Tala by Sidra
Redefining Real Estate & Equity Investment
- Services
- Design
- Software Development
- Industry
- Fintech & Payments
Overview
Tala is a digital investment platform built to empower Saudi citizens and residents with access to exclusive, Shariah-compliant investment opportunities. Users can explore funds, view strategies, invest electronically, and gain direct ownership of units, all through a streamlined, mobile-first experience.
Impact
- $2MRaised Within 2 Weeks of Launch
Context
Sidra Capital, founded in 2009 and headquartered in Jeddah, is a leading Shariah-compliant asset manager licensed and regulated by the Saudi Capital Market Authority (CMA). With offices across Riyadh, London, Dubai, and Singapore, Sidra focuses on alternative asset classes including income-generating real estate, private finance, and private equity.
The Tala app was created to:
Open access to new construction projects and Shariah-compliant funds.
Simplify investment management for different investor categories, from high-risk to conservative.
Provide investors with real-time ROI tracking and annual earning forecasts.
Design Approach
Our team followed a backend-first strategy, ensuring services were ready for mobile integration from the start.
Collaborative workflow: Weekly check-ins, demos, and feedback loops kept progress transparent and aligned with Sidra’s goals.
Integration ownership: Blink22 directly managed integration with Saudi government systems, ensuring smooth AML and identity checks.
Quality by design: QA was embedded from day one, testing edge cases such as:
Failed top-ups and delayed transactions.
High-risk investor onboarding requiring additional checks.
Large data loads in ROI dashboards.
User-first design: We optimized for simplicity, ensuring both seasoned and first-time investors could use the app with ease.
Advanced analytics: Using CleverTap and AppsFlyer, we tracked user journeys, flagged drop-offs, and refined flows to keep investing smooth and intuitive.
This structured approach allowed us to deliver a platform that balanced trust, usability, and long-term scalability.
Challenge
Building Tala wasn’t just about creating another investment app, it was about delivering a secure, compliant, and user-friendly platform in one of the world’s most highly regulated markets. This imposed some challenges:
Coordinating with external teams outside Blink22.
Integrating with Saudi government systems for identity verification and AML checks.
Collaborating with infrastructure provider LenderKit for secure operations.
Designing a platform that kept high-risk investments safe and compliant.
Creating a seamless user experience for browsing opportunities, transferring funds, and managing investments confidently.
Tala had to inspire trust, deliver compliance, and still feel effortless, while providing an accessible gateway to investment opportunities.
Proposed Solution
The result was a mobile-first investment platform that gave Saudi investors an unprecedented level of access and control. Tala brought together all the essentials:
A marketplace where investors could explore offerings at different stages, from Coming Soon to Open for Investment and Fulfilled.
A secure in-app wallet with top-up capabilities, streamlining fund transfers and purchases.
Early-access tiers for premium investors, providing exclusivity and urgency.
A referral program and active promotions to encourage organic growth and adoption.
Coach marks and visual guides that made onboarding seamless, even for first-time digital investors.
On the backend, Blink22 delivered secure APIs, a robust database design, and regulatory compliance baked into every flow. The result wasn’t just a functional app, it was a trusted digital investment ecosystem, built to scale alongside Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals.
Let’s Build Together
Tell us what you’re building. One of our experts will be in touch within 2 business days to talk through scope, timeline, and the right team.