Infibeam Avenues restructures UAE unit ahead of ADX listing

Entrackr · 2d

Fintech firm Infibeam Avenues Ltd's UAE subsidiary has reorganized its shareholding structure ahead of its listing to amplify its digital payment strategy, as stated in a stock exchange filing. The reorganization involves transferring the mirror shareholding in Avenues World FZ-LLC to its newly incorporated Abu Dhabi entity, Infibeam Avenues ME SPV Ltd. According to the stock exchange filing on Thursday, Infibeam Avenues' wholly-owned UAE subsidiary, Vavian International Ltd, will hold an 80 percent stake in the newly formed Infibeam Avenues ME SPV Ltd. This entity will, in turn, own Avenues World FZ-LLC, the operator behind the widely recognized CCAvenue.ae payment gateway in the UAE. The strategic reshuffling aligns with Infibeam Avenues' bullish outlook on the rapidly expanding digital payments sector in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The move also aligns with the company's plans to optimize its upcoming ADX IPO fundraising (Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange), which requires the company to have its headquarters in Abu Dhabi. Prior to this, Infibeam Avenues stated that its UAE-based step-down subsidiary, Avenues World FZ-LLC, had raised up to $20 million in a pre-IPO equity placement. The 20% dilution gave the firm a post-money valuation of $100 million. In August 2023, Infibeam Avenues was reported to have processed over AED 1 billion in transactions in a single month. By October 2023, its CCAvenue.ae payment gateway had processed more than AED 24.5 billion in transactions, serving over 5,000 merchants across various industries, including high-profile clients such as Burj Khalifa, Emaar, Damac, Nakheel, and Trump Golf Dubai. Earlier, Infibeam Avenues had introduced mobile-based QR code solutions in the UAE, targeting the growing offline payments sector. This launch marked a pivotal step for the company, as it expanded its portfolio of offerings into the international market, beginning with the UAE. Additionally, Infibeam’s subsidiary in Saudi Arabia recently secured the Payment Tokenization Service Provider (PTSP) certification from the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA), becoming one of the first Indian fintech firms to do so in the Kingdom. The company had also reported impressive year-on-year growth in the region, driven by the launch of initiatives such as express settlement for merchants, CCAvenue TapPay, and an aggressive expansion strategy targeting the digital payments boom in the Middle East.