Balad
Balad is Egypt's first CBE-licensed remittance aggregator, providing API-first cross-border payout infrastructure that enables global MTOs, banks, and fintech platforms to send money into Egypt via a single integration reaching all 38 licensed banks, 20+ mobile wallets, and 1,000+ cash pickup locations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2022
- HeadquartersCairo, Egypt
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Balad does
Balad Technologies is a Cairo-based fintech founded in 2022 that operates as Egypt's first licensed remittance aggregator, providing API-first cross-border payout infrastructure for global money transfer operators (MTOs), banks, and fintech platforms sending money into Egypt. The company obtained full Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) approval and went live in February 2025, enabling a single REST API integration to reach all 38 CBE-licensed banks via Egypt's Instant Payment Network, 20+ mobile wallet brands (including Vodafone Cash, Orange Cash, e& money, WE Pay, Halan, and Masary), and 1,000+ cash pickup locations nationwide. The platform supports USD, EUR, and EGP with automatic FX conversion, and processes over $1B in annual volume with 99.95% uptime and 95% of bank transfers settling within 10 minutes.
The core technology stack includes a Payout API, a web-based Dashboard for transaction management and FinOps reconciliation, a Payout Tracker for real-time status monitoring, and webhook callbacks for event-driven notifications. The platform is PCI-DSS compliant and includes AML screening, sanctions verification, and a sandbox environment for partner integration testing. Partners reportedly move from contract signing to live deployment in approximately one week, a significant acceleration compared to the months typically required for individual bank integrations.
Balad generates revenue through transaction-based fees on cross-border payouts, with custom enterprise pricing based on corridor and volume. The go-to-market is B2B direct sales targeting enterprise MTOs, banks, and fintech platforms, supported by developer documentation, a content marketing blog, and demo-based sales motion. Named partners include WorldRemit, Nala, iSend, Profee, Dahabshiil, Banana Pay, Fincra, and Banque du Caire. The company raised a seven-figure USD pre-seed round led by Acasia Ventures in May 2023, with subsequent participation from 500 Global and other investors. In August 2024, Balad extended its product surface through a strategic partnership with e-Khales to enable cross-border bill payments for Egyptian expatriates.
Balad firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Balad
- Legal name
- Balad Technologies
- Website
- https://balad.me
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2022
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Balad is Egypt's first CBE-licensed remittance aggregator, providing API-first cross-border payout infrastructure that enables global MTOs, banks, and fintech platforms to send money into Egypt via a single integration reaching all 38 licensed banks, 20+ mobile wallets, and 1,000+ cash pickup locations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Balad industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cross-border Payment Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199), Functions Related To Depository Banking, Nec (6099)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Remittance & Cross-Border Payment Rails (SWIFT, Local Clearing, RTP Connectivity) (FSAGAKAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cross-Border B2B2C Payouts (Mass Payouts, Gig/Creator, Marketplace) (FSAGAKAC)
Keywords
Where Balad is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cairo
- HQ country
- Egypt
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Balad business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- API Transaction Fees: Balad charges transaction fees for cross-border payout services through its API platform. The company processes over $1B+ annually in transfer volume, generating revenue through per-transaction fees paid by MTOs, banks, and fintech platforms sending money into Egypt.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Custom enterprise pricing based on volume and corridor |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Balad product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Balad operates an API-first cross-border payout infrastructure that enables global money transfer operators (MTOs), banks, and fintech platforms to send remittances into Egypt through a single REST API integration. The platform reaches all 38 CBE-licensed banks via the Instant Payment Network, 20+ mobile wallet brands (telecom, bank, and fintech wallets), and 1,000+ cash pickup locations, processing over $1B+ in annual transfer volume with automated FX conversion across USD, EUR, and EGP.
Product overview
Balad is an API-first B2B remittance aggregator providing cross-border payout infrastructure into Egypt. The core offering consists of a single REST API integration that enables global partners (MTOs, banks, fintech platforms) to send money to Egypt via multiple delivery methods: bank transfers to all 38 CBE-licensed banks via the Instant Payment Network, mobile wallet payouts to 20+ wallet brands (telecom, bank, and fintech wallets), and cash pickup at 1,000+ agent locations. The product portfolio includes the Balad Payout API, Balad Dashboard for transaction management and FinOps, and the Payout Tracker for real-time status monitoring. The platform is CBE-licensed and PCI compliant, processing over $1B+ in annual volume with 99.95% uptime.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Balad Payout API A REST API that enables businesses (MTOs, banks, fintech platforms) to send cross-border payouts to Egypt through a single integration, reaching all 38 CBE-licensed banks, 20+ mobile wallet brands, and 1,000+ cash pickup locations. Supports initiating transfers, checking transaction status, accessing live FX rates, updating transactions, and receiving webhook callbacks.
- Cash Pickup Nationwide cash collection service allowing recipients to pick up funds at over 1,000 agent locations across Egypt for MTOs, banks, and fintech partners.
- Mobile Wallet Payouts Instant settlement to all major Egyptian mobile wallets including telecom wallets (Vodafone Cash, Orange Cash, e& money, WE Pay), bank wallets (NBE Phone Cash, BM Wallet, QNB AlAhli), and fintech wallets (Halan, e-Pocket, Masary) for business partners.
- Bank Transfers Direct deposits to all 38 banks registered with the Central Bank of Egypt via the Instant Payment Network (IPN), with 95% settlement within 10 minutes for business partners sending cross-border payouts.
- Balad Dashboard Web-based portal for transaction tracking, webhook configuration, ticket support, user management, FinOps and reconciliation, and alert management for business clients.
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% of wallet payouts settle within 10 minutes
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Balad
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Balad technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature6 records
Balad partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- e-KhalescoreStrategic partnership with e-Khales, Egypt's leading digital payment subsidiary of e-Finance Investment Group, to provide bill payment solutions for Egyptian expatriates worldwide. Enables expatriates in 60+ countries to pay bills, top-up mobile phones, pay school fees, and make installment payments.
- WorldRemitmajorGlobal money transfer operator using Balad's API infrastructure to send cross-border payouts to Egypt via bank accounts, mobile wallets, and cash pickup.
- NalamajorAfrican fintech company using Balad's payout network to deliver remittances to Egyptian recipients.
- iSendmajorInternational remittance provider integrated with Balad's Egypt payout infrastructure.
- ProfeemajorRemittance platform partner utilizing Balad's API for Egypt corridor payouts.
- DahabshiilmajorGlobal remittance and microfinance services company connected to Balad's Egypt payout network.
- Banana PaymajorFintech partner sending remittances through Balad's infrastructure to Egypt.
- FincramajorAfrican payment infrastructure company using Balad for Egypt cross-border payouts.
- Banque du CairemajorEgyptian bank partnered with Balad for remittance payout services via Qahera Cash wallet and direct bank transfers.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Balad competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Nium: API-first B2B cross-border payments infrastructure for fintechs, banks, and MTOs, with global payout coverage. Comparable to Balad as an enterprise-grade API platform for regulated cross-border payouts into emerging markets.
- Onafriq (formerly MFS Africa): Africa's largest mobile money network connecting mobile wallets across the continent, including Egypt, for cross-border payouts. Comparable to Balad as a B2B mobile-wallet payout aggregator with regulatory coverage in African corridors.
- Thunes: B2B cross-border payments network providing a single API to pay out to mobile wallets, bank accounts, and cash across emerging markets including MENA. Directly comparable to Balad as a regulated cross-border payout aggregator with mobile-wallet and bank-rail coverage.
- Flutterwave: African payment infrastructure provider enabling cross-border and domestic payments for businesses across the continent. Comparable to Balad as a B2B API-driven emerging-markets payments platform with a similar target customer base of fintechs and MTOs.
- dLocal: Cross-border payments platform enabling global merchants and platforms to pay and get paid in emerging markets, with deep coverage in MENA and Africa. Comparable to Balad in serving emerging-market payout corridors through a single integration.
- TerraPay: B2B cross-border mobile money payments network connecting senders to mobile wallets and bank accounts in emerging markets, particularly across Africa and the Middle East. Closely comparable to Balad's wallet-and-bank payout infrastructure model.
Broad incumbents
- Network International: Leading payment processor across the Middle East and Africa, providing acquiring, processing, and digital payment solutions. Operates in the same regional ecosystem as Balad with broader capabilities and an established banking-rail footprint.
- Wise (formerly TransferWise): Large cross-border payments company with a B2B platform (Wise Platform) that licenses infrastructure to banks and fintechs. Overlaps with Balad in cross-border B2B payouts but operates at significantly greater scale and across many corridors.
Regional players
- Paymob: Egyptian payment gateway and fintech infrastructure provider enabling online and in-store payment acceptance. Operates in the same Egyptian market as Balad with an adjacent (acceptance-side) infrastructure footprint that could overlap with future product expansion.
- Fawry: Egypt's largest digital payments and bill-payment fintech, with a nationwide agent and merchant network. Operates in the same Egyptian market as Balad and represents a potential domestic competitor or partner for remittance-linked bill-payment flows.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Balad social profiles
Digital presenceBalad compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Balad financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Balad leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Balad funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Balad M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Balad
What does Balad do?
Balad operates an API-first cross-border payout infrastructure that enables global money transfer operators (MTOs), banks, and fintech platforms to send remittances into Egypt through a single REST API integration. The platform reaches all 38 CBE-licensed banks via the Instant Payment Network, 20+ mobile wallet brands (telecom, bank, and fintech wallets), and 1,000+ cash pickup locations, processing over $1B+ in annual transfer volume with automated FX conversion across USD, EUR, and EGP.
Is Balad a public or private company?
Balad is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Balad founded?
Balad was founded in 2022. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Balad based?
Balad is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt, in the Africa region.
How does Balad make money?
One revenue line is on record: API Transaction Fees.
Who are Balad's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Nium, Onafriq (formerly MFS Africa), Thunes, Flutterwave, dLocal and TerraPay. Broad incumbents are Network International and Wise (formerly TransferWise). Regional players are Paymob and Fawry.
Does Balad have an API?
Yes. Balad offers a REST API that enables businesses to initiate cross-border payouts to Egypt. The API supports initiating transfers, checking transaction status, accessing live FX rates, updating transactions, and receiving webhook callbacks. Partners can integrate once to access all delivery methods including bank accounts, mobile wallets, and cash pickup locations across Egypt. A sandbox environment is available for testing before going live. The platform handles routing, screening, settlement, and confirmation behind every payout. Developer documentation is at developers.balad.tech.
What industry is Balad in?
Balad's product category is Cross-border Payment Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGAKAH, Remittance & Cross-Border Payment Rails (SWIFT, Local Clearing, RTP Connectivity), with a secondary code of FSAGAKAC, Cross-Border B2B2C Payouts (Mass Payouts, Gig/Creator, Marketplace). Its NAICS code is 52232 and its SIC code is 6199.