Fina secures $75M from Fasanara to finance Saudi SMEs. Fina, the fintech arm of Saudi-based company SILQ, has secured a US$75 million (SAR 282M) Shariah-compliant facility from Fasanara Capital, a London-based global investment manager. The facility marks an important milestone in SILQ's journey to build the financial infrastructure that enables small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access capital through the same digital workflows where they buy, sell, collect, and operate. For SILQ, this marks a natural evolution of its work with merchants. Through its Saudi ecosystem, Sary and Fina have supported more than 50,000 businesses by connecting them to commerce, payments, digital operations, and working capital. Working alongside merchants across every stage of their business journey gave SILQ a unique perspective on one persistent challenge: businesses don't simply need more capital, they need capital that's structured around the realities of how they operate. Fina was built to solve that challenge by embedding working capital directly into merchants' digital workflows. Using real commercial activity, transaction data, and operational insights, Fina delivers financing that's faster, more flexible, and aligned with the everyday rhythm of commerce. Saudi Arabia's SME sector is central to the Kingdom's Vision 2030 agenda, which aims to increase SMEs' contribution to GDP and support a more diversified private-sector economy. While SME financing continues to grow, the financing gap is still estimated at around SAR 300 billion, according to Saudi SME Bank (source: Asharq Business with Bloomberg), creating a significant opportunity for embedded financing models that bring capital closer to where business activity happens. Mohammed Aldossary, Co-founder, SILQ and CEO of SILQ Financial, commented: "For years, we've worked alongside merchants as they built and grew their businesses, and one lesson became impossible to ignore: the challenge isn't simply access to capital, but access to capital that's structured around the realities of how merchants operate. Fina was built to deliver financing that understands their business, moves at their speed, and fits naturally into the digital workflows they already use. Our partnership with Fasanara marks an important milestone in that journey. Their deep expertise in embedded finance makes them the right long-term partner to help more Saudi businesses access Shariah-compliant working capital that's embedded into the flow of commerce and delivered at the speed their businesses operate." Fasanara is a global investment manager with approximately US$6 billion (SAR 22.5B) in assets under management and an active provider of institutional capital to fintech lenders and technology-enabled credit platforms globally. With a focus on asset-based finance, receivables, and data-driven private credit, its partnership with Fina reflects a shared belief that SME financing is most effective when embedded into real commercial activity rather than treated as a separate financial process. Matt Kus, Partner and Head of Origination, Fasanara Capital, commented: "We are pleased to partner with Fina and support the continued development of embedded SME financing in Saudi Arabia. Access to working capital remains a critical priority for SMEs globally, and we believe technology-enabled platforms such as Fina can play an important role in helping merchants access financing in a more efficient and flexible way." Building on the strength of its Saudi ecosystem, Fina is targeting the unlocking of SAR 3 billion in liquidity this year for more than 2,000 businesses, following the successful deployment of SAR 1.5 billion over the last 12 months. To date, SILQ has enabled more than SAR 20 billion in transaction volume across the Kingdom. The US$75 million facility marks another step in SILQ's ambition to build the B2B infrastructure that enables businesses to trade more efficiently and access capital more seamlessly. By bringing Shariah-compliant working capital closer to where commerce happens, Fina continues to strengthen SILQ's integrated ecosystem spanning commerce, payments, digital operations, and embedded finance. Have your say!

Fasanara names ex-Man Group Hylands to lead firm-wide AI Lab build out. 21 July 2026 - Move reflects Fasanara's aim to embed AI across the firm - AI Lab will deploy next-gen AI capabilities across Fasanara's proprietary tech stack London, 21 July 2026 - Fasanara Capital today announced the appointment of James Hylands as Head of Artificial Intelligence, where he will lead the firm's newly established Fasanara AI Lab. Hylands joins from Man Group, where he led generative AI strategy and delivery for the firm's Discretionary division. The initiative marks a significant step in Fasanara's long-term strategy to embed artificial intelligence across every layer of the business - from investment decision-making and portfolio management to lending operations, risk management and enterprise productivity. The Fasanara AI Lab will focus on developing and deploying next-generation AI capabilities across the firm's proprietary technology stack, leveraging one of the industry's largest alternative credit datasets and Fasanara's native global data infrastructure. Francesco Filia, Founder and CEO of Fasanara Capital, said: "Artificial intelligence is becoming foundational infrastructure for the next generation of asset managers. Our competitive advantage has always been rooted in proprietary technology, alternative data and systematic innovation. With James joining us to lead the AI Lab, we are accelerating our ambition to become the world's leading AI-native alternative asset manager." At Man Group, Hylands played a pivotal role in applying advanced technologies to the discretionary investment processes. At Fasanara, he will lead a multidisciplinary team focused on building proprietary AI systems that enhance investment performance while scaling the firm's technology platform globally. Hylands will oversee the design and implementation of AI-powered solutions spanning: - AI-enhanced credit underwriting and lending intelligence - Advanced trading and portfolio optimisation across a multi-asset, multi-manager platform - Autonomous investment research and market intelligence - Risk analytics and predictive monitoring - Enterprise-wide AI agents to improve operational and quant trading efficiency - Proprietary AI systems trained on Fasanara's unique data ecosystem and informed by the company's depth of expertise. Fasanara's AI Lab will also work closely with leading AI companies, universities and technology partners to evaluate emerging models, accelerate experimentation and integrate frontier technologies into the firm's investment platform. The AI Lab represents the next evolution of Fasanara's technology-first approach, extending more than a decade of investment in proprietary lending infrastructure, fintech integrations and data-driven investment processes. As AI reshapes global financial markets, Fasanara intends to position itself at the forefront of applied artificial intelligence in private credit, digital assets and systematic investing, developing proprietary capabilities that aim to enhance both investment outcomes and client experience. About Fasanara Capital Founded in 2011, Fasanara is a global investment manager that offers tech-enabled asset-based credit and digital assets solutions. With $6 billion (SAR 22.5B) in assets under management, Fasanara employs a technology-driven, systematic investment approach and manages capital on behalf of pension funds, insurance companies and other institutional investors globally. With 130 employees globally, Fasanara is a pioneer investor in fintech lending through its liquid Alternative Credit funds, enabling real economy impact. Powered by its proprietary technology platform, with 141 fintech lenders fully integrated from more than 60 countries, Fasanara manages one of the largest and longest-standing fintech lending funds in Europe. Fasanara Capital is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom. Disclaimer This material is not intended to be a recommendation or investment advice, does not constitute a solicitation to buy, sell, or hold a security or an investment strategy, and is not provided in a fiduciary capacity. The information provided does not take into account the specific objectives or circumstances of any particular investors or suggest any specific course of action. Investment decisions should be made based on an investor's objectives and circumstances and in consultation with their financial professionals. 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Fina, the fintech arm of Saudi-based company SILQ, has secured a $75 million Shariah-compliant facility from London-based investment manager Fasanara Capital. The facility will support SILQ's embedded finance platform, which provides working capital to small and medium-sized enterprises through digital workflows. SILQ's ecosystem, including Sary and Fina, has supported more than 50,000 businesses across Saudi Arabia. The company aims to unlock SAR 3 billion in liquidity this year for over 2,000 businesses, following SAR 1.5 billion deployed over the past 12 months. Saudi Arabia's SME financing gap stands at around SAR 300 billion, according to Saudi SME Bank. Fasanara Capital manages approximately $6 billion in assets and specialises in providing institutional capital to fintech lenders globally.