Begini and Bank of Punjab Join Forces on SME Credit Access Initiative in Pakistan

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Begini, a global provider of behavioural and data analytics for financial decisioning, has launched a strategic partnership with the Bank of Punjab (BOP), one of the largest commercial banks in Pakistan, to support the launch of the CM Punjab Asaan Karobar Card initiative – the country’s largest SME credit card lending program.

Designed to expand access to credit in one of the world’s most underserved markets, the program is powered by an end-to-end digital lending platform, offering a seamless, scalable solution for financially empowering small and micro enterprises across Punjab.

Pakistan’s 5.2 million SMEs generate 40% of GDP and employ more than 80% of the non-agricultural workforce, yet the vast majority lack access to formal finance. The partnership addresses this long-standing challenge using Begini’s first-party, opt-in behavioural insights and psychometric scoring, enabling lenders to confidently assess businesses with little or no traditional financial history.

The solution went live in under two weeks and has already processed over 1 million assessments in just eight weeks, a signal of both product-market fit and operational scalability.

“This partnership validates Begini’s ability to drive financial inclusion at scale, with speed and precision,” said James Hume, CEO of Begini. “Our behavioural data solutions unlock risk insights where conventional data falls short.”

“In light of Government of the Punjab’s topmost priority in generating economic activity through encouraging small-scale businesses, this is a game changer program by BOP under the strengthened focus of the State Bank of Pakistan on expanding SME financing,” said Nofel Daud, Chief Digital Officer at BOP. “The use of Begini’s online behavioural assessment tool adds real value—allowing seamless, low-documentation evaluations that make the program both scalable and accessible for underserved small businesses.”

A Scalable Model for Emerging Markets

With operations in 16 countries and solutions available in over 10 languages, Begini’s platform is designed to thrive in low-data, high-potential environments. The company’s SaaS model, combined with fast deployment, ensures rapid adoption and ROI for financial institutions targeting the underserved.

This partnership demonstrates Begini’s capacity to unlock new lending segments, creating value for banks, governments, and millions of excluded entrepreneurs.

About Begini

Begini provides scientifically-validated, privacy-consented behavioural analytics to help financial institutions assess credit risk, detect fraud, and segment customers.

Learn more: https://begini.co