AdalFi partners with Network International to bring cash-flow lending to the Middle East and Africa

FinTech firm AdalFi, on track to become the first Pakistani-based company listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange, has entered into a partnership with Network International to extend its cash-flow credit scoring system to financial institutions across the Middle East and Africa. This collaboration merges Network International's extensive payments network, which includes over 250 financial institutions and 240,000+ merchants in more than 50 countries, with AdalFi's sophisticated machine-learning credit decisioning tools.

The joint initiative aims to convert everyday payment data into real-time insights about loan affordability and creditworthiness, enabling lenders to shift from generic lending strategies to personalized, pre-qualified offers. Under the agreement, Network International will leverage its payment data to pinpoint lending and cross-selling prospects, while AdalFi will develop and test credit scoring models and credit segmentation, integrating its decision-making into Network International's platform.

Since its inception in 2021, AdalFi's platform has facilitated over Rs110 billion in lending through its nine partner banks, reaching more than 130,000 borrowers, half of whom were previously unbanked, with a default rate of just 0.2%, significantly lower than the conventional bank credit default rate of around 3.5%. Ronen Spivak, Group Head of Value Added Services at Network International, explained that the partnership will combine Network's real-time transaction insights with AdalFi's advanced credit decisioning to identify lending opportunities, offer more tailored services, and enhance customer relationships.

AdalFi's CEO, Salman Akhtar, added that the partnership leverages the power of transaction data to provide practical tools that facilitate responsible credit access for consumers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the Middle East and Africa.