Why the super app revolution must include SMBs

A guest editorial by Dr Amir Zarifnia, chief executive officer and founder of Kixy

Super apps have transformed daily life in Asia, but their potential for SMBs in the UK and beyond remains untapped. While tech giants focus on consumers, SMBs are left juggling costly, fragmented tools. Could the next wave of super apps be built for small businesses? Here, Dr Amir Zarifnia, chief executive officer and founder of Kixy gives his take. 

For several years, the fintech and tech industries have anticipated the rise of so-called ‘super apps.’ While still emerging in European and American markets, these ‘super apps’—also known as ‘everything apps’—have long been popular in Asia. Acting as a Swiss Army Knife for mobile users, they integrate multiple services, including messaging, social networking, peer-to-peer (P2P) payments, and e-commerce, into a single platform.

Recently, Elon Musk’s actions at X have reignited interest in this type of solution. His acquisition of the social media platform was widely seen as a strategic move toward creating a ‘super app’ for the Western market. In early 2025, X announced plans to integrate P2P payments to launch a new service dubbed ‘X Money’, marking what many viewed as its first major step in this direction. Here at Kixy, we believe this revolution needs to be inclusive of all sized businesses.

What makes them super?

The advantages of ‘super apps’ are clear. By consolidating essential services into a single, streamlined platform, they provide significant convenience for users. A prime example is WeChat in China, which, according to estimates, boasts over one billion monthly users and has become an integral part of daily life. Through WeChat, users can hail a ride, transfer money to friends and family, or make payments at retail stores—all within the same app.

Though at different stages of development, WeChat and X share a common trait: they primarily operate as B2C platforms. Until now, this has been the dominant focus for those building such solutions. However, change may be on the horizon. More and more, individuals like myself see significant opportunities for ‘super apps’ to be reimagined for B2B use, potentially delivering even greater value to users in this space.

Big change for small businesses

Specifically, I believe that ‘super apps’ have immense potential for small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across Europe and beyond. Despite often being overlooked by tech developers, SMBs are the backbone of Europe’s economy. According to the European Commission, they make up 99% of all businesses in the EU. In the UK, SMBs contribute three-fifths of total employment and generate around half of the private sector’s turnover.

Despite this, significant technological gaps remain between SMBs and larger enterprises. Simply put, few technological solutions are designed specifically for SMBs. Instead, businesses of this size are often forced to adapt tools that don’t fully meet their needs. As a result, many struggle to achieve the same level of digital adoption as their larger counterparts, leaving them at a disadvantage.

Putting the needs of SMBs first

Moreover, SMBs often grapple with the need to adopt multiple costly solutions to digitise essential aspects of their daily operations. The financial burden of this process can make it unfeasible, forcing many to rely on outdated methods that hinder productivity, increase the risk of disruptive errors, and cause unnecessary delays. Amidst this context, the need for a more optimal way of doing business seems undeniable.

In contrast, a ‘super app’ designed specifically for SMBs—one capable of managing multiple aspects of their operations—could be a game-changer. Imagine a solution that allows teams to communicate seamlessly without requiring costly subscriptions to services like Microsoft Teams or Slack, while also facilitating invoice payments. Such a platform would significantly reduce the operational burden on businesses, enabling them to focus on what they do best.

Taking the next steps

Given the clear advantages of this approach, it’s fair to ask why such a solution has yet to emerge. The harsh reality is that many technology companies overlook the SMB market, instead prioritising larger, more established businesses to maximise returns. To me, this approach is fundamentally flawed. As the statistics I shared earlier indicate, SMBs represent a huge portion of the private market and deserve their rightful respect.

A well-designed ‘super app’ catering to a significant portion of SMBs would generate substantial returns in its own right, making concerns over profitability unfounded. What we need to see now is developers ready to take that leap, and to truly put SMBs first when developing new solutions that bundle together critical services into one effective package. By the end of 2025, I predict that change will begin to emerge.

Building SMB support from the ground up

The launch of Kixy marks a step toward this change, we have placed SMBs at the heart of our platform’s design, recognising their needs and challenges. Through our partnership with British Wrestling, we can enable local wrestlers to stay connected with their clubs at every level – whether it’s for news, events, merchandise sales, and more – all in one place. In the future, parents will also be able to use Kixy to engage with their child’s school or tutor in the same way.

This could even work perfectly for sole traders – like tutors – who want to broadcast updates directly to their students. Whatever your small business needs, Kixy is built to support you. Best of all, payments happen seamlessly in the background, keeping everything smooth, simple, and connected. It’s the kind of frictionless experience that helps small operations scale and reach the next stage of their growth.

Now, it’s time for others to do the same and better support this vital part of the business ecosystem. If this shift gains momentum, the next chapter of the ‘super app’ revolution may well be driven by smaller, more agile businesses—the very ones that stand to benefit the most from these solutions.

Image: Kixy

Robert Welbourn Robert Welbourn is an experienced financial writer. He has worked for a number of high street banks and trading platforms. He's also a published author and freelance writer and editor.