Wio Bank PJSC has entered into partnership with Geidea, a fintech and merchant payment solutions provider in the MENA region, to expand access to digital banking and financing services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the UAE.
The agreement was signed by Prateek Vahie, Chief Commercial Officer of Wio Bank, and Pankaj Kundra, Chief Executive Officer of Geidea UAE.
The collaboration will enable Wio’s business banking and lending products to be offered directly through Geidea’s merchant network, providing SMEs with streamlined access to financial services through a single platform.
Under the partnership, eligible merchants within Geidea’s network will be able to access Wio’s banking and financing solutions without navigating multiple providers or lengthy application processes.
The initiative simplifies access to financial services by offering faster onboarding, transparent financing terms, and more efficient access to capital.
While Geidea will serve as a distribution and referral channel, all financing assessments, approvals, customer onboarding, and loan disbursements will continue to be managed independently by Wio Bank in accordance with its underwriting standards and regulatory requirements.
The collaboration addresses a key challenge faced by many SMEs across the Middle East and Africa, where access to financing can often be fragmented and time-consuming.
By integrating Wio’s digital banking capabilities with Geidea’s merchant ecosystem, the two companies aim to provide businesses with a more direct route to the financial tools needed to support growth and day-to-day operations.
Pankaj Kundra Chief Executive Officer Geidea UAE
“SMEs need financial solutions that move at the pace of their business. This collaboration strengthens our ability to support merchants with more than payment acceptance alone. By bringing together operational and financial capabilities into a more connected experience, we are helping businesses access the tools they need to operate more efficiently, manage growth with greater confidence, and spend less time navigating disconnected systems.”
Prateek Vahie, Chief Commercial Officer at Wio Bank, said that, “SMEs are the backbone of the UAE economy, yet access to financing remains one of the most fragmented parts of their journey. By partnering with Geidea, we’re embedding Wio’s digital banking and lending capabilities directly into the tools merchants already rely on every day. This is what a modern banking ecosystem should look like: connected, intuitive, and designed to help businesses grow.”
