Egyptian Startup SETTLE Raises $2 Million in Pre-Seed Funding

SETTLE, an Egypt-based B2B payment platform, has successfully raised $2 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Shorooq Partners. Other notable investors that participated included El Sewedy Capital Holding, Acasia Ventures, and Plus VC. With this new funding, SETTLE plans to accelerate its transition into the global market and further develop its platform with a focus on enabling CFOs and business owners to make confident decisions based on real-time financial data.

SETTLE, currently in its pre-launch phase, has already processed over E£50 million (Egyptian pounds/EGP) in transactions during testing across such sectors as construction, energy, and contracting. Founded in 2023 by Mostafa Mobarak and Kamil Sayour, SETTLE aims to modernise financial operations for businesses by simplifying payment processes and collecting real-time cash flow data and insights.

To help organisations move B2B payments fully into the digital era, SETTLE has integrated with the top Egyptian banks through the Automated Clearing House (ACH). SETTLE’s platform connects ERP software such as Oracle and SAP to businesses’ existing bank accounts, automating payments, receivables, and treasury management. The integration provides companies with greater control and visibility of financial processes, reduces operational errors by up to 90 percent, and enhances efficiency by reducing the workload required for these critical processes by as much as 70 percent. Tamer Azer, partner at Shorooq Partners, stated, “The digitisation of financial operations for Egyptian businesses is long overdue, and SETTLE is stepping in with a service that is efficient, scalable, and easy to integrate.” Traditionally, B2B markets have been slower to pivot towards digitisation of essential processes than the B2C market. As of 2022, 80 percent of businesses were still performing B2B payments via paper checks at least some of the time. The same year, 88 percent of UAE residents had begun to use digital payments for B2C purchases. Since then, the ongoing disparity has placed many B2B vendors at a disadvantage in an increasingly digitised marketplace. Businesses in the Egyptian sector often wait up to two days to get an accurate picture of their cash flow from traditional banks. Kamil Sayour, co-founder of SETTLE, said, “We have watched the Egyptian market undergo a significant digital transformation in B2C services. I believe SETTLE has a major opportunity to bring the same transformation to B2B financial operations.”

Mostafa Mobarak, co-founder of SETTLE, added, “We are deeply familiar with the challenges and potential for the B2B financial services market in Egypt. SETTLE is prepared to enhance that market by automating financial workflows for businesses of all sizes. With the backing of strategic investors, we are now positioned to scale quickly and efficiently.” Haytham Sabry, Group CEO of El Sewedy Capital Holding, stated, “At El Sewedy Capital, we seek out technologies that address real-world challenges, and SETTLE is a perfect example of this. The platform not only streamlines and automates manual financial processes but also empowers businesses to focus their resources on growth and innovation. By reducing the time and effort spent on administrative tasks, SETTLE enables companies to allocate their energy toward strategic initiatives, ultimately driving their success. This aligns with our mission of investing in solutions that foster operational efficiency and long-term business growth."