Listen "Beyond the Buzz: Beehive’s Real Playbook for SME Lending"
Episode Synopsis
There’s a $260B SME financing gap in MENA, and most players are still offering copy-paste solutions.In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Craig Moore, Founder and CEO of Beehive, shares how one of the region’s original fintechs is tackling real problems with real results.Since 2014, Beehive has built a lending model that combines technology, regulatory know-how, and operational depth to serve the segment banks continue to overlook.In this conversation, we explore: • What SME lending looks like on the ground in the GCC • Why Beehive shifted from peer-to-peer to institutional capital • How investor appetite is changing, from family offices to global VCs • The practical role of AI in credit decisioning • Beehive’s plans for expansion into Saudi Arabia, Oman, and more📌 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.#CouchonomicsWithArjun #SMELending #Fintech #DigitalBanking #MiddleEastFintech #AltCredit #VentureCapital #GCCStartups #FinancialInclusion #FounderVoicesCouchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by our partners:Adyen https://www.adyen.com/Thunes https://thunes.com/Mastercard https://mastercard.com/E& https://www.eand.com/Digit9 https://www.digitnine.com/SC Ventures https://scventures.io/Hala https://hala.com/Find us on our social media platforms:Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/Couchonomics LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomicsSubscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6EChapters:00:00 Episode Highlights00:50 Intro01:37 Beehive's Origin and Mission04:22 Challenges in SME Lending12:45 Technology's Role in Lending15:08 Beehive's Evolution and Strategy21:29 Competitive Landscape and Future Outlook30:11 The SME Lending Landscape30:43 Challenges and Competition in SME Lending31:42 Significant Milestones and Growth33:16 BNPL and Merchant Lending35:46 Investment and Corporate Dynamics40:53 Embracing AI and Technology44:21 Blockchain and Tokenization47:09 Regional Expansion and Market Strategies51:34 Future Vision and Focus55:40 Final ThoughtsOur website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0Find us on our social media platforms: Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/ CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/ Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20 TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E
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