MDP, a prominent payments technology infrastructure group in the Middle East and Africa, has announced a significant new phase of growth. This development follows a strategic investment led by Lorax Capital Partners (LCP), an Egypt-based private equity firm with a strong track record in growth investments and expertise in the financial services sector. Concurrently, this transaction marks the successful exit of AfricInvest, a leading pan-African investment platform, which has been a long-standing partner whose support was crucial to MDP's expansion in recent years.

MDP stands as a leading card-issuing and digital processing platform with over 30 years of market presence, headquartered in Cairo, Egypt. The company enables businesses to implement their financial solutions through comprehensive end-to-end payment infrastructure offerings, which include personalized card production, financial transaction processing, and advanced cloud-native digital solutions delivered via industry-leading developer platforms and embedded fintech capabilities. MDP empowers over 200 banks and 60 fintechs across Africa and the Middle East, supporting their growth with robust, scalable, and secure technology. Having processed over 1 billion transactions and issued more than 350 million cards, MDP is acknowledged for accelerating payment experiences via a tech-driven approach and embracing innovative fintech solutions for seamless omni-channel customer experiences, thereby championing financial inclusion and digital transformation efforts across its operational footprint in over 40 countries.

The new strategic investment is spearheaded by Lorax Capital Partners (LCP) and is further supported by a consortium of distinguished global development financial institutions. This consortium includes the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and Proparco, a subsidiary of the French AFD Group focused on private sector development. The involvement of these institutions highlights a collective commitment to advancing financial infrastructure and fostering digital innovation across the region.

Ahmed Nafie, Co-founder and CEO of MDP, commented on this development, stating, “This investment marks a pivotal milestone in MDP’s journey. We are proud of the robust platform and trusted reputation we’ve built across 40+ countries. With the backing of Lorax and a distinguished group of global institutional investors, we are well-positioned to accelerate our expansion, deepen our processing capabilities, and further scale our operations across Africa, the Middle East, and beyond.” He also extended his sincere gratitude to AfricInvest, acknowledging their "instrumental role in supporting our strategic growth and regional leadership.”

The transaction signifies a successful exit for AfricInvest, which has been a valuable partner throughout MDP's journey. Leveraging its extensive regional platform spanning 38 African countries, AfricInvest provided MDP with strategic guidance, operational support, and access to a crucial network of key stakeholders within the financial services and fintech sectors. Throughout its investment period, AfricInvest actively drove operational enhancements, facilitated strategic partnerships, and implemented value creation initiatives that have firmly established MDP as a cornerstone in the region’s fintech landscape.

Reflecting on the partnership, Ismail Talbi, Senior Partner at AfricInvest, said, “We believed in MDP’s ability to pivot into payment processing and played a key role in transforming the company from a pure industrial player to a technology-driven leader. Today, MDP stands as a vital partner in Egypt’s fintech and banking ecosystem, actively contributing to the country’s financial inclusion strategy.” Skander Oueslati, Chief Investment Officer at AfricInvest, further added, “Our commitment to fostering regional connectivity and supporting portfolio companies in their pan-African expansion was a driving force in our partnership with MDP. We opened doors in sub-Saharan Africa, helping MDP to establish local partnerships and presence, paving the way for further growth.”

Mohamed Sadek, Managing Partner at Lorax Capital Partners (LCP), expressed enthusiasm about the new partnership, stating, “We are excited to be backing MDP’s founders in realizing their strategic vision of becoming the partner of choice for financial institutions across the region. We are confident that LCP and its highly experienced co-investors will play an important role during MDP’s next phase of growth which will focus on further investments in technology, expanded product offering and geographic expansion.”