Saudi Arabia-based fintech Nayla Finance raised USD 17.9 million in a Pre-Series A round. The round combines equity and debt financing, as it looks to expand lending to the Kingdom’s micro businesses.

The equity side of the round was led by Idrisi Ventures, with participation from Suhail Ventures and other investors. Meanwhile, Blominvest led the debt facility, which aims to support the expansion of Nayla’s lending portfolio.

With the funding, it seeks to increase financing, expand into adjacent customer segments, and strengthen Nayla’s credit intelligence platform

Why You Should Care

Micro businesses make up the largest segment of Saudi Arabia’s private sector but continue to face limited access to financing. Nayla is targeting that gap with a digital lending model that uses alternative data and proprietary credit assessment capabilities to evaluate businesses that may not fit conventional lending criteria.

The new capital gives Nayla room to increase financing for underserved businesses while investing further in the technology underpinning its underwriting process.

For Saudi Arabia’s fintech ecosystem, the raise also points to growing institutional interest in financial infrastructure designed around smaller businesses and entrepreneurs.

The Details

Founded in 2025 by Shaqran Alyahya and Khalid Naili, Nayla is a fintech providing microfinancing solutions for micro businesses and entrepreneurs. It is a Saudi Central Bank SAMA licensed fintech. 

“ This capital enables us to significantly expand access to financing for Saudi Arabia’s micro businesses, continue investing in our technology and proprietary credit engine, and strengthen our position as the leading digital financing platform serving this vital segment of the economy,”  

Shaqran Alyahya, Co-Founder and CEO of Nayla

Looking ahead, with the new funding, it aims to increase financing to underserved micro businesses across Saudi Arabia. Moreover, it seeks to expand into adjacent customer segments and further enhance its proprietary credit intelligence platform. It also aims to deepen its partnerships across the Kingdom’s SME ecosystem. 

The Ripple

Nayla’s expansion comes as Saudi Arabia continues to push financial inclusion and entrepreneurship under Vision 2030. Its focus on alternative data could also have implications for how lenders assess smaller businesses that lack the audited financial statements or collateral typically required by traditional credit models.

The combination of equity and debt gives Nayla both growth capital and additional financing capacity for its lending portfolio. Meanwhile, the participation of investors and a dedicated debt provider signals confidence in its early traction and underwriting model.

What to Watch

Nayla’s next phase will hinge on how quickly it can translate the new capital into a larger lending portfolio while maintaining disciplined credit performance.

Its expansion into adjacent customer segments and continued development of its credit intelligence platform. This will also show whether its alternative-data approach can scale beyond its current micro business focus.