Abdullo Kurbanov

Abdullo Kurbanov is a Central Asian fintech entrepreneur who built one of the region's most successful digital banking platforms before turning his attention to the UK's largely underserved Islamic finance market. He co-founded Alif Bank in Tajikistan in 2014, growing it into a leading Islamic digital bank serving over four million customers across Central Asia, with digital transactions growing 30-fold in just three and a half years. Prior to that, he held roles at UBS Investment Bank and Oliver Wyman in London.

In 2023, Abdullo co-founded Ayan Capital in London alongside Firdavs Mirzoev and Zuhursho Rahmatulloev — colleagues from the Alif Bank team — to bring Sharia-compliant vehicle financing to the UK. As CEO, he identified a clear gap: approximately 75% of private hire vehicle drivers on platforms like Uber are Muslim, yet access to halal car finance was extremely limited. Ayan's Ijara wa Iqtina (lease-to-own) model gives these drivers a fast, transparent, interest-free route to financing electric and hybrid vehicles.

Ayan Capital raised £2.8 million from Cur8 Capital and other investors and has financed over £3.4 million in vehicles while maintaining a 0% non-performing loan rate. The company subsequently secured a £25 million Sharia-compliant debt facility from Partners for Growth, positioning it as one of the most significant Islamic fintech players in the UK market. Abdullo's longer-term vision is to build a fully licensed Islamic neobank in the UK.