This UAE fintech partnership aims to fix a core problem for SMEs: getting loans based on clear, real-time data.

UAE-based fintech companies UPFRONT and CredibleX have announced a strategic partnership to improve SME financing UAE by providing data-driven transparency for businesses and lenders. According to a joint announcement, the collaboration will give financiers clearer visibility into business performance, enabling more efficient funding decisions for small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Partnership Explained

There is a straightforward way to understand this partnership. Previously, SMEs seeking loans presented lenders with fragmented financial records, often requiring manual processes to verify. This created friction and made risk assessment difficult. The new collaboration aims to solve this by integrating their services. CredibleX, a licensed fintech lender, will have its customers use UPFRONT’s financial automation platform.

This allows SMEs to manage receivables, payables, and cashflow in one place. More importantly, it provides CredibleX with structured, real-time B2B financial data. This shift from manual to automated data sharing is designed to build a more reliable foundation for financing, similar to other local efforts to fix SME invoice delays and streamline access to capital.

Why This Matters for SME Financing in the UAE

The significance of this partnership lies in strengthening the data layer behind SME financing. By standardizing how financial information is captured and shared, it addresses a fundamental weakness in the traditional lending model. It creates a single source of truth for a company's financial health, benefiting both sides.

“This partnership is about improving how SME financing decisions are made,” said Anas Qudah, Founder and CEO of UPFRONT. “By structuring financial data at the operational level, we give financiers clearer visibility into business performance, while enabling SMEs to manage cashflow with greater control and confidence.”

For SMEs, it means clearer operational visibility and better cashflow management. For lenders like CredibleX, it means access to reliable, real-time data, which enables more transparent and accurate decision-making. This approach is becoming central to the growth of the fast SME loans in the UAE market.

A Strategic Move for Both Companies

This collaboration is a logical next step for both companies. For UPFRONT, it validates the utility of its platform, which recently secured a $10 million pre-seed funding round in October 2025. Partnering with a regulated lender like CredibleX provides a powerful use case for its financial infrastructure.

For CredibleX, the partnership enhances its core offering. Hassan Reda, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer of CredibleX, noted, “By structuring real-time financial data through our partnership with UPFRONT, we enable more transparent decision-making and better financing outcomes for SMEs.” By improving the quality of its data, CredibleX can reduce lending risk and potentially offer better terms, creating a competitive advantage.

About the Companies

UPFRONT is a B2B fintech platform that helps SMEs in the MENA region manage accounts receivable, accounts payable, and cashflow. It provides tools for financial analytics, payment orchestration, and working capital management.

CredibleX is a licensed fintech lender regulated by the FSRA at Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). It offers working capital solutions to SMEs across the UAE, including Revenue Backed financing, Receivables Financing, and Payables Financing.

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