Legislative and regulatory changes in Egypt over the last two years have paved the way for a surge in fintech investments and a change in the way the country's largely unbanked citizens do business, industry players say.
Banque Misr will act as an anchor investor in the programme, with National Bank of Egypt and Banque du Caire as strategic investors, said the statement by Global Ventures, which focuses on the Middle East and Africa.eFinance Investment Group, a state-controlled payments firm, and Egyptian Banks Co, a payments operator led by the central bank, will also participate. The fund, called Nclude by Global Ventures, hopes to attract additional participation from regional and international investors, it added.
The statement quoted Egyptian central bank governor Tarek Amer as saying the fund's establishment was "a crucial step to transform Egypt into a regional centre for the fintech industry in the Arab World and Africa.