Meta has announced that CRED founder Kunal Shah will take over as the new global head of WhatsApp, replacing Will Cathcart, who has led the messaging platform for nearly 7 years. Shah will also step away from his current role at CRED, handing over the reins to Miten Sampat as interim CEO.
In a LinkedIn post, Shah reflected on his entrepreneurial journey and said CRED was ready for its next phase.
“Today, CRED is ready for its next phase. I am stepping back and Miten Sampat steps in as interim CEO, partnered with an incredibly talented team,” he wrote, adding, “As for me, I’ll be joining Meta to lead WhatsApp globally.”
(Also Read: WhatsApp gets Indian boss: Meta picks Cred founder Kunal Shah, pumps $900 million into his company too)
Who is Kunal Shah?
Kunal Shah is one of India’s most prominent entrepreneurs and startup investors. According to his LinkedIn profile, he graduated with a BA in Philosophy from Mumbai’s Wilson College and later dropped out of SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS).
Shah started multiple ventures before launching digital payments platform FreeCharge in 2010. The company was acquired by Snapdeal in 2015 in a deal valued at around $450 million. He served as founder, CEO and chairman of FreeCharge until 2016.
Following the exit, Shah spent time investing and advising startups. His LinkedIn profile shows he worked as a part-time partner at Y Combinator in 2016, served as chairman of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) from 2016 to 2017 and was an advisor to Sequoia Capital in 2017.
(Also Read: Kunal Shah’s WhatsApp call, a $900-mn deal: As founder moves to Meta messaging giant, what’s up at Cred)
He founded CRED in April 2018 with an initial investment of $1 million of his own capital. The fintech platform rewards users for paying credit card bills on time and has since expanded into payments, lending, insurance, commerce, wealth management and credit cards.
Apart from CRED, Shah has held several board and advisory positions. He has been an independent director at Syrma SGS Technology since 2021 and was an independent director at Pine Labs between 2021 and June 2025.
His LinkedIn profile also lists roles as advisor to AngelList and Bennett Coleman and Co. Ltd. (Times Group). Since 2016, Shah has invested in several startups across India and Southeast Asia, including Go-Jek, Unacademy, Spinny, Jugnoo, Razorpay, TVF, Rupeek and Mobile Premier League.
