Manu Midha sold a Saudi fintech, then built a fixed-price alternative to law firms and accountants

Manu Midha spent over a decade bouncing between e-commerce startups before building and selling a fintech business in Saudi Arabia — then, less than two years ago, turned around and did it again. This time it’s Arnifi, a fixed-price alternative to the lawyers-and-accountants maze that greets anyone trying to set up a company across borders.

It's working: Arnifi has incorporated more than 1.2k companies — for clients ranging from Bollywood names to some of India’s richest families — with a 100-person team split between India and the UAE, where it says it’s now the second-largest corporate services provider by transaction volume.

Each week, My Morning Routine looks at how a successful member of the community starts their day — and throws in a couple of questions just for fun. Speaking to us this week is Manu Midha (Linkedin), founder and CEO of Arnifi. Edited excerpts from our conversation:

EnterpriseAM: Take us back before Arnifi. What's the path that got you here?

Manu Midha (MM): I’ve been a working professional for close to 12 years now. By background, I started in banking, earned an MBA in finance, and spent most of the following decade at internet and e-commerce companies. Before Arnifi, I built a fintech business and sold it in Saudi Arabia.

E: What problem was Arnifi built to solve?

MM: A lot of people want to set up holding companies, funds, subsidiaries, and other structures in different parts of the world. Traditionally, that space is fragmented between company secretaries, lawyers, and accounting firms. We’ve put a technology layer on top of the entire process — company formation, filings, accounting, taxation, renewals, even visas and immigration, all through one platform and one point of contact. We operate across 12 markets, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and the Cayman Islands.

E: Why make fixed pricing such a central part of the model?

MM: It all comes down to transparency. With lawyers, you may have a conversation, then get a proposal several days later, with the possibility of being billed by the hour if the scope changes. We have around 1.6k products in our catalogue, and they’re all fixed-price. A startup and a b’naire pay the same price for the same service. The client gets certainty, and we take the risk of the work requiring more or less effort.

E: How much of what Arnifi does now runs through AI rather than traditional advisory work?

MM: We built Arni Ledge for AI-led accounting and Arni OS for ERP-based workflow management. Take corporate structuring: you’d typically go to a lawyer or banker and lay out where you want a holding company, a subsidiary, or an operating company. But those structures aren’t static. Tax treaties and rates shift constantly, so what was optimal yesterday may not be today. Our system continuously tracks those changes, so instead of waiting days for someone to come back with an answer, you get guidance much faster.

But technology without customers doesn’t prove anything. We need both — products that work and clients who actually use them. Sometimes that means slowing down on product to focus on getting traction for what we’ve already built.

E: What does the UAE mean to Arnifi's strategy?

MM: In two years, we’ve become the second-leading corporate services provider in the UAE by traffic and new transactions. There are players that have been here for decades, so we’re proud of that progress, but we don’t want to stop there. Currently, about half of our business comes from the Emirates. I’m a strong long-term believer in the UAE. While India gives us access to technology, compliance, and accounting talent, the UAE gives us a gateway to the world.

E: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?

MM: Morning is my prime time. I want to start the day positively, with energy and a clear head, so I deliberately avoid anything that can spoil my mood. I clear my messages and emails. I tell my family that if they have feedback, a complaint, or anything that needs correcting, tell me in the afternoon. I’ll listen to everything after 3pm.

The first hour has one purpose — making Arnifi better. I might send a note on an urgent client issue or a process fix. From 9am, the day fills up with reviews, sales calls, and clients, so I want that first hour dealt with before everyone else’s priorities arrive. On low-energy days, I start with small admin tasks — bill payments, approvals — just to build momentum. By 8:15am, if I’ve cleared messages and knocked off a few tasks, the rest of the morning already feels easier.

E: And how do you wind down at the other end?

MM: Gradually, not all at once. Clients don’t stop expecting replies just because it’s 6pm. I take a 15-minute nap most afternoons, with zero meetings scheduled between 2 and 3. After 6, I go for a walk near the office and have an early dinner — often with whoever I’m meeting that day, client or friend, instead of doing it at a desk. I close things out around 7:15pm, and I’m home by 7:30pm. I sleep by 10:30pm and get up by 6 or 7pm. It’s a long day, but well-paced — that matters more than how long it runs.

E: What are you reading at the moment?

MM: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss and The Art of Strategy by Avinash Dixit and Barry Nalebuff.