CBI debuts CBIx to drive fintech and AI ventures: Local lender Commercial Bank International (CBI) launched CBIx, an independent subsidiary focused on ventures in AI, fintech, Web3, and tokenized finance, according to a statement (pdf). Headquartered in Dubai, the unit operates separately from the bank, allowing CBI to pilot new financial models and products across emerging digital sectors.

Under CBIx will be a corporate venture capital arm to invest in startups both in the UAE and internationally, Managing Director Ala Aljayyusi told EnterpriseAM. It has already started investing across several sectors, including 3D holographics with an investment in Tekle, Aljayyusi said. The goal is to focus on ventures that “create tangible value for the bank, our clients, or the broader innovation landscape,” he added.

Early projects through CBIx are funded through a mix of internal capital and external partnerships, Aljayyusi said. “We’re seeing significant interest from investors and collaborators who believe in the CBIx approach, [which is] not just about deploying funds, [but] about connecting ideas with the right resources, networks, and commercial pathways,” he added, describing CBIx as a “multiplier” as opposed to just a financier.

Other CBIx initiatives: The platform’s first projects include custom financial products for the gaming sector in partnership with the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) Gaming Hub, and help facilitating the establishment of the QCD Money Market Fund (QCDT) — the UAE’s first regulated tokenized fund launched last month, developed with QNB, Standard Chartered, and DMZ Finance.

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