What MaxAB does

MaxAB is a Cairo-headquartered B2B e-commerce and embedded finance platform founded in 2018 that connects informal food and grocery retailers (tawaris) with suppliers across Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania. Following its 2024 merger with Wasoko and prior acquisitions of WaystoCap (2021) and Fatura (2025), the combined entity serves more than 450,000 merchants with a catalog of 3,000+ SKUs and operates proprietary 24-hour delivery logistics. Its revenue model blends B2B marketplace commissions, per-transaction fees, embedded finance (retailer credit, bills payment, POS/Makina payments, forthcoming supplier payments), and data analytics monetization to suppliers and research firms.

The platform is built on a mobile-first Android app for retailer self-serve ordering, paired with a supplier-facing module (MaxAB Purchases) that delivers real-time demand monitoring, sales-conversion forecasting, and end-to-end supply chain control tools. The tech stack emphasizes a pull-driven supply chain with proprietary logistics, a POS/payments integration layer, and a data warehouse powering business intelligence products. The company runs a vertical segmentation strategy across SMB informal retailers (primary), enterprise FMCG suppliers, and a corporate/HoReCa customer segment for bulk procurement.

MaxAB has raised more than $100M cumulatively across seed, Series A ($40M led by RMBV), Series A extension ($15M alongside WaystoCap acquisition), and a $40M Pre-Series B (October 2022, Silver Lake / BII / DisruptAD). Distribution is hybrid: product-led growth through the Google Play app for retailer acquisition, direct enterprise sales for supplier onboarding, and inside-sales for corporate accounts. The company is led by co-founder and CEO Belal El-Megharbel alongside co-founder/COO Mohamed Ben Halim and co-founder Wael Leheta, and is currently subject to a COMESA merger inquiry into the Wasoko combination.

Name

MaxAB

Legal name

MaxAB

Website

https://maxab.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

MaxAB is a Cairo-headquartered B2B e-commerce and embedded finance platform that connects 450,000+ informal food and grocery retailers with suppliers across Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania via a mobile-first marketplace, proprietary logistics, and fintech services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

B2B Food and Grocery E-commerce Marketplace

NAICS

General Line Grocery Merchant Wholesalers (42441)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

B2B Marketplaces & Wholesale Platforms (BPAMAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wholesale-to-Business Online Ordering (B2B Food E-Commerce) (AFAIAMAD), Online B2B Grocery Supply for Small Businesses (Wholesale-to-Consumer/Prosumer) (CRAHAIAL), Wholesale/B2B Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAF)

Keywords

• B2B e-commerce marketplace
• Food grocery wholesale
• Embedded fintech services
• Supply chain management
• Informal retail distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Cairo

HQ country

Egypt

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. B2B Marketplace Transactions: Platform enables retailers to order food and grocery products from suppliers. Revenue generated from transaction facilitation between retailers and suppliers in the B2B marketplace.
2. Marketplace Commission: Commission-based model from suppliers listing products on the platform for retailers to purchase
3. Embedded Finance Services: Fintech vertical offering bills payment, credit services, and supplier payments generating revenue through payment processing fees and credit interest
4. Data Analytics Services: Providing suppliers and research firms with real-time insights at granular level, monetizing data intelligence capabilities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MaxAB operates a B2B food and grocery e-commerce marketplace that connects informal retailers and corporate buyers to food and grocery suppliers through a mobile app, offering more than 3,000 SKUs with on-demand delivery. The platform combines core e-commerce ordering with embedded fintech services (bills payment, credit, POS) and a supplier-facing data analytics and supply chain management suite, digitizing the informal retail supply chain across Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania.

Product overview

MaxAB operates as a B2B food and grocery e-commerce super app serving the MENA and African regions. The platform combines a core e-commerce marketplace (MaxAB Platform) with embedded fintech services (MaxAB Fintech, MaxAB Payments) and data analytics (MaxAB Data Analytics). The product portfolio enables retailers to order from over 3,000 SKUs, make and accept payments, pay bills, and access credit through a single app. The MaxAB Purchases module serves suppliers with supply chain management and business intelligence tools. The company operates across Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania following mergers with Wasoko and acquisitions of WaystoCap and Fatura.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MaxAB E-commerce A digital ordering platform for food and groceries operating in Egypt and Morocco, enabling retailers and corporate customers to source supplies from a single app with over 3,000 products from various brands at competitive prices, on-demand 24-hour delivery, and recurring discounts.
• MaxAB Fintech Embedded finance solutions including bill payments (utilities, mobile, internet, landline), credit services for retailers, and supplier payment solutions, digitizing payments across the retail ecosystem for informal retailers.
• MaxAB Data Analytics Business intelligence offering providing suppliers and research firms with real-time insights at granular level, including demand monitoring, accurate forecasting based on historical conversion rates, supply chain control, and KPI identification across the platform.
• MaxAB Payments (مكسب مدفوعات) POS terminal and payment acceptance solution for retailers, enabling their customers to pay utility bills, mobile recharge, internet bills, landline bills, university fees, and charitable donations through a single in-store device.
• MaxAB Purchases (مكسب مشتريات) Supplier-facing platform offering end-to-end supply chain solutions including real-time demand monitoring, accurate sales forecasting, supply chain control from product design through after-sale customer service, and business intelligence tools for real-time strategy monitoring.

Quantifiable outcome

• Impacted over 55,000 retailers since 2018 (pre-merger)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• FaturacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Egyptian B2B e-marketplace acquired to transition MaxAB-Wasoko to marketplace model, expanding product assortment for Egyptian retailers and extending approach to other African markets.
• WasokoflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Merger creating Africa's largest B2B e-commerce platform and supply chain super app. Combined entity serves 450,000+ merchants across Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania.
• WaystoCapcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2021Moroccan B2B e-commerce startup acquired to expand into Maghreb region. WaystoCap's network and market presence strengthened MaxAB's regional footprint in West Africa.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Twiga Foods: Kenya-based B2B food and grocery distribution platform connecting small retailers to suppliers via mobile ordering and own logistics — direct competitor to MaxAB with overlapping informal-retail customer base and supply chain model.
• TradeDepot: Nigeria-headquartered B2B commerce platform serving informal retailers with FMCG distribution and embedded fintech — directly comparable to MaxAB in target customer, product, and business model across Africa.
• Sabi (formerly Sokowatch): Africa-focused B2B distribution platform supplying informal retailers with FMCG and fast-moving consumer goods — directly competes with MaxAB in mobile-first ordering, last-mile delivery, and embedded finance.
• Choco: Global B2B food ordering platform connecting restaurants and small food retailers with suppliers via mobile-first ordering — comparable technology and business model to MaxAB's food-and-grocery marketplace.
• MarketForce (Duka Plus): Sub-Saharan Africa B2B retail distribution platform with last-mile delivery and embedded fintech serving informal merchants — directly comparable to MaxAB across Kenya, Nigeria, and other African markets.
• Capiter: Egypt-based B2B e-commerce and embedded finance platform serving small retailers — operates in MaxAB's primary Egyptian market with overlapping B2B grocery supply and credit offering.

Broad incumbents

• Alibaba 1688: China-based dominant B2B wholesale marketplace — broader incumbent demonstrating the B2B wholesale marketplace model MaxAB operates, with deeper SKU breadth but without emerging-market logistics specialization.
• Udaan: India-based B2B commerce platform connecting small retailers with suppliers across categories including FMCG and grocery — broad incumbent with comparable marketplace + embedded finance model serving fragmented informal retail.
• Jumia Group: Pan-African e-commerce platform with marketplace, logistics, and payments (Jumia Pay) infrastructure — broad incumbent in African e-commerce with overlapping geography and emerging-market B2C/B2B exposure, though primarily consumer-facing.

Others

• Foodpanda / Delivery Hero (Talabat, HungerStation): Global food-delivery platform with deep MENA presence (Talabat, HungerStation) — adjacent ecosystem player operating in the same food/grocery category and geographies as MaxAB but with consumer-facing delivery rather than B2B wholesale model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors16 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MaxAB