Emirati entity Maseera gains possession of Egyptian financial technology startup ADVA in a purchase deal
Abu Dhabi-Based Maseera Acquires Egyptian Fintech Startup ADVA
In a strategic move to expand its presence in North Africa's digital finance sector, the Abu Dhabi-based financial services firm Maseera has announced the acquisition of Egyptian fintech startup ADVA. This acquisition marks Maseera's entry into the North African fintech market, bolstering its regional footprint in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) digital finance sector.
The deal indicates larger firms' efforts to build regional powerhouses capable of serving diverse and rapidly growing markets in the Middle East and North Africa. By acquiring ADVA, a consumer finance platform in Egypt, Maseera gains direct access to a rapidly growing fintech market characterized by increasing digital payment adoption and consumer finance activities.
Rania Gaafar, the founder and CEO of ADVA, considers the acquisition a major milestone. She stated that the partnership with Maseera will provide resources and a regional network to expand ADVA's impact. Gaafar's vision for ADVA is to make financial services more accessible and inclusive, a mission that aligns with Maseera's objectives.
Maseera aims to broaden its consumer finance portfolio and tap into Egypt's large, youthful demographic through the acquisition. Egypt is considered a critical market for Maseera's growth strategy. The firm plans to introduce new products tailored to Egypt and other MENA markets, and to grow ADVA's merchant network.
The acquisition strengthens ADVA's mission to make financial services more accessible and inclusive. ADVA provides a platform for flexible installment payment plans across various services like education, healthcare, insurance, and travel. Maseera also plans to invest further in ADVA's technology.
The financial terms of the deal between Maseera and ADVA were not disclosed. However, sources close to the matter indicated that the transaction involved a mix of cash and stock, with ADVA's core leadership expected to remain in place.
The partnership between Maseera and ADVA significantly strengthens ADVA's mission and positions the firm to influence and benefit from the evolving digital finance ecosystem across North Africa and MENA. The acquisition signifies a broader pattern of consolidation and cross-border transactions within the Middle East and North Africa's fintech ecosystem.
This acquisition can potentially impact the digital finance sector in North Africa and the broader MENA region in several ways:
- Market Expansion and Integration: Maseera, based in Abu Dhabi, entering Egypt via ADVA strengthens cross-border fintech ties between the Gulf and North Africa, promoting deeper financial integration across MENA.
- Access to Consumer Finance Networks: ADVA’s existing consumer finance platform gives Maseera a ready base of customers and infrastructure to scale digital financial products, including credit and payment solutions, in Egypt’s populous market.
- Fintech Leadership Boost: Fintech is the dominant sector for funding and innovation in the region for 2025, and Maseera’s move signals ambition to lead in North African digital financial services, leveraging growing smartphone penetration and digital adoption trends.
- Catalyzing Regional Digital Finance Growth: The deal supports the broader trend of digital finance expansion in MENA, potentially accelerating financial inclusion, enabling digital lending, payments, and related fintech services in underserved markets.
Overall, Maseera’s acquisition of ADVA appears to be a calculated strategy to capitalize on Egypt’s large consumer market and North Africa’s fintech momentum, positioning the firm to influence and benefit from the evolving digital finance ecosystem across North Africa and MENA.
[1] MENA Fintech Report 2022, MENA Fintech Association [2] Digital Transformation in MENA: Trends and Opportunities, PwC [3] The State of Fintech in the Middle East and North Africa, KPMG [4] The Future of Fintech in the Middle East and North Africa, Deloitte
- The acquisition of ADVA by Maseera, a financial services firm based in Abu Dhabi, is an strategic move to enhance their presence in North Africa's digital finance sector and further their involvement in business operations that leverage technology.
- By acquiring ADVA, a consumer finance platform in Egypt, Maseera is not only bolstering its regional footprint in the MENA digital finance sector, but also positioning itself to capitalize on the growing trend of technology adoption in business and finance across North Africa and the Middle East.
