The $50M Fintech Secret: Lending to Pakistan’s "Unbanked" Supply Chain | Omer Bin Ahsan (Haball)

Описание: In this episode of Digitales, Faizan S. Syed sits down with Omer Bin Ahsan, the Founder and CEO of Haball, to pull back the curtain on the trillion-rupee world of B2B supply chains.

While most of the world focuses on consumer apps, Omer is digitizing the "backbone" of Pakistan - the manufacturers, distributors, and retailers who keep the country running. We dive deep into why traditional banks are failing SMEs, how Haball secured a massive $52M funding round during a global downturn, and the reality of launching the first digital Islamic financing platform, Wisaaq.

If you want to understand how money actually moves in Pakistan - and how it's about to change - this is the conversation you can't miss.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction and Omer’s background
00:24 - What exactly does Haball do and how does it make money?
01:20 - Haball's role in invoicing, payments, and financing
02:09 - Serving large companies like Coca-Cola, Tapal, and Nestle
02:35 - Addressing the cash-based economy and resistance to digitization
03:12 - Targeting documented but underserved distributors
04:20 - Working with tax-compliant organizations for efficiency
05:21 - Focus on FMCG brands for supply chain transparency
06:14 - The influence of major brands on supply chain behavior
07:44 - The challenge of unbanked and resistant retailers
08:06 - Haball's top-down approach to market adoption
09:22 - MSMEs, sales tax registration, and the need for digitization
12:03 - The $120 trillion throughput market in Pakistan
13:22 - Why the banking system is not serving underserved businesses
14:10 - Haball's solution to banking fragmentation
16:16 - Haball's embedded API system with major corporate ERPs
19:21 - The importance of Meezan's collaboration with Haball
22:12 - The reluctance of large banks to collaborate
23:20 - One Link’s evolution and failure to innovate
26:16 - The rise of RAS and its impact on the fintech ecosystem
28:06 - Open banking and its role in fintech growth
30:31 - Digitization helping businesses improve efficiency
33:55 - Encouraging transparency and access to credit through digital payments
34:24 - Operational efficiency and business growth through faster payments
36:11 - Central bank initiatives to boost MSME financing
39:21 - Cultural shift towards more digitally connected MSMEs
41:39 - Tailoring fintech solutions to different industries
42:51 - Why throughput isn’t the only metric to track
45:51 - Navigating political and economic instability in Pakistan
49:02 - Local investment and commitment to the economy
54:42 - Reflecting on Pakistan’s history and current challenges
56:13 - The need for a cohesive national identity and mission
59:36 - A prophetic dua reflecting Pakistan’s situation
1:02:14 - Overcoming external pressures and regaining sovereignty
1:03:08 - Building from within and creating positive change
1:04:35 - Outro