We started as lenders. We became infrastructure.
We built the engine that lets platforms offer financing to their business customers, without becoming lenders.
Backed by
The problem
MENA's SME financing gap is a structural issue holding back regional growth.
SME financing gap across MENA
GDP contribution vs. credit received
SMEs drive >60% of regional economic output, yet receive just 7% of formal credit.
Typical bank financing decision
By the time a bank decision comes back, the transaction is long over
The SME experience
The same story, every day
“We always have more than enough orders. We just don't have the cash flow to pay our suppliers for inventory until our previous invoices are paid”
CEO of a UAE based F&B trading company
An order arrives
A supplier wins a purchase order from a large buyer, but they have standard 60 day payment terms.
The gap opens
The supplier does their job, pays for their inputs up front and provides the goods or services to their buyer.
Work stops
The supplier turns down the next order. Not because the business is failing, but because they they won't have cash to fund the order for the next 60 days.
Proof
We proved the model first
20 months of direct lending to build the engine that we're now embedding.
Our principles
How we think about credit
Three ideas that shape every product and credit decision we make, from how we underwrite a transaction to how we architect our infrastructure.
The result of 20 months of understanding how to balance risk, and the experience SMEs need.
Credit should be invisible
The best financing experience is one the borrower barely notices. Embedded in the workflow they already use, at the moment they need it.
Decisions should match the transaction
A 60-day invoice shouldn't take 6 weeks to finance. Speed isn't a feature, it's the prerequisite for embedded credit to actually work.
Access should be earned by performance
Creditworthiness should be demonstrated by actual business behaviour: invoice history, payment patterns, repeat customers. Not collateral. Not formal credit history.
In the press
What's being said about Aura
“Aura Finance is building a system where small businesses can unlock cash flow on demand through invoice discounting and embedded credit tools.”
Founders in focus: Startup duo targets Middle East's $250 billion SME credit gap with embedded finance play
May 2025“Aura's solution is particularly vital in a market where over 50% of B2B transactions are conducted on trade credit, often with extended payment terms that hinder SME growth.”
UAE fintech Aura partners with Reem Finance to improve SME cash flow
Jul 2024“Aura beat nine other finalists for the prestigious Grand Prize title and a share of the US$100,000 prize pool at the Eureka! GCC 2024 competition.”
Aura wins Eureka! GCC 2024 Grand Prize for the most innovative start-up company
Jun 2024“Building the infrastructure layer that makes SME credit accessible — at the point of transaction, not after weeks of paperwork.”
Shahrukh Ghazali and Samer El Mardini on building an SME credit infrastructure
2025“Through Aura's invoice financing feature, SMEs can access immediate payment on their invoices, alleviating cash flow constraints while permitting their clients up to 120 days for payment.”
Aura partners with Reem Finance to improve SME cash flow
Jul 2024“Aura Finance is building a system where small businesses can unlock cash flow on demand through invoice discounting and embedded credit tools.”
Founders in focus: Startup duo targets Middle East's $250 billion SME credit gap with embedded finance play
May 2025“Aura's solution is particularly vital in a market where over 50% of B2B transactions are conducted on trade credit, often with extended payment terms that hinder SME growth.”
UAE fintech Aura partners with Reem Finance to improve SME cash flow
Jul 2024“Aura beat nine other finalists for the prestigious Grand Prize title and a share of the US$100,000 prize pool at the Eureka! GCC 2024 competition.”
Aura wins Eureka! GCC 2024 Grand Prize for the most innovative start-up company
Jun 2024“Building the infrastructure layer that makes SME credit accessible — at the point of transaction, not after weeks of paperwork.”
Shahrukh Ghazali and Samer El Mardini on building an SME credit infrastructure
2025“Through Aura's invoice financing feature, SMEs can access immediate payment on their invoices, alleviating cash flow constraints while permitting their clients up to 120 days for payment.”
Aura partners with Reem Finance to improve SME cash flow
Jul 2024For Platforms
Ready to embed credit?
Speak to us to see how embedded credit could work for your platform. No commitment, just clarity.
Talk to us →For SMEs
Need financing for your business?
Get paid today for your outstanding B2B invoices. Fast approvals, same-day funding, no collateral required.
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