Thndr becomes 1st Egyptian company to top Financial Times' fastest-growing list in Africa

Thndr has become the first Egyptian company to top the Financial Times’ ranking of the fastest-growing companies in Africa for 2026, the FT report compiled with Statista shows. The Cairo-founded retail investing platform earned the number one spot after performance measured across three growth dimensions for 2021–2024: absolute revenue growth, compound annual growth rate (CAGR) and structural expansion of company size. The recognition places Thndr ahead of established technology players in markets including South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria.

"The Financial Times report highlighted Thndr's success in transforming investment from an 'elite luxury' into a 'popular savings tool,'" the coverage notes, calling out the platform's fully digital onboarding and product mix as central to its appeal.

Context and key metrics

Thndr’s rise coincides with a rapid expansion of retail participation in Egypt’s capital markets. The app has surpassed 5.5 million downloads and reports that 75 percent of its users are first-time investors. Historically, retail investors in Egypt made up less than 0.5 percent of the population, making this shift particularly notable.

• Market impact: Thndr accounts for approximately 18 percent of the total value of stock trading on the Egyptian Stock Exchange and controls about 40 percent of the volume of orders executed.
• Trading activity: The platform now executes more than 200,000 trades daily, up from roughly 50,000 a year earlier.
• User demographics: More than 40 percent of users live outside Cairo and Alexandria; average user age is 30; women represent 12 percent of accounts—reported as a record high compared with traditional participation rates.
• Product and service features: 100 percent digital account opening, access to stocks, gold, mutual funds and fixed-income instruments, and extensive educational content aimed at beginners.

The Financial Times coverage also credited Thndr with delivering "geographical and social equity" in access to financial markets by bringing investing tools to younger and more geographically dispersed populations. The platform’s educational resources and intuitive interface were singled out as drivers that lower barriers for first-time savers and investors.

Regional expansion and outlook

Thndr has already begun using its domestic momentum as a regional springboard. The company entered the Abu Dhabi market in 2025 and became the first and only fully licensed remote trading broker on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, according to the report. Its next stated target is the Saudi market, where Thndr aims to replicate its model of expanding individual participation and opening access to global financial instruments.

As the platform seeks to extend beyond Egypt, the FT-Statista accolade provides validation for investors and regulators watching retail market growth across the Arab world. The recognition was presented in an edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm and reported by Egypt Independent, underscoring Thndr’s transition from local startup to a defining player in regional retail finance.