Kunal Shah exits Cred CEO seat for WhatsApp global head role as Meta takes 20% stake

Meta is investing $900M for a 20% stake in Cred at a $4.5B valuation, with founder Kunal Shah moving to lead WhatsApp globally. Miten Sampat steps in as interim CEO ahead of a planned IPO, even as Cred posted a ₹1,457 crore loss on ₹2,735 crore revenue in FY25.

— Source publishedTue, 23 Jun, 2026, 12:02 IST·First seen Tue, 23 Jun, 2026, 12:04 IST·Source Outlook Business

What happened

Cred founder Kunal Shah is leaving the fintech to become global head of WhatsApp at Meta, which is investing $900 million for a 20% stake valuing Cred at $4.5

Key facts

  • $900 million
  • $4.5 billion
  • 20% stake
  • 1.7 crore MAU
  • 40% of credit card bill payments
  • ₹2,735 crore revenue FY25
  • ₹1,457 crore loss FY25

Why this matters

Meta buying 20% of an Indian fintech while poaching its founder for WhatsApp global is a two-for-one: distribution rails into India's payments stack plus a founder-operator who knows the consumer credit playbook—expect WhatsApp Pay monetization to accelerate.