Wio Bank PJSC, the Middle East’s leading digital banking platform, has signed a partnership agreement with Geidea, one of the MENA region’s leading fintech and merchant payment providers, to bring Wio’s business banking and financing solutions directly to SMEs through Geidea’s merchant network. The agreement was signed by Prateek Vahie, Chief Commercial Officer at Wio Bank and Pankaj Kundra, Chief Executive Officer at Geidea UAE.
Through the partnership, Wio’s business banking and lending products will be made accessible to Geidea’s merchant network, enabling Geidea to extend its value to merchants beyond payments. Rather than navigating fragmented processes to access banking and credit, eligible merchants will benefit from a streamlined experience, to include faster onboarding, transparent financing terms and access to capital through a single, unified journey.
Under the collaboration, Geidea will act as a distribution and referral channel for eligible merchants, while all financing assessments, approvals, onboarding, and disbursements will remain under Wio Bank’s independent underwriting and regulatory framework.
SMEs across the Middle East and Africa continue to face fragmented and slow access to capital, a challenge that constrains growth across the region. By channelling Wio’s digital banking and lending capabilities through Geidea’s merchant base, the partnership creates a more direct and efficient route for small businesses to access the financial tools they need, without the complexity that has historically held them back.
Since its launch, Wio Business has focused on simplifying access to banking and finance for SMEs through digital-first onboarding and data-driven lending, supporting growing businesses at different stages of their lifecycle. The partnership with Geidea creates a direct channel to bring these capabilities to a large, established base of UAE merchants.
Prateek Vahie, Chief Commercial Officer at Wio Bank PJSC said, “SMEs are the backbone of the UAE economy, yet access to financing remains one of the most fragmented parts of their journey. By partnering with Geidea, we’re embedding Wio’s digital banking and lending capabilities directly into the tools merchants already rely on every day. This is what a modern banking ecosystem should look like, connected, intuitive, and designed to help businesses grow.”
“SMEs need financial solutions that move at the pace of their business,” said Pankaj Kundra, Chief Executive Officer at Geidea UAE. “This collaboration strengthens our ability to support merchants with more than payment acceptance alone. By bringing together operational and financial capabilities into a more connected experience, we are helping businesses access the tools they need to operate more efficiently, manage growth with greater confidence, and spend less time navigating disconnected systems.”
