Meta Platforms has appointed Kunal Shah, founder of Indian fintech company CRED, as the new head of WhatsApp. This leadership change coincides with Meta’s substantial $900 million investment in CRED during its Series H funding round, granting Meta a minority stake in the startup.
Shah will succeed Will Cathcart, who has led WhatsApp for nearly seven years and will now focus on artificial intelligence initiatives within Meta. Under Cathcart’s leadership, WhatsApp expanded its user base to over three billion globally, including more than 500 million users in India, its largest market. The platform also introduced features like Communities, Channels, and AI integrations, enhancing its functionality beyond private messaging.
Despite these advancements, WhatsApp’s foray into digital payments has faced challenges. While WhatsApp Pay gained some traction in India, it struggled to compete with local rivals such as PhonePe and Google Pay, leaving significant room for growth in the digital payments sector.
Shah’s appointment is strategic, given his experience in building consumer internet companies in India. He founded CRED in 2018, a platform that rewards users for timely credit card bill payments and has grown to 17 million monthly active users. Prior to CRED, Shah co-founded FreeCharge, one of India’s early digital payments startups, which was acquired by Snapdeal in 2015.
Meta’s investment values CRED at approximately $4.5 billion post-money. The startup was last valued at about $3.6 billion in a funding round in May 2025, below its peak valuation of $6.4 billion in 2022. Before its Series F round, the company had raised more than $1 billion from investors.
With Shah at the helm, WhatsApp aims to expand its business beyond messaging, focusing on areas such as payments, commerce, and business communications. India’s rapidly growing digital economy presents a significant opportunity for WhatsApp to enhance its offerings and solidify its position in the market.
Meta’s investment in CRED and Shah’s appointment underscore the company’s commitment to strengthening its presence in India’s fintech landscape. By leveraging Shah’s expertise and CRED’s innovative platform, Meta aims to drive growth and innovation within WhatsApp, particularly in the realms of digital payments and business services.
