Cred – Company Profile

Cred is a one-of-its-kind platform that allows users to earn Cred coins every time they pay their credit card bills. The coins can then be redeemed for buying a wide variety of products. Users also stand a chance to win exclusive rewards. Cred essentially rewards users who pay their credit card bills in time. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Bengaluru. In a very short time, Cred has attracted investments worth millions. It is among the startups that have achieved the ‘Unicorn’ tag in the shortest possible time. It is currently valued at USD 2.2 billion.

Cred targets creditworthy individuals who have credit score of more than 750. Cred accepts credit cards issued by banks such as SBI, ICICI, HDFC, Axis, Kotak, American Express, Standard Chartered, HSBC, RBL, Indusind, and Bank of Baroda. Almost all Visa, American Express, MasterCard and Discover credit cards can be used on Cred.

Apart from points and rewards, Cred also reminds users about paying their credit card bills in time. This ensures that users do not miss their credit card bill payments. Users can register multiple credit cards on Cred platform. Another useful feature is rent payment, which was recently added to Cred. Users can also analyze their spends through in-depth analysis charts.

History

Cred began its journey in 2018. It was founded by serial entrepreneur Kunal Shah. The idea was to target a niche customer base of credit card users who have good credit score. The primary attraction was rewards to users for paying their bills. This was something unique, which has helped onboard millions of users in a very short time. Since its inception, Cred has been continually adding new products to keep users engaged. UPI payment facility is also available on Cred.

In the next phase, Cred will foray into lending. This is how most banks make their money. A pilot program called Cred Cash has already been launched in association with IDFC First Bank. In this program, customers are given credit at low interest rates. When this program goes mainstream, Cred will emerge as a direct rival to banks and other lending companies.

Funding

Cred has received investments worth USD 471.2 million via six rounds of funding. Some key investors include Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital (India), DST Global, Sofina, Dragoneer Investment Group, Greenoaks Capital, RTP Global, Insight Partners, Coatue Management and Falcon Edge Capital.

Acquisitions

Cred has not made any acquisitions in recent times.

Competitors

Cred competes with other payment platforms such as Paytm, PhonePe, Mobikwik, RazorPay, and PayUbiz.

About the Founder

Cred founder Kunal Shah is among the most ambitious entrepreneurs in the country. He has launched multiple companies during his professional career. One of his most successful ventures was Freecharge, which was acquired by Snapdeal in 2015 for USD 400 million. Shah has worked with various companies such as Y Combinator, Internet and Mobile Association of India, Sequoia Capital, AngelList, and Bennett Coleman and Co. Ltd. (Times Group). Shah is also an investor and has funded multiple companies.