Zelo, a new private-credit platform in the UAE and a subsidiary of IHC, has received USD 715 million from IHC to grow its supply chain financing services across the Middle East.
This is one of the biggest private credit investments in the region’s B2B financing sector. With this funding, Zelo will be able to offer more financial support and easier access to liquidity for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in important industries across the economy.
Zelo helps small and mid-sized businesses get money quickly by offering financing based on payments they are supposed to receive from government departments, big companies, and major regional businesses. By working with strong and reliable buyers, Zelo turns Middle Eastern supply chains into a new type of investment opportunity in private credit.
This approach helps the Middle East become more involved in global private-credit markets by creating a safe and attractive asset pool for investors.
The Middle East currently has a USD 250 billion credit gap for SMEs because payments often take a long time and businesses struggle to access working capital. Zelo solves this problem by giving businesses almost instant cash through invoice financing. This allows suppliers to use their money sooner, grow faster, take on bigger projects, hire more people, and increase their operations.
Syed Basar Shueb, CEO of IHC, said: “Private credit has become one of the fastest-growing asset classes globally. Our commitment to Zelo signals confidence in the region’s ability to originate institutional-grade receivables and to play a larger role in the global private credit market. This investment enables Zelo to scale its platform and contribute to a more resilient, diversified financial ecosystem in the region.”
Dhanush Arjun, CEO of Zelo, noted: “With this milestone allocation, Zelo will continue expanding across the GCC and building a scalable private credit infrastructure platform rooted in predictable, real-economy assets. The company remains focused on enabling faster, more efficient access to capital for SMEs and suppliers, reinforcing its role as a foundational driver of private credit growth in the region.”
Zelo is a private credit platform that helps businesses in the Middle East get quick access to money they are owed. It finances real-world invoices and receivables, giving instant cash to small businesses, contractors, and suppliers. Zelo offers services like invoice financing, bank guarantee solutions, and embedded finance to make it easier for companies to manage their cash flow.
So far, Zelo has completed more than 12,000 transactions and supported businesses with over USD 225 million in total funding. By providing fast and reliable liquidity, the platform is helping companies grow and stay stable across some of the UAE’s most important industries.
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