Startups To Watch At Money20/20 Middle East 2025: Abwab.ai
Led by founder and CEO Baraa Koshak, Riyadh-headquartered Abwab.ai is building the foundation for SME lending, turning months-long loan cycles into near-instant decisions across the MENA and beyond.
With artificial intelligence (AI) at its core, Riyadh-headquartered Abwab.ai is building the foundation for SME lending, turning months-long loan cycles into near-instant decisions across the MENA and beyond.
“Abwab.ai is an AI-native infrastructure platform transforming SME lending across the MENA and beyond,” says Baraa Koshak, founder and CEO of Abwab.ai. “Today, underwriting loans for SMEs takes 4–8 weeks, slowing growth, and leaving billions in capital underutilized. We cut that to near-instant decisions, helping lenders process applications with speed, confidence, and scale… This matters now, because SMEs are the backbone of our economies, but they need faster, smarter access to finance to realize their full potential.”
In less than a year since launch, Abwab. ai has onboarded more than 12 lenders and processed over SAR1 billion (US$266.7 million) in SME loans, setting a new benchmark for fintech growth. The company has also achieved record-time service level agreements (SLAs) of under 24 hours. Koshak highlights here that Abwab.ai is not a lender itself; rather, it provides lenders with the right infrastructure to solve a key problem in the industry. That would explain why its work has been recognized with accolades galore, with Koshak especially highlighting that Abwab.ai was awarded the “Innovation to Watch” title at last year’s edition of Money20/20 Middle East.
Looking to the future, Koshak says that Abwab.ai’s long-term vision is bold— but straightforward. “Our impact goal is simple: to become the rails on which SME lending runs; shortening cycles from months to minutes, unlocking billions in growth capital, and enabling SMEs to thrive across the region and beyond,” he concludes.
Founder To Founder: Abwab.ai Founder Baraa Koshak On Why Money20/20 Middle East Matters For Fintech Startups
“Money20/20 Middle East is where fintech conversations turn into real deals. Last year’s edition was pivotal for us. We initiated multiple lender proofs of concept, attracted investor interest, and forged partnerships that directly contributed to our milestones. This year, we’re here to double that momentum: to deepen lender integrations, expand AI adoption, and build new collaborations across the region. For founders, Money20/20 Middle East is like the marketplace where ideas, investors, regulators, and operators converge, and where the future of regional fintech is written.”
Pictured in the lead image is Baraa Koshak, founder and CEO of Abwab.ai.
Abwab.ai is one of the companies featured in Inc. Arabia's selection of startups to look out for at Money20/20 Middle East 2025. For the full list, click here.
This article first appeared in a special edition of Inc. Arabia created for Money20/20 Middle East in September 2025. To read the full issue online, click here.
