Zaytoon Business Solutions Limited

What Zaytoon Business Solutions Limited does

Zaytoon Business Solutions Limited is a Bangladesh-based financial inclusion company founded in 2022 by Arfan Ali, the pioneer of Agent Banking in Bangladesh and former President & Managing Director of Bank Asia. The company operates a network of Village Digital Booths (VDBs) — physical access points managed by local entrepreneurs that provide banking, payment, remittance, loan, telemedicine, and government e-services to rural and underserved communities across Bangladesh. As of the latest reporting, Zaytoon operates 251+ VDBs across 15 districts and has served more than 206,700 customers, with a stated target to expand to all 64 districts by the end of 2025.

The underlying platform combines a centralized payment aggregation infrastructure with agent banking rails delivered through partnerships with Mutual Trust Bank PLC and Brac Bank PLC, and integrates the a2i-backed EkPay gateway, Upay mobile financial services, PBIL's PrimeInvest capital market platform, and Grameen Digital Healthcare telemedicine. Technology components include the interoperable Bangla QR payment system, secure digital wallets with OTP and biometric authentication, and e-KYC protocols compliant with Bangladesh Bank regulations. The CMSME loan portfolio covers agricultural, small business, revolving short-term, commercial space, and fixed capital investment loans.

Zaytoon earns revenue through transaction fees and commissions across its service lines — payment aggregation, agent banking, loan facilitation, and foreign remittance disbursement — supplemented by a small per-transaction fee at VDBs. The company is privately held, bootstrapped without disclosed external funding, and led by a team combining senior banking and civil-service pedigree (Akber Hossain, a 33+ year retired civil servant and founding MD of Palli Sanchay Bank, serves as Managing Director). Marketing and customer acquisition rely on community outreach, brand promoter field sales across 8 districts, and referral flows through partner ecosystems.

Name

Zaytoon Business Solutions Limited

Legal name

Zaytoon Business Solutions Limited

Website

https://www.zaytoon.com.bd

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Zaytoon Business Solutions is a Bangladesh-based financial inclusion company operating 251+ Village Digital Booths across 15 districts, delivering banking, payments, remittances, loans, and telemedicine to rural underserved communities through local entrepreneur-operated outlets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agent Banking Services

NAICS

Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation (52229), Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Agricultural & Rural Microfinance (FSAKAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Small Business Banking (Microbusiness/Sole Proprietor) (FSABAAAI), Lending & Credit Disbursements (FSAMAKAH)

Keywords

• Rural financial inclusion
• Agent banking services
• Payment aggregation
• Digital remittance services
• Village digital banking

Headquarters

HQ city

Dhaka

HQ country

Bangladesh

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Payment Aggregation Transaction Fees: As a payment aggregator, Zaytoon generates revenue through transaction fees and commissions on payments processed through its platform. Additional services such as financial reporting tools or premium support may generate supplementary revenue streams.
2. Agent Banking Commissions: Zaytoon incentivizes agents by sharing commissions on transactions conducted at their outlets. The company acts as an intermediary between partner banks and rural communities, earning commissions on cash deposits, withdrawals, remittances, bill payments, and loan disbursements facilitated through its agent network.
3. Loan Facilitation for CMSMEs: Zaytoon facilitates loan products (Agricultural Loans, Small Business Loans, Commercial Space Finance, Fixed Capital Loans) for rural CMSMEs through its Village Digital Booths, acting as a bridge between banks and borrowers. Revenue may be generated through facilitation fees or commission arrangements with lending banks.
4. Foreign Remittance Services: Zaytoon facilitates the disbursement of foreign remittances in rural areas through its network of Village Digital Booths and agent relationships with banks and MFIs, earning commissions on remittance transactions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Zaytoon Business Solutions Limited operates a network of Village Digital Booths (VDBs) in rural Bangladesh that deliver digital banking, payments, remittances, CMSME loans, telemedicine, and government e-services through local entrepreneur-operated outlets. The company functions as a payment aggregator and agent banking facilitator, partnering with banks, fintechs, and government platforms to bring formal financial services to underserved rural communities. Core offerings include cash deposits and withdrawals, account opening, Bangla QR payments, foreign remittance disbursement, agricultural and small business loans, and digital literacy training.

Product overview

Zaytoon Business Solutions Limited operates as a financial inclusion-focused fintech company offering a platform-plus-outlet architecture centered on Village Digital Booths (VDBs). The core platform provides payment aggregation services, while individual VDBs serve as physical access points managed by local entrepreneurs. The product portfolio includes Agent Banking services (in partnership with Mutual Trust Bank and Brac Bank), CMSME loan products, Foreign Remittance services, Account Opening, Agricultural Loans, and EkPay payment gateway integration. Additional services include Bangla QR for contactless payments, Healthcare Telemedicine, and Financial Literacy programs. The ecosystem is supported through strategic partnerships with a2i (EkPay), Upay, Grameen Digital Healthcare Solutions, and Prime Bank Investment Limited for capital market access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Village Digital Booth (VDB): A financial service center established in villages providing digital banking, payment, remittance, and other e-services to rural communities.

Products and services

• Village Digital Booth (VDB) Financial service centers managed by local entrepreneurs under Zaytoon's overall management, providing digital banking, payments, remittances, government bill payments, social security allowances, educational fees, telemedicine, and e-ticketing to rural communities across Bangladesh.
• Payment Aggregator Streamlined payment infrastructure connecting merchants and customers in rural Bangladesh, enabling QR-based payments through Bangla QR, merchant onboarding, and a centralized payment platform integrating multiple payment channels (cards, mobile wallets, QR codes, internet banking).
• Agent Banking Limited-scale formal banking services delivered through VDBs operating as mini bank branches in rural areas, providing cash deposits and withdrawals, account opening, loan disbursement and repayments, and remittance services in partnership with Mutual Trust Bank and Brac Bank.
• CMSME Loans Loan products for Cottage, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises including Agricultural Loans, Small Business Loans, Revolving Short-Term Loans, Commercial Space Finance, and Fixed Capital Investment loans, accessible through Village Digital Booths.
• Foreign Remittance International money transfer services enabling the Bangladeshi diaspora to send funds to families in Bangladesh, with disbursement through Village Digital Booths in partnership with MTOs, banks, and MFIs.
• Account Opening Banking account opening services delivered through Village Digital Booths, helping unbanked rural populations gain access to the formal banking system via partner banks.
• Agricultural Loan Loan products for agro-based and agro-processing industries available to CMSMEs and specialized organizations engaged in agriculture, disbursed through Village Digital Booths.
• Bangla QR QR code payment system promoted by Zaytoon allowing small merchants to accept digital payments via a single QR code, enabling customers to make transactions using mobile wallets or banking apps without POS terminals.
• Financial Literacy Program Financial education and literacy programs including training, workshops, and educational materials to help rural populations make informed financial decisions, manage finances effectively, and improve financial well-being.

Quantifiable outcome

• 206,700+ customers served through Village Digital Booths across 15 districts
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Prime Bank Investment Limited (PBIL)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 5 May 2025PBIL signed an MOU with Zaytoon to enable rural communities to participate in capital market investment through Village Digital Booths. VDB customers can invest in government securities and listed stocks digitally via PrimeInvest, PBIL's flagship capital market product suite offering capital protected plans, monthly investment plans, and schemes for Women, Probashi, Shariah, and Youth segments.
• Grameen Digital Healthcare SolutionscoreTechnology or Integration · 5 May 2025Zaytoon partnered with Grameen Digital Healthcare Solutions to expand access to affordable and technology-driven healthcare services in rural and underserved communities through Village Digital Booths. The collaboration enables telemedicine consultations and healthcare service delivery at VDBs, marking a significant step toward improving health and well-being at the grassroots level through digital innovation.
• Upay (UCB Fintech Company Ltd.)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 March 2025Mobile financial service provider Upay, a subsidiary of United Commercial Bank PLC, signed an agreement with Zaytoon Business Solutions to leverage Zaytoon's network of VDBs as authorised Upay digital agents. VDBs facilitate mobile banking, bill payments, remittance services, and digital lending. Initial launch in Rajshahi, Chapai Nawabganj, Munshiganj, Sirajganj, and Chittagong with planned nationwide expansion.
• Mutual Trust Bank PLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 17 January 2023Zaytoon partners with Mutual Trust Bank PLC as its banking partner for delivering Agent Banking services. The partnership allows Zaytoon to operate as an intermediary between the bank and rural communities, extending essential banking services (deposits, withdrawals, account opening, remittances, bill payments, small loans) to regions where access to formal banking is limited.
• Brac Bank PLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 17 January 2023Zaytoon partners with Brac Bank PLC as its banking partner for delivering Agent Banking services. VDBs serve as agent banking outlets, enabling rural customers to access Brac Bank's banking services including deposits, withdrawals, account opening, remittances, and loan products.
• a2i (Aspire to Innovate) / EkPaycoreTechnology or Integration · 17 January 2023Zaytoon signed an MOU with a2i to establish Village Digital Booths across Bangladesh using a2i's EkPay payment aggregator platform. EkPay provides technical and overall support, enabling VDBs to facilitate all types of government and private financial service payments, social safety net disbursements, educational fee payments, telemedicine, and e-ticketing from a single platform.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• One Bank (OK wallet / agent banking): Bangladesh bank operating agent banking and OK mobile banking services targeting rural and unbanked customers; an emerging peer in rural digital financial services directly comparable to Zaytoon's VDB-led offerings.
• Nagad: Bangladesh Post Office-backed mobile financial services platform with an extensive agent network providing payments, remittances, and government disbursements; competes directly with Zaytoon's VDB-based agent banking and payment aggregation.
• Dutch-Bangla Bank (Rocket): Bangladesh's pioneer agent banking bank running the Rocket MFS brand; closest comparable in offering rural deposits, withdrawals, remittance, and small loans through a national agent network, directly overlapping with Zaytoon's VDB mandate.
• SSL Commerz (SureCash): Bangladesh payment aggregator and MFS provider operating the SureCash brand; comparable to Zaytoon's payment aggregator and agent-based digital financial services distribution model.
• TMSS: Large Bangladeshi NGO and microfinance institution providing rural credit, savings, and financial services via community-based distribution; comparable to Zaytoon's CMSME lending and rural financial inclusion model.
• SurjoPay: Bangladesh-based payment gateway offering merchant payment aggregation and online checkout infrastructure; a direct comparator to Zaytoon's payment aggregator business and Bangla QR merchant onboarding.
• bKash: Bangladesh's largest mobile financial services platform with the country's deepest agent network serving unbanked and rural customers; directly comparable to Zaytoon in agent-driven financial inclusion through cash-in/cash-out, payments, remittance, and merchant transactions.

Broad incumbents

• Grameenphone (M-Pesa/GP MFS): Largest mobile operator in Bangladesh operating mobile financial services; competes with Zaytoon at the intersection of telco-distributed digital wallets and agent-based rural services, with significantly broader scale and balance sheet.
• BRAC Bank (Astro/Agent Banking): Bangladesh bank with its own large agent banking network (Astro) and CMSME lending capability; one of Zaytoon's named banking partners, but also a competitor in delivering agent banking services to rural and CMSME customers.
• Mutual Trust Bank (MTB) Agent Banking: Bangladesh commercial bank and one of Zaytoon's two named banking partners delivering agent banking through the VDB network; a broader incumbent offering competing agent banking services beyond the Zaytoon footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/zbsl.bd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zaytoon-business-solutions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Zaytoon Business Solutions Limited