Meta will invest about $900 million in Indian fintech company CRED as founder Kunal Shah prepares to step away from day-to-day leadership and become WhatsApp’s next leader. The investment and leadership changes were announced on Monday, June 22, 2026.

CRED said the financing values the company at $4.5 billion after the investment. The round includes primary and secondary capital and gives Meta an approximately 20% minority stake. Shah will remain a CRED shareholder, while Meta will not receive a board seat or access to CRED customer data.

Meta Invests $900 Million in CRED Amid Leadership Shift

Shah will succeed Will Cathcart, who is stepping down after seven years leading WhatsApp. Cathcart will remain at Meta in a new role focused on building products.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Shah brings experience building one of India’s major technology companies, along with an entrepreneurial approach and global perspective. Shah founded CRED in 2018 as a platform that rewards creditworthy consumers and helps members manage payments and financial products.

Miten Sampat, who has led strategy and finance at CRED, will become interim CEO while the company reviews its longer-term leadership structure.

CRED Targets Growth and an Eventual Public Listing

Shah said CRED has grown to about ₹3,200 crore, or roughly $325 million, in annual revenue and recorded its first profitable quarter in 2026. Sampat said the company plans to build on that foundation as it works toward an eventual stock-market listing.

The deal connects a prominent Indian fintech founder with one of Meta’s largest global products while providing CRED with new capital for expansion. Neither Meta nor CRED announced the date Shah will formally begin leading WhatsApp.