MNT-Halan, Egypt’s first unicorn, and the country’s leading and fastest-growing fintech ecosystem has won Global Finance’s award for Most Innovative Financial Technology Company in the Middle East. It was, further, awarded as the Most Innovative Financial Technology Company in Africa.
MNT-Halan appears alongside Revolut, Bank of America, HSBC, and Santander, among others. Established in 1987 and headquartered in New York, Global Finance is a premier publication for international investors, whose awards have become a trusted standard of excellence for the global financial community. It was the only company to win two awards out of the 18 winners,
“Being globally recognized is an honor, and we’re eager to keep innovating right here from the heart of Africa and the Middle East as we unlock financial freedom for millions. A huge thank you to Ahmed Mohsen, our Co-founder, our fantastic MNT-Halan team, and our very supportive shareholders.”MNT-Halan’s Founder and CEO, Mounir Nakhla, said.
“Innovation continues to help banks and other financial institutions gain a strategic competitive advantage over their peers,” said Joseph Giarraputo, Founder and Editorial Director of Global Finance. “By harnessing new technologies and imaginative thinking, this year’s winners have developed groundbreaking solutions to both ease customer pain points and deliver outstanding user experiences.”
In its submission, MNT-Halan highlighted two innovations that have powered its growth. Firstly, the Halan super-app was the first of its kind in Egypt, offering consumers remote access to the entire Halan product and service ecosystem from small and micro business lending to payments, investment products, and e-commerce, as well as consumer finance solutions including saving and BNPL products. Secondly, Neuron was the first proprietary core banking system software in the Middle East and Africa and has been critical to scaling.
The Global Finance awards are the latest in a string of global and regional recognition for MNT-Halan. The company was listed on the Financial Times’ 2023 rankings of Africa’s Fastest Growing Companies, and as a 2023 Top 30 Fintech Company by Forbes Middle East. In January this year, Mounir Nakhla accepted an invitation to speak on a panel discussing financial inclusion at the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual meeting in Davos as part of the WEF’s Unicorn Innovator Community.
