NAYLA Finance raises $17.9M Seed

Other outlets describe the round as pre-Series A, not seed, and as a mix of equity and debt. Nayla has not disclosed the split. Idrisi Ventures led the equity, Suhail Ventures and other strategic investors joined, and Blominvest led the debt facility. The debt is meant to expand the lending portfolio, while equity goes to adjacent customer segments, the credit platform and SME partnerships. Founded in 2024 by CEO Shaqran Alyahya and chief risk officer Khalid Naili, Nayla lends up to SAR 200,000 (about $53,650) to micro businesses, on terms of up to 12 months. It reports thousands of applications and tens of millions of riyals originated since launch. It received its Saudi Central Bank microfinance license in April 2025 and began operating in May 2025. An earlier $4 million seed round preceded this raise. For AI builders, the notable point is how the capital is structured. Nayla's credit assessment uses alternative data to reach borrowers that traditional institutions turned away. A proprietary underwriting model, backed by a licensed lender and debt capacity, lets a young company grow its loan book without relying on equity alone. Debt lenders such as Blominvest are paying for data-driven credit decisions in a regulated market.