An Airwallex Program

Raised $65M and Engineered the Credit Architecture Behind Comfi's MENA Expansion

Comfi is a UAE-based B2B embedded finance platform that gives SMEs across MENA flexible payment terms of up to 90 days while settling suppliers immediately. As co-founder and CFO, Gavrilin built the credit and capital architecture from scratch, raising $60M in debt and $5M in equity, including during a period of heightened regional uncertainty and tighter investor liquidity.

He designed the credit framework end-to-end: risk appetite policy, customer segmentation, eligibility criteria, concentration limits, and Credit Committee governance. He integrated bureau, bank-statement, accounting, and fraud data into an automated decision engine that grew the portfolio sharply, with over $150M in financing deployed across the region.

He applied AI throughout the credit process, including computer vision for document analysis, machine learning for automated scoring, and digital footprint tools to sharpen credit decisions and portfolio monitoring. Beyond Comfi, Gavrilin advises startups on financial architecture and serves as a visiting university professor.

View the full list

Denis Gavrilin

Comfi

What Startup Finance 30 is

Finance is one of the most under-leveraged growth levers a startup has.

The best finance leaders don't just keep the books. They extend runway, structure capital that changes what a company can do next, and build the systems that let it scale across borders.

Startup Finance 30 is the first list built to recognise that work. Beginning in 2026 and continuing annually, we name 30 finance leaders at venture-backed, globally ambitious startups. The operators shaping how the next generation of companies grow.

Who's doing the most consequential finance work in the startup world right now?

This list is the answer.

FAQ

More information on how SF30 works.

Who's behind Startup Finance 30?

Startup Finance 30 is published by Airwallex. We built it because we work with globally ambitious companies every day, and the finance leaders driving that growth deserve more recognition than they get. Selection sits with the committee.

Who selects the final 30?

A committee of operating CFOs and finance leaders. They score every candidate against a five-part merit rubric and ratify the final list. See the full selection methodology.

Is there a fee? Can I pay to be included?

No. It's free to enter, and recognition is earned on merit.