Halal discovery app Zabihah merges with River to power cross-border payments

Zabihah, the U.S.-based halal discovery and delivery platform, has merged with fintech infrastructure provider River to create the world's first full-spectrum halal commerce and payments ecosystem.

Under the agreement, Zabihah will transition into River's consumer-facing brand, serving as the gateway for halal lifestyle services. At the same time, River's payments infrastructure will power compliant cross-border transactions.

"River gives us the fintech backbone to supercharge our e-commerce and delivery strategy, with the ultimate goal of being a global halal wallet tying together global commerce," said Shahed Amanullah, founder of Zabihah. "In turn, Zabihah will be creating channels for River to cement its place as a leader in seamless global digital transactions between 30 countries and growing."

As part of the merger, Zabihah co-leader Arman Khwaja will join River as co-founder and chief growth officer. At the same time, Amanullah will lead Zabihah's transformation into a leading halal payments platform within River's portfolio.

Founded in 1998, Zabihah has grown from a handful of halal restaurant listings into a widely trusted community-driven resource. The merger expands its role beyond restaurant discovery into retail, e-commerce, delivery, and Shariah-compliant remittances.

River, backed by Venmo, Brex, and Deel investors, is led by a team with roots in startups such as Shuttle, Pathao, and Lunchbox. Its focus on compliance-driven markets and underrepresented communities aligns with Zabihah's global halal consumer base.

The combined entity plans to leverage Zabihah's consumer reach and River's fintech backbone to tap into the $3 trillion Islamic economy, creating an integrated halal commerce ecosystem that spans discovery, payments, and cross-border trade.