SC Ventures, Microsoft partner on AI SME platform
SC Ventures by Standard Chartered and Microsoft formed a partnership to develop artificial intelligence and cloud computing tools addressing digital commerce and financing challenges for small and medium enterprises through Project Hal, a business-to-business platform based in the United Arab Emirates. The collaboration targets SMEs contributing over 60 percent of UAE non-oil gross domestic product but facing barriers including limited credit histories, manual operational processes and scattered financial data that restrict growth and formal financing access.
Project Hal will function as an agentic conversational platform incorporating partner ecosystems to facilitate cross-border trade across Gulf Cooperation Council nations through customer behavior analytics, secure information sharing and digital engagement points. Chief Executive Alex Manson said the venture combines SC Ventures’ expertise in building SME-focused businesses with Microsoft technology leadership to deliver AI-native solutions, while Asia President Rodrigo Kede Lima emphasized the commitment to helping enterprises of all sizes succeed in an artificial intelligence-driven commercial environment beginning with Middle Eastern markets.
