Leading digital NBFC, Finja, has achieved a significant milestone with the granting of a commercial license by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) to operate the country’s inaugural P2P investment platform compliant with Shariah principles. This achievement follows rigorous testing within a regulatory sandbox framework.
P2P investment platforms have gained traction as successful alternatives, directly connecting borrowers and investors while bypassing traditional banking channels. With attractive returns and easier access to capital, these platforms foster economic opportunities and streamline transactions through technology-driven processes.
Finja’s innovative thesis centers around purpose-built, short-term credit services for businesses, aligning with Islamic principles. Their track record of providing quality lending solutions has instilled confidence in the SECP to grant Finja the license to operate Pakistan’s first and only P2P investment platform.
As a digital NBFC, Finja has facilitated over Rs. 10 billion in financing through 200,000 loans disbursed to 25,000 SMEs across 35 cities. By forging partnerships with distributors, FMCG principals, agritech platforms, logistics companies, and more, Finja has created a robust supply chain-led financing ecosystem.
Qasif Shahid, Co-founder of Finja, highlights the platform’s potential to enable direct investments in carefully curated portfolios of SMEs and retailers, assessed through Finja’s proprietary credit scoring system. Promising higher returns compared to traditional options, the P2P investment platform opens new opportunities for short-term capital deployment.
Kamran A. Zuberi, CEO of Finja Lending Services, stated, “This opens up a brand new opportunity for corporates and businesses to invest their excess capital for generating excellent returns over short terms while spurring economic activity by creating working capital lines for SMEs in the country.”
Dr. Mufti Imran Ashraf Usmani, Shariah Advisor and Independent Board Member of Finja, sees the company as a trailblazer in Islamic finance-led fintech. He expects Finja to inspire other banks, financial institutions, and emerging digital lending companies to explore the potential of Digital Islamic Finance as a new growth frontier.
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Finja was founded in 2016 by Qasif Shahid and Monis Rahman and is backed by leading global venture capital funds, including Swedish Vostok Emerging Finance, Japanese BeeNext, Quona Capital from the United States of America, Ukraine-based ICU, along with Descon and Pakistan’s largest private bank, HBL.
Good initiative. Need to see further details to explore investment opportunities.