BAKU, Azerbaijan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 22, 2026--
Bir, the Caucasus’ first fully integrated e-commerce, banking and payments ecosystem, announces that it has been recognised as one of the world’s top fintechs in the neobanking category by CNBC and Statista. Bir is the first and only business from Azerbaijan and the wider South Caucasus region to receive this accolade.
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Bir brings together four category-leading brands into one convenient ecosystem, including digital bank Birbank, e-commerce platform Birmarket, Milliön payment terminals and the m10 digital wallet, making everyday tasks simpler and more accessible for its more than 5 million users in Azerbaijan. The ecosystem’s recognition in the neobanking category underscores its scale, continued growth and position as a technological leader in the region, as well as the important role it is playing in Azerbaijan’s digital transformation.
The World’s Top Fintech Companies list, compiled by CNBC and Statista, is an important benchmark for the global fintech industry. It is based on an in-depth analysis of key performance indicators (KPIs), such as revenue, profitability and other financial metrics, as well as number of customers, loan and deposit portfolio growth, transaction volume, market share, and staffing data.
Farid Huseynov, CEO of Bir, commented: “At Bir, we are offering a new way for millions of people in Azerbaijan to take care of their daily tasks, from shopping to paying for public transport, transferring money to friends and family and much more, helping people form new habits as we bring them into the digital economy. We are delighted to be recognised among the world’s leading fintech companies, alongside Nubank, Revolut and Monzo, by CNBC and Statista for the progress that we have made since launching the Bir ecosystem. Being the first and only company from Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus region to be included in this prestigious list is a testament not only to Bir's achievements, but also to the growing competitiveness of Azerbaijan's fintech sector on the global stage. We will continue to build out the Bir ecosystem, helping fuel the digitization of Azerbaijan.”
Bir continues to expand its reach across Azerbaijan, bringing innovative new products and features to market that break down barriers and drive greater adoption of digital services. In recent months, the ecosystem has partnered with Paysend to introduce international money transfers from Azerbaijan to more than 140 countries and territories worldwide and signed a memorandum of understanding to lead the digitalisation of UNESCO-listed Baku Old City. In a first-of-its-kind move for the country, Bir has also integrated sign language functionality into its Birbank app, expanding financial inclusion for those with hearing or speech impediments.
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, 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 BakıKart transportation payment solution, Bir is building the foundation for Azerbaijan’s first and largest digital ecosystem for consumers and businesses.
Bir is the first and only business from Azerbaijan to be recognized among the world’s top fintechs by CNBC and Statista.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States on Wednesday carried out another wave of strikes on Iran, where air defenses opened fire over the capital, Tehran. Iran launched a missile attack on a Jordanian city on Israel’s doorstep, and alerts were issued in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
The 11th night of American airstrikes on Iran came as diplomatic efforts have shown little public sign of progress. Officials on both sides have dug in on their dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global energy that remains largely closed because of Iranian attacks.
Iran has avoided striking Israel since hostilities resumed last month, apparently hoping to keep it from reentering the war. But the missile and drone attack on Jordan’s city of Aqaba, within sight of Israel’s Eilat, raised concerns over a further widening of the conflict after an agreement to halt hostilities collapsed.
The closure of the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas passed during peacetime, has jolted the world economy with effects far beyond the Middle East. A new threat by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen to target Saudi shipping in the Red Sea puts another trade chokepoint at risk.
Benchmark Brent crude oil rose to around $94 a barrel in trading, and gasoline prices are once again climbing ahead of U.S. midterm elections this fall.
Jordan’s military said it intercepted four Iranian missiles over Aqaba, while two others fell in “uninhabited areas.” Plumes of smoke could be seen overhead in videos filmed by people in the nearby Israeli city of Eilat. Jordan said it also intercepted four Iranian drones.
Another missile alert sounded in Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia warned residents of the Persian Gulf city of Dammam to seek shelter. Saudi authorities later said the danger had passed, without elaborating.
The U.S. military said earlier Wednesday that it had completed an 11th night of strikes on Iran, with targets including aircraft hangars and drone storage sites.
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported explosions across several provinces. Iran's Health Ministry says U.S. strikes over the past 11 days have killed 53 people, including six women and three children, and wounded nearly 600 people.
Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard insisted its retaliatory attacks would continue.
Before the latest strikes, Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni visited Pakistan, a key mediator in the conflict, seeking to revive diplomacy. But it was unclear what new arrangement might be reached to end the war, which lately has become a battle for control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Interior Ministry spokesman Ali Zeinivand said “diplomacy isn’t called off” and that messages were still being exchanged, without elaborating, according to IRNA.
At a regional summit in the Philippines, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced Iran’s actions in the strait.
“If we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation state can decide that they are going to control an international waterway, charge a toll and if you don’t pay them, blow up your ships, we have created a very dangerous precedent which will repeat itself in other parts of the world, including in this region,” he said.
In response to Iran’s attacks, the U.S. re-imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump gave a dim view on possible talks, saying the U.S. had “no interest in meeting.”
He signaled that U.S. forces could soon target an under-construction Iranian nuclear site buried deep under a mountain.
The site, known as Pickaxe Mountain, lies on the south side of Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment site, which was bombed by the U.S. during the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in 2025. But Pickaxe Mountain has remained untouched as Iran continues to dig at the site.
Iran has always insisted its nuclear program is peaceful, while resuming the enrichment of uranium to near weapons-grade levels since Trump scrapped a 2015 nuclear deal during his first term. The U.S. and others believe Iran had a nuclear weapons program until 2003 and may reconstitute it in the future.
Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut, and Michelle L. Price and Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines, contributed to this report.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a press conference on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines Wednesday, July 22, 2026. (Brendan Smialowski/Pool Photo via AP)
