Focus on the right customer cohort: Kunal Shah

Serial entrepreneur Kunal Shah realised early that focusing on the right customer and solving their unique problems would be a powerful business model. And it has proved right so far. In a span of less than three years, fintech startup Cred has managed to generate a buzz in the market. Known for its viral and unique commercials featuring Bollywood actors and cricketers, the startup gained its unicorn status pretty fast.

In April 2021, Cred raised $215 million at a valuation of $2.2 billion post-money. Shah has also roped in a string of global investors to back his venture. The credit card bill payment platform is open to members only with a credit score of 750 and above. The platform provides its users Cred coins (as rewards) for paying their bills on time through its app—which currently caters to 7.5 million members. Shah explains that the insight was built around “how do we focus on a customer cohort that cares about their time, credit scores and doing the right financial things consistently," instead of trying to build a business for hundreds of millions of customers, he says.