Exits.me, Egypt’s Fintech Investment Banking Marketplace Raises $1M Pre-Seed Round
Exits.me, Egypt’s fintech investment banking marketplace, has raised $1 million in a pre-seed round of funding. The round is funded by Exits.me in the United Kingdom, a group of notable Egyptian angel investors (including Omar Amer, Abdulmuguid Amer, Omar Wagdy, Adham Wagdy, and Ayman Essawy), Baseeta Investments Holding, Mawelni Holding for Financial Investments, and the founders.
The fintech marketplace facilitates M&As and company investments by providing a seamless and fully integrated online solution on its platform as well as a full-service financial advisory service.
Exits.me was acquired earlier this year by PIE, an M&A consultancy founded by Mohamed Aboulnaga. Following the release of the platform’s BETA version, the team is currently working to transform it into a new platform to address a widely overlooked gap in the market for M&As and funding support among MENA SMEs and Startups.
According to the founders, businesses that investment banks overlook due to their smaller ticket sizes are having difficulty finding investment opportunities. The current market conditions, as well as the high fee markups and retainer costs demanded by traditional investment banks, make it even more difficult. This round is only the beginning of what will be required to build this vision and bring investment opportunities to all classes in MENA.
In the same vein, one of the investors, Omar Wagdy, stated, “We want startups and SMEs that aren’t on the radar of traditional investment banks to have a user-friendly and automated way of engaging in M&A and investment opportunities.”
Exits.me Offerings
When comparing 2012 to 2018, the Middle East alone had more than three times the number of exits, according to global reports, and the numbers continue to grow at higher multiples. Furthermore, despite global market volatility, the MENA region recorded 359 M&A deals worth $42.6 billion in H1 2022, according to an E&Y report. The increase in M&A activity represents a 12% increase in deal count year on year (YoY). UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Oman are driving these deals.
Furthermore, investor Omar Amer stated, “The Exits.me team anticipates continued growth in the need for M&A/Funding across the region within the next three to five years, and this fresh capital will see Exits.me addressing this growing gap.”
Exits.me currently has 25+ signed active sell/buy-side advisory mandates with 30 others in the pipeline totaling a value of $150-200 Million, with multiple deals closing at a value of $110k pre-launch. The platform is also in the process of obtaining a crowdfunding license from the Financial Regulatory Authority to manage and organize crowdfunding campaigns, which will pave the way for a new investment product for the MENA market, allowing anyone in any capacity to invest.
Exits.me was founded early this year to raise investor awareness and educate the MENA region on the importance of early investments in all verticals and business functions. According to them, it is critical for people of all backgrounds to understand how to invest digitally. Whether you’re looking to invest, raise funds, or sell/merge, you can now try out the BETA platform for free by creating a buy-side or sell-side account on Exits.me.