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Bassim Haidar

Founder and CEO

Optasia

London, UK

Bassim Haidar

Bonnie Hagemann

White Oak Global Advisors LLC

Bassim Haidar’s Biography

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Bassim Haidar is a Nigerian-born Lebanese executive and entrepreneur. He has a strong track record of founding and scaling businesses in Africa and the Middle East, and now heads up a multi-sector conglomerate with revenues in excess of $1.6bn.

His expertise in driving growth, improving financial inclusion and unlocking economic opportunities in emerging markets has led him to found businesses across technology, telecoms, logistics, energy, engineering and medicinal cannabis.

He is the founder of Channel VAS, now Optasia, a leading vendor of mobile financial and fintech services. It improves financial inclusion by offering banking services and smart handset financing for developing markets and currently serves over 650m customers in over 30 countries.

A serial entrepreneur, Bassim founded his first company, Intercomm Ltd, when he was just 20 years old. He later founded GMT Nigeria, which he grew to the leading integrated procurement, finance and logistics provider in West Africa.

In 2003, recognising the growing need for telecoms infrastructure in Nigeria, he founded Channel... Bassim Haidar is a Nigerian-born Lebanese executive and entrepreneur. He has a strong track record of founding and scaling businesses in Africa and the Middle East, and now heads up a multi-sector conglomerate with revenues in excess of $1.6bn.

His expertise in driving growth, improving financial inclusion and unlocking economic opportunities in emerging markets has led him to found businesses across technology, telecoms, logistics, energy, engineering and medicinal cannabis.

He is the founder of Channel VAS, now Optasia, a leading vendor of mobile financial and fintech services. It improves financial inclusion by offering banking services and smart handset financing for developing markets and currently serves over 650m customers in over 30 countries.

A serial entrepreneur, Bassim founded his first company, Intercomm Ltd, when he was just 20 years old. He later founded GMT Nigeria, which he grew to the leading integrated procurement, finance and logistics provider in West Africa.

In 2003, recognising the growing need for telecoms infrastructure in Nigeria, he founded Channel IT. At a time when the industry was facing a magnitude of challenges in sourcing, logistics, revenue generation and customer retention, he created the benchmark on how to successfully create and provide essential supplies and services nationwide. The company now operates across 19 countries and plays a major role in connectivity in the Middle East and Africa. He also founded Knuru Capital, a private venture capital firm with interests in technology across the Gulf Region, Africa and Southern Europe, and serves as its Chairman.

He founded South African-based medicinal cannabis company SafriCanna, which funds extensive R&D, undertakes clinical trials and exports to several countries worldwide.

As an active philanthropist, Bassim has previously worked alongside the World Economic Forum and Africa CEO forum, and is a member of the Global Council of Amnesty International. moreless

Bassim Haidar’s Newsfeed

IOL Lifestyle

BRICS to focus on entrepreneurship and market access for SMEs

Bassim Haidar, Chairman and Chief Executive of BH Holdings Group, represented South Africa in a panel discussion at the BRICS Business Forum in Sandton.

Engineering News

Europe’s Call for Medical Cannabis Sees South Africa Firm Thrive

Bassim Haidar, Co-Founder and Co-Owner of SafriCanna, addresses how South Africa can become a leading producer of medicinal cannabis.

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Bassim Haidar’s Background

Optasia

Founder and CEO

2011 - Present

Dubai, AE

Optasia, formerly Channel VAS, provides a flexible AI platform that enables financial inclusion for all, allows responsible financing decision making, and drives a superior business model and good customer experience.

Channel IT

Group Founder and Chief Executive Officer

2003 - Present

Lagos, NG

Channel IT, part of the Channel IT Group, is an independent distributor of mobile network infrastructure that has helped mobile operators in several countries, including Nigeria, Ethiopia, South Africa, Athens, Cairo and Delhi.

Knuru Capital

Founder and Chairman

2003 - Present

Dubai, AE

Knuru invests in technology companies in the GCC, Africa and Southern Europe, with an emphasis on fintech and marketplace verticals.

BH Holdings

Owner/Backer

2022 - Present

BH Holdings is a group of companies and brands owned or backed by Bassim Haidar.

SafriCanna

Co-Founder and Co-Owner

2020 - Present

Centurion, ZA

SafriCanna is a cannabis firm based in South Africa that specialises in the cultivation, processing, and export of therapeutic EU-GMP cannabis products to international markets.

GMT Nigeria

Founder

1999 - Present

Lagos, NG

GMT is a finance, inbound logistics and integrated procurement provider in West Africa.

Intercom Telecoms Limited

Co-Founder

1999 - Present

Lagos, NG

Intercom Telecoms Limited is a Nigerian IT & Telecommunications company. Its goal is to offer comprehensive information and communication technology services and solutions to help customers build their businesses.

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Bassim Haidar’s Gallery

Board Positions

Optasia

Chairman

Dubai, AE

The fundamental service of Optasia is a fully integrated, versatile AI platform that handles scoring, financial decision making, disbursement, and collecting.

Knuru Capital

Chairman

Dubai, AE

Knuru Capital provides equity and finance to high-growth technology companies in GCC countries, Africa and Southern Europe.

Advisory Roles

Amnesty International

Global Council Member

2016 - Present

London, UK

Amnesty International is the world's foremost human rights organisation, fighting injustice and inequality all across the world. Global Council Members are encouraged to act as champions within their own networks and to assist the organisation's Secretary General in identifying and engaging new human rights supporters.

Media

Helping emerging market consumers gain access to mobile financial services

Feature

Jan 2019

Davos, CH

At the 2019 Davos WEF Summit, Bassim chats to Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business programme Mornings with Maria, advocating for financial inclusion in emerging markets.

Bassim Haidar | How technology is helping underdeveloped regions financially

Feature

Jan 2018

Davos, CH

At the Davos World Economic Forum Summit, Bassim Haidar advocates in favour of doing business in emerging markets.

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Memberships

Africa CEO Forum

Member

2012 - Present

Paris, FR

The Africa CEO Forum is an annual gathering of top executives from Africa's leading enterprises, as well as international investors, multinational executives, heads of state, ministers, and officials from the continent's major financial institutions.

World Economic Forum

Member

Cologny, CH

The World Economic Forum is an international organisation dedicated to improving the status of the world via public-private cooperation.

Mentoring

Endeavor Greece

Mentor

Athens, GR

Endeavor is a global, mission-driven organisation that is at the forefront of the high-impact entrepreneurship movement. Endeavor was created on the principle that vigorous support for high-impact entrepreneurs fosters job creation, innovation and economic prosperity.