About Abwab
We build the credit intelligence layer for SME finance.
Abwab.ai was founded to solve a structural problem: the tools built for corporate lending don't work for small businesses. We're fixing that with AI built for MENA.
By the Numbers
Growing with the institutions we serve.
SAR 1B+
Loans processed
13+
Financial institutions
13x
Growth in four quarters
40+
Team members
The Story
Opening doors that were closed.
In Saudi Arabia, lenders don't lack appetite for SME credit. They lack the economics: assessing a small business costs almost as much as assessing a corporate, for a fraction of the ticket. That is why SMEs make up 99.6% of Saudi private businesses but receive only around 10% of total credit, and why the GCC financing gap exceeds $250 billion.
Abwab means "doors" in Arabic. We build the growth engine for MSME lending: digital origination that needs no relationship manager for standard cases, credit decisions in seconds instead of weeks, an agentic intelligence layer that watches every account like a dedicated RM, and embedded distribution inside the platforms SMEs already use. Growth on one side, risk management on the other, one stack.
Founded in 2023 in Riyadh, Abwab now powers MSME lending for 13+ financial institutions, with more than SAR 1 billion in loans processed. We are building the lending infrastructure MENA has been missing, so every credible small business finds an open door.
99.6%
of Saudi private businesses are SMEs
~10%
of bank credit reaches them
$250B+
GCC SME financing gap
Leadership
The team behind Abwab.
Founded and advised by banking, fintech, and AI veterans from SAMA, Al Rajhi, BSF, Revolut, NVIDIA, and Oliver Wyman.
Executive Team
Baraa Koshak
Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer
Third-time founder. Led data and credit products at Revolut, Hala, and Mozn, with commercial and strategy background at McKinsey.
Mohammad Hashem
Co-founder, Chief Business Officer
Over 10 years in banking and financial services, previously at Oliver Wyman. Leads Abwab's commercial strategy and partnerships.
Petros Demetriades
Chief Technology Officer
Five-time co-founder with a PhD in Computer Science, previously at Speedinvest. Leads the AI, data, and engineering behind Abwab's credit platform.
Anna Bondarenko
Chief Operating Officer
Leads operations and finance, and the systems that let Abwab scale with regulated institutions.
Board of Directors
Baraa Koshak
Board Director
Founder and CEO of Abwab. Third-time founder. Led data and credit products at Revolut, Hala, and Mozn, with commercial and strategy background at McKinsey.
Mazen Altamimi
Board Director
30+ years in Saudi banking and finance, including a long tenure at Banque Saudi Fransi. An early angel investor in Abwab, now on the boards of Emkan and Arabian Cement, advising on credit, capital, and senior hiring.
Stefan Klestil
Board Director
General Partner at Speedinvest, which led Abwab's seed round. Over 20 years in payments and banking technology, an early backer of N26, Wefox, and Curve, with exits including Payworks (to Visa) and iyzico (to PayU).
Advisors
Hisham Almalik
Advisor
15+ years at SAMA, the Saudi Central Bank, where he led the launch of its regulatory sandbox. Now an advisor and investor across Saudi fintech.
Youssef Salem
Advisor
CFO of ADNOC Drilling. Previously the CFO who took Swvl public on Nasdaq, the first Middle East unicorn to list there, after a career in investment banking at Moelis.
Salah Khashoggi
Advisor
Founder of Tamra Capital, with 10+ years in banking at Saudi National Bank. An active fintech advisor, board member, and investor.
Investors & Recognition
Backed by leading investors.
$1Bn+ global fintech-focused fund.
MENA-focused venture capital firm.
Recognized across the ecosystem
AI First Accelerator
Keynote Speaker
Silicon Valley Summit
Portfolio Company
Exhibitor
Our Mission
Make SME lending as fast, accurate, and scalable as modern technology allows. So more small businesses get funded, more lenders grow safely, and the financing gap starts to close.
Values
What guides us.
Move fast, stay accurate
Speed without precision is worthless in lending. We build for both.
Explain everything
AI decisions that can't be explained can't be trusted. Transparency is non-negotiable.
Build for the region
MENA has unique data, regulations, and business practices. We design for that reality.
Earn trust through results
We don't ask for long contracts. We prove value fast and let results speak.