Dashen Bank was founded by eleven visionary shareholders and veteran bankers with initial capital of Birr 14.9 million in September 1995. Upon securing license from the National Bank of Ethiopia, Dashen opened its doors for service on the 1st of January 1996 with eleven fully-fledged branches.

Dashen Bank coined its name from the highest peak in Ethiopia, mount Dashen, and aspires to be ‘’Best in class Bank in Africa’’. The Bank aimed to be among the leading banks in Africa and it will extend its reach across Africa both for competitive benchmarking and business.