Bir, the Caucasus’ first fully integrated banking, payments and
e-commerce ecosystem, brought its mission to transform daily
consumer habits in Azerbaijan, to Money 20/20 Middle East this
week.
Farid Huseynov, Head of the Bir ecosystem, spoke at Money 20/20
in Riyadh, highlighting Bir’s key role in helping Azerbaijan
transition to a digital economy by providing a rewarding experience
for more than 5 million ecosystem users, who represent more than
half of the country’s population. He spoke across the Executive,
Bridge and Off-the-Record stages, joined by senior executives from
leading tech and financial companies, including Google, Deutsche
Bank, and BlackRock, for discussions on building intelligent
financial institutions, scaling fintech businesses and mapping out
the future of payments.
Drawing on Bir’s experience in a market where cash remains
deeply embedded in everyday behaviour, Farid Huseynov highlighted
the importance of building trust and taking into account users’
different comfort levels with new technologies. Bir combines
digital services such as the Birbank banking app and m10 digital
wallet with physical infrastructure, including Milliön payment
terminals, which allow customers to use cash for bill payments,
helping them gradually transition to the digital space. A similar
approach extends to people with hearing impairments and older
users, as Bir offers in-app accessibility features and continued
bank branch-based customer support.
Farid Huseynov, Head of Bir, commented:
“Money20/20 is one of the world’s leading global platforms,
focused on the cutting-edge of tech and financial services. I was
delighted to provide our perspective across several discussion
sessions in Riyadh, highlighting Azerbaijan’s vast potential, the
ongoing digitalisation of our economy and the key role Bir is
playing in transforming everyday experiences – from shopping to
domestic and cross-border money transfers, to paying for public
transport. It’s been great to see a strong turnout at this event,
and share ideas with like-minded leaders from the world’s top tech
and financial services institutions.’’
The conference drew more than 30 000 attendees across three days
of events, showcasing key industry themes, such as embedded
finance, changing customer expectations, scaling fintech across
borders and moving from AI testing to implementation in financial
services. Bir provided a unique perspective, highlighting the
challenges and opportunities of building an integrated ecosystem in
a country with immense growth potential in the digital space.
About Bir
Bir is the first fully integrated banking, payments and
e-commerce ecosystem of the Caucasus, redefining how people and
businesses interact with daily services in Azerbaijan. Launched in
2025 to unite the country’s leading brands, including Birbank,
Birmarket e-commerce platform, Milliön payment terminals, and m10
e-wallet app, the Bir ecosystem reaches over 5 million users.
Through its extensive ecosystem and strategic partnerships with
Trendyol marketplace and BakiKart transportation payment solution,
Bir is building the foundation for Azerbaijan’s first and largest
digital ecosystem for consumers and businesses.
For more information, visit: https://bir.az
