Flend and Khazenly Partner to Simplify Financing for Egyptian E-commerce SMEs

Flend and Khazenly have teamed up on a move that could make life a lot easier for Egypt’s e‑commerce merchants, many of whom often say that getting proper financing feels like a bit of a faff. The two companies revealed a new partnership that will allow SMEs to access funding of up to LE 8 million directly through Khazenly’s logistics platform, without bouncing between apps or trekking to a bank branch.

What makes this interesting—at least from where I’m sitting—is how the financing will be tied to real operational data. Instead of relying on the usual paperwork-heavy checks, Flend will use merchants’ own sales, fulfilment, and shipping records from Khazenly’s system to shape credit decisions. I reckon that’s spot on for small businesses that are busy building momentum but still get overlooked by traditional lenders.

Flend’s co-founder and CEO, Ahmed Zaki, put it plainly in remarks shared publicly, saying the company was built to back businesses that older models tend to skip. He highlighted that integrating directly with Khazenly helps open access to capital for merchants who are growing fast but remain underserved. Khazenly’s co-founder and CCO, Osama El Jammali, echoed that point, noting that merchants need financial flexibility just as much as reliable logistics if they’re going to scale.

From the merchants’ point of view, the whole process should feel fairly seamless. They’ll be able to finance inventory, fulfilment, delivery costs, and day‑to‑day operations on the same platform they already use to run their stores. Approvals can come through in as little as three days, and everything—from contracting to repayment—is digital. No queues, no stamps, no headaches… well, I mean, hopefully.

If you’ve been following the SME space here at Arageek, you’ll know this kind of embedded finance is becoming more common across B2B platforms. I remember speaking once with a small Cairo-based seller who said managing cash flow during seasonal spikes “nearly finished me off.” For founders like that, having funding built straight into the tools they rely on daily could be genuinely transformative.

Khazenly continues to expand its logistics network across Egypt, offering storage, fulfilment, last‑mile delivery, and cash collection. Flend, meanwhile, positions itself as the country’s first licensed digital non-bank financial institution focused on SMEs, using data-driven models to speed up approvals and avoid unnecessary red tape. Put together, the two companies say they’re aiming to support expansion, job creation, and more confident digital adoption across the SME sector.

And believe it or not, this isn’t happening in isolation. In a separate update, Valu secured its final approval from the Central Bank of Jordan to operate under a specialised finance licence, eyeing a Q1 2026 launch with flexible buy-now-pay-later and other financing options. It feels like the wider ecosystem is shifting—not overnight, but definately in steps that matter.

On the flip side, these tools only work if SMEs trust them enough to use them. But if this partnership delivers on its promises, many merchants might finally catch a break in a market where access to capital has long been a stumbling block.

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