Zest Equity, a UAE-based digital transactional infrastructure company, has been granted a Financial Services Permission (FSP) by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). This regulatory milestone marks a significant step in the company’s mission to digitise and streamline private market transactions across the MENA region and beyond.
Headquartered in the UAE, Zest Equity provides a unified digital layer designed to replace the fragmented, manual processes that have traditionally slowed down private market deals. The newly acquired license allows the company to offer regulated escrow and distribution services, enabling regional and global clients to transact, hold funds, and manage deals within a secure, compliant framework.
Building the infrastructure for modern private markets
Zest Equity’s platform integrates digital execution tools for Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) formation and deal workflow management with regulated escrow services. This end-to-end solution is built to safeguard funds and support efficient private-market investment flows, addressing key friction points for investors and founders alike.
“Private markets have long been held back by manual, fragmented processes that create unnecessary friction and fall short of what today’s transactions need,” said Zuhair Shamma, co-founder & CEO of Zest Equity. “Our mission is to bring private markets into the future, making them standardized, automated, and accessible to anyone ready to transact.”
Shamma emphasized that the FSP is crucial for enabling a shift toward a unified infrastructure. “We are putting in place the digital rails that will support the next generation of transactions and move capital with the confidence and clarity that modern finance demands,” he added.
A Foundation for global expansion
To date, Zest Equity has digitised the execution of over 160 private-market transactions, representing more than $210million in value. The platform is backed by prominent investors, including Prosus Ventures, Morgan Stanley, Middle East Venture Partners (MEVP), and the Dubai Future District Fund (DFDF).
Rawan Baddour, co-founder of Zest Equity, highlighted the strategic importance of the license: “The FSP marks an important step in how we deliver infrastructure for institutional capital flows. It enables us to integrate regulated escrow and distribution pathways with the existing digital execution tools. This is the first of several regulatory milestones as we expand our capabilities to digitise private-market transactions end to end.”
The company views the ADGM license as a foundational element of its broader strategy to connect capital across emerging and developed markets. By anchoring its operations within ADGM’s globally recognised regulatory framework, Zest Equity aims to provide clients with the assurance and tools needed to move capital efficiently across jurisdictions.
The announcement comes as ADGM continues to solidify its position as a leading international financial centre, attracting innovative fintechs and fostering a robust ecosystem for financial services and institutional capital.