ADGM approves Zest Equity to expand digital investment platform

By Vriti Gothi

Zest Equity has received a Financial Services Permission (FSP) from the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), enabling the UAE-based firm to expand its regulated digital infrastructure for private-market transactions.

The approval allows Zest Equity to introduce regulated escrow and distribution pathways alongside its existing digital execution tools, forming a unified system that supports capital movements for private-market investments. The company’s platform digitises processes such as special-purpose vehicle (SPV) setup, deal execution, fund safeguarding, and capital distribution—areas traditionally managed through manual, fragmented workflows.

“Private markets have long been held back by manual, fragmented processes that create unnecessary friction,” said Co-founder and CEO Zuhair Shamma. Securing the FSP, he said, enables the firm to “move capital with the confidence and clarity that modern finance demands.”

Rawan Baddour, Co-founder, Zest Equity, said, described the approval as the first in a sequence of regulatory steps supporting institutional-grade infrastructure across multiple jurisdictions. “It enables us to integrate regulated escrow and distribution pathways with the existing digital execution tools,” she said.

Zest Equity has facilitated more than $210 million in deal execution across over 160 transactions to date, supported by investors including Prosus Ventures, Morgan Stanley, Middle East Venture Partners, and the Dubai Future District Fund.

The licensing aligns with ADGM’s growing role as a regional hub for financial innovation and cross-border capital flows. The jurisdiction is recognised for its English common-law framework and regulatory standards, which have been attracting digital finance firms seeking scalable international structures.

The approval positions Zest Equity to extend its infrastructure to new markets, addressing increasing demand for digitised private-market execution and regulated capital movement channels.