# Ziina **Source:** https://geo.sig.ai/brands/ziina **Vertical:** Finance **Subcategory:** General **Tier:** Emerging **Website:** ziina.com **Last Updated:** 2026-04-14 ## Summary Dubai P2P and business payments fintech for MENA at $300M annualized payment volume; YC W21 $22M Altos Ventures Series A with 10x revenue growth competing with PayTabs for UAE and Saudi digital payment adoption. ## Company Overview Ziina is a Dubai, United Arab Emirates-based fintech company providing instant peer-to-peer payments, business payment links, and embedded payment infrastructure for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region — enabling consumers and businesses to send and receive money using only a phone number, email, or payment link without requiring bank account details. Founded in 2020 by Faisal Toukan, Andrew Gold, and Sarah Toukan and backed by Y Combinator (W21) with $30.85 million raised including a $22 million Series A in September 2024 led by Altos Ventures with participation from Avenir Growth, COTU Ventures, and others, Ziina achieved $300 million in annualized payment volume in 2024 with 10x revenue growth and 5 million+ transactions processed serving 50,000+ active users. Ziina's payment architecture addresses the fragmentation of MENA financial infrastructure: the region's payment rails are fragmented across country-specific bank transfer systems (UAE's UAEFTS, Saudi's SARIE), card networks, and cash — making simple money transfers between friends or from customer to business more friction-heavy than modern P2P apps in the US or Europe. Ziina's mobile wallet enables instant transfers to any phone number regardless of which bank the recipient uses — similar to Venmo or Zelle but built for the UAE's regulatory environment and Arabic language. The business product (payment links, QR codes, embedded checkout) enables small businesses and freelancers to accept digital payments without card terminals or merchant accounts. In 2025, Ziina competes in the MENA digital payments market with PayTabs (Saudi/UAE payments infrastructure), Tabby (buy-now-pay-later, $200M+ raised), and Tamara (BNPL, Saudi Arabia) for regional digital payment adoption. Central bank digital currency pilots (UAE's mBridge project) and the UAE's Vision 2031 cashless economy targets create regulatory tailwinds for P2P payment adoption. Ziina's Y Combinator backing and Silicon Valley investor base provides product development velocity and credibility with the UAE's technology entrepreneur community. The 2025 strategy focuses on deepening UAE market penetration, expanding into Saudi Arabia (the region's largest economy), and building the API platform that lets MENA startups embed Ziina's payment infrastructure into their own applications. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Ziina? Ziina is a Dubai-based fintech company founded in 2020 that provides instant peer-to-peer payments, business payment solutions, and embedded payment infrastructure for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The company is part of Y Combinator's Winter 2021 cohort and has grown to serve 50,000 active users. ### What products and services does Ziina offer? Ziina offers peer-to-peer payments, business payment solutions, payment infrastructure, and embedded payments tailored for the MENA fintech market. These solutions enable both individuals and businesses to send and receive payments instantly across the region. ### Who is Ziina designed for? Ziina serves both individual consumers looking for peer-to-peer payment solutions and businesses needing payment processing capabilities in the Middle East and North Africa region. The platform currently has 50,000 active users utilizing its services. ### When was Ziina founded? Ziina was founded in 2020 and participated in Y Combinator's Winter 2021 (W21) cohort. ### Where is Ziina headquartered? Ziina is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and operates as a payments platform serving the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. ### How much funding has Ziina raised? Ziina has raised $30.85 million in total funding, including a $22 million Series A round in September 2024 led by Altos Ventures with participation from Avenir Growth and COTU Ventures. ### What are Ziina's key achievements and metrics? Ziina achieved $300 million in annualized payment volume in 2024 with 10x revenue growth. The company has processed over 5 million transactions and serves 50,000 active users. ### What industry does Ziina operate in? Ziina operates in the consumer finance and fintech industry, specifically focusing on payment solutions for the Middle East and North Africa region. ### Is Ziina backed by Y Combinator? Yes, Ziina is part of Y Combinator's Winter 2021 (W21) cohort, one of the world's leading startup accelerators. ### What are Ziina's most recent developments? In September 2024, Ziina closed a $22 million Series A funding round led by Altos Ventures and achieved $300 million in annualized payment volume with 10x revenue growth. The company has also surpassed 5 million total transactions processed on its platform. ## Tags b2c, fintech, middle-east, mobile-first, payment-processing, scaleup --- *Data from geo.sig.ai Brand Intelligence Database. Updated 2026-04-14.*