MaxAB's Growth Story: From Digitizing Local Groceries to a Regional Trade and Fintech Leader

Since its launch in Cairo in 2018, MaxAB (Makseb) has successfully established itself as one of Africa's leading B2B e-commerce platforms. Its mission? To digitize the traditional supply chains that serve hundreds of thousands of small retailers. The company was founded by Bilal Maghraby and Mohamed Ben Halim. Their goal was to fix a big problem in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) market, where many traders relied on old-fashioned, non-digital distribution systems that were inefficient and lacked clear pricing and inventory management. MaxAB uses a digital platform that lets retailers order their goods directly through an app. It also provides complete logistics services, including warehousing and delivery, plus integrated financial solutions like trade credit and payment services. But MaxAB isn't just a middleman for trade. It has grown to use data analytics to improve demand management and sales forecasting for both retailers and suppliers, making the entire supply chain much more efficient. Through several funding rounds, the company has raised over $100 million. This allowed it to expand beyond the Egyptian market, especially into Morocco, where it strengthened its presence by acquiring the WaystoCap platform. In a major strategic move, MaxAB announced its merger with Wasoko. This deal aimed to create a unified African entity operating in North and East African markets, serving hundreds of thousands of retailers through an integrated logistics and financial network. By 2025, a clearer strategic shift began to emerge within the merged entity, with a growing focus on financial services as a key driver for growth. This shift comes amid pressures on profit margins in the traditional trade sector. This new direction shows an understanding of how important digital credit and payments are for keeping businesses sustainable in informal retail markets. MaxAB now serves hundreds of thousands of retailers in Egypt and Morocco, processing millions of orders through its logistics network. Its competitive edge comes from combining technology, logistics, and financial services all on one platform. This model positions it as one of the top digital transformation companies in Africa's consumer goods sector.