Financial Institution
All too often, despite their potential as a revenue source for banks, small businesses end up relying on banking services and products designed for consumers. Now two well-known SME Finance Forum members are offering banks digital cash management and commercial payment tools specifically designed for their small-to-midsize customers.
BBVA is Spain’s second largest bank and an innovative global financial group that provides financial services in more than 30 countries to 72 million customers, of which SMEs is a very important client segment. In recent years, the bank has reinvented itself as a digital business, and it aims to be as nimble as a fintech.
Bank of Palestine was established in 1960 to serve Palestinians of all socio-economic groups. With a network of 70 branches, 31 percent market share of deposits, 33 percent market share of loans and more than 890,000 customers, the bank serves retail, corporate, small and medium enterprises, microenterprises, and the Palestinian diaspora. The bank has been listed on the Palestine Exchange since 2005, and it is the second largest listed company.
EcoBank is known for its pan-African presence. Headquartered in Togo, it has operations in 36 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, 11 million customers and over 20,000 employees. Its scale and reach make it unusual among African banks and give it an advantage over competitors. But that scale and diversity has its drawbacks. When the bank took a look at how it was assessing risk in SME lending, it discovered it had 100 credit risk products, largely due to growth through acquisitions.
Kulana holding Ltd. (referred to as the "Company") is a corporate entity established in Mauritius on October 31, 2022, and classified as a Global Business License Company. The Company operates as a prominent holding entity with a primary focus on managing equity interests in a diverse portfolio of enterprises and operating companies strategically positioned within the technology sector and related areas. Additionally, the Company remains open to exploring opportunities in other industries, allowing for potential diversification as new opportunities arise.
IPDC Finance is the first private sector financial institution of the country, established in 1981 by a distinguished group of national and international entities. Ever since its inception, IPDC Finance has played an integral role in molding the country’s private sector industrialization with the help of its pioneering products and services.
Hamazpen - Effective operates as a unified platform delivering agile financial solutions and active business leadership for middle-market companies. Our team brings extensive finance and investment experience across diverse industries, offering flexible capital strategies, from equity to mezzanine debt and structured financing. By combining committed capital with hands-on managerial expertise, we enable companies to execute smarter financing processes and strategic initiatives with greater accuracy and speed. This integrated model strengthens long-term value creation, reduces risk, and improves decision-making clarity. Ultimately, we help companies build resilient foundations, scale efficiently, and seize meaningful growth opportunities.
Biz2X is a loan origination platform chosen for business lending at banks and financial institutions around the world. Founded in 2019, Biz2X is built on the insights and expertise that came from a decade-plus of Biz2Credit’s lending experience. Since then, Biz2X has been solving the challenges of capital access and closing the $7 trillion SMB credit gap with an end-to-end intelligent lending platform, built on proprietary data and proven data. Visit biz2x.com for more information.
Spartan SME Finance is an alternative financier and Non-Bank Finance Institution [NBFI]. We back serious entrepreneurs with funding facilities covering: Growth Finance, Working Capital and Specialized Asset Finance.
Nedbank Group is a bank holding company listed on the JSE Limited, with a market capitalisation of R137bn as at 31 December 2024. Nedbank is one of Africa’s largest banking groups, with operations in South Africa, Namibia, Eswatini, Mozambique, Lesotho and Zimbabwe, and offshore in the Isle of Man and Jersey. It also has representative offices in other Africa countries, including Kenya, and has key global financial centres to provide international banking services for SA-based multinational and high-net-worth clients in London and Dubai. The group is a diversified financial services provider, offering a wide range of wholesale and retail banking and financial services. Nedbank has maintained its level 1 BBBEE status for the past 7 years and rates in the top quartile of local and international banks on ESG scores.
