital cell wallets, service provider buying companies, digital payroll options, contact facilities, and extra.
Right here is our take a look at fintech innovation world wide.
Central and Southern Asia
Pakistan-based digital nano-lending platform Daira introduced a strategic partnership with Infinix Pakistan, itel Pakistan, and Tecno Cell Pakistan to ship Purchase Now, Pay Later companies.
Bangladesh’s largest non-public industrial financial institution Pubali Financial institution PLC and funds answer supplier BPC teamed as much as modernize the financial institution’s card administration infrastructure.
Forbes profiled latest fintech developments in international locations in “South Asia past India” together with Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
Latin America and the Caribbean
Asia-Pacific
South Korean digital life insurance coverage supplier Kyobo Lifeplanet solid a partnership with cryptocurrency alternate Crypto.com.
Japanese aggregated cost platform Netstars introduced a pilot program to simply accept Circle’s US dollar-pegged stablecoin.
Airwallex acquired Indonesia fintech PT Skye Sab Indonesia as a part of its enlargement technique within the Asia-Pacific area.
Sub-Saharan Africa
African fintech large Flutterwave acquired Nigerian open banking startup Mono.
Nigeria’s Sterling Financial institution introduced plans to affix Thunes’ Direct International Community.
Information Ghana appeared on the progress of the nation’s digital banking and fintech sectors.
Central and Japanese Europe
Funds intrastructure supplier Banking Circle joined the Czech Fintech Affiliation.
Purchase Now, Pay Later agency Zilch acquired Lithuanian lender Fjord Financial institution in bid to safe European banking license.
Czech digital banking options supplier Finshape, which received Better of Present at FinovateEurope 2022, launched new CEO Neil Budd.
Center East and Northern Africa
Photograph by J R
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