#379 Emerging Market Fintech: Nader Abdelrazik’s Insights on Growth, Innovation, and Challenges

The CTO Show with Mehmet Gonullu

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we are joined by Nader Abdelrazik, the CEO and co-founder of MoneyHash, a pioneering payment orchestration platform in the emerging markets. Nader shares his journey from academia to entrepreneurship, detailing how his diverse background in economics and engineering has shaped his strategic approach to building a successful fintech company.

We delve into the founding story of MoneyHash, exploring the synergy between Nader and his co-founder Mustafa, and the unique challenges they identified in the fragmented payment infrastructure of the Middle East and Africa. Nader explains how MoneyHash aims to revolutionize this space by providing a comprehensive operating system that simplifies and optimizes payment processes for businesses across the region.

The conversation also touches on the broader fintech landscape in MENA and Africa, with Nader offering insights into the rapid evolution of this sector, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. He argues that the fintech infrastructure is still in its infancy, with immense potential for growth and innovation. Despite common concerns about the saturation of fintech startups, Nader believes there is still a vast landscape to be explored and that competition will only serve to enhance the ecosystem.

Nader also discusses the recent milestone partnership between MoneyHash and Visa, which he sees as a significant step towards elevating the payment ecosystem in the region to a new level of sophistication. This partnership not only validates MoneyHash’s approach but also opens up new opportunities for merchants to leverage advanced payment solutions.

As the discussion progresses, Mehmet and Nader explore the challenges of building a global company from the MENA region, the importance of robust support systems, and the need for more growth-stage funding to sustain ambitious startups. Nader shares valuable advice for fellow entrepreneurs on building strong teams, investing in middle management early, and avoiding the pitfalls of over-optimization.

About Nader:

As the co-founder and CEO of MoneyHash, Nader Abdelrazik leads a team of technologists and payment experts who are on a mission to reshape the quality of money-processing tech in emerging markets and help businesses scale. With over 12 years of experience in strategy, consulting, and complexity management, he has worked with innovative startups and organizations in payments, fintech, and blockchain across Africa and the Middle East.

Nader’s passion for complex problems stems from his academic background in development economics and international development at UC Berkeley, and management of technology and innovation at Nile University. He uses ecosystem approaches and systems thinking to tackle techno-economic issues and create value for customers and stakeholders. He is also deeply committed to topics such as remote work, diversity and inclusion, growth flywheels, learning and development, and product discovery and design. Nader is always eager to chat and collaborate with people who share his vision and mission.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/naderfahim/

https://moneyhash.io/

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

01:33 Nader Abdelrazik's Background and Journey

03:11 The Birth of MoneyHash

05:39 Challenges and Solutions in the Payment Ecosystem

10:14 Customer Journey with MoneyHash

15:13 Partnership with Visa and Ecosystem Impact

17:38 FinTech Landscape in MENA and Africa

24:42 The Role of Academia and Higher Education

28:05 Investment and Growth Challenges

37:00 Building a Startup: Strategies and Advice

42:21 Conclusion and Final Thoughts