Next Islamic Fintech Unicorn Could Come From The UK
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Islamic finance is growing globally, but the companies pushing it forward are not always the ones talking about it the loudest.
In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Abdullo Kurbanov, CEO and Co-founder of Ayan Capital, shares how he helped build Alif from a $200,000 start in Tajikistan into a profitable fintech processing $1.2 billion in transactions every month, and why he is now building again from scratch in the UK.
They unpack what Islamic finance actually changes for customers, why Sharia-compliant fintechs still need to compete on speed, pricing and experience, how building technology in-house became a major advantage, and why Abdullo believes the next big Islamic fintech opportunity could come from Central Asia or the UK.
🎙️ In this episode:
Why successful Islamic fintechs do not need to lead with the Islamic label
How Alif grew from $200,000 in capital to $1.2 billion in monthly transactions
Why expanding into Pakistan required years of perseverance
How building technology in-house became a competitive advantage
What actually separates Islamic finance from conventional finance
Why Sharia compliance can become a moat
Why Ayan chose UK car finance as its starting point
What Islamic fintech needs to reach its global potential
⏱️ CHAPTERS
02:29 Why successful Islamic fintechs do not lead with the Islamic label
08:23 Building Alif in a cash-first banking market
13:54 Why Alif expanded into Pakistan
19:06 Why Alif built its technology stack in-house
22:57 What actually makes Islamic finance different?
30:08 Is Islamic finance only relevant to Muslims?
35:02 Why Abdullo started again in the UK
40:43 Why Ayan started with car finance
46:28 The vision for a global digital Islamic bank
48:32 What Islamic fintech needs to reach its potential
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