Tesoro XP Raises $5.4M to Bridge Retail Spending and In-Game Rewards

AUSTIN, Texas – January 06, 2026 – Tesoro XP, a fintech startup aiming to reshape the economics of digital entertainment, has announced the closure of a $5.4 million seed funding round. The company is building a novel platform that allows everyday retail purchases to fund in-game currency for players in the massive free-to-play gaming market. The round was co-led by New York-based fintech fund Treasury and the new firm TK MediaTech Ventures, which focuses on next-generation media technologies.

The investment brings significant strategic expertise, with Jeff Cruttenden, a Founding Partner at Treasury and co-founder of the pioneering micro-investing app Acorns, joining Tesoro XP’s Board of Directors. The move signals strong confidence in a model that seeks to build a bridge between the $111 billion free-to-play gaming industry and the vast marketing budgets of the retail sector, with a planned launch in the first quarter of 2026.

The Unbalanced World of Free-to-Play

The free-to-play (F2P) model has become the dominant force in gaming, accounting for over 85% of all industry revenue by removing the initial cost barrier for players. However, this accessibility masks a deep economic imbalance. According to industry data cited by Tesoro XP, a mere 15% of players are responsible for generating over 65% of all App Store gaming revenue through in-app purchases. This creates a de facto 'pay-to-play' environment within 'free' games, where a small segment of high-spending players, often called “whales,” can access premium content, while the vast majority cannot.

This dynamic frequently leads to player frustration and social pressure, especially among younger or lower-income demographics who feel excluded from fully participating in the game’s virtual economy and culture. Access to the latest character skins, powerful items, or season passes is often tied directly to a player’s ability and willingness to spend real money, creating a two-tiered experience.

"Players often feel excluded in today's top games when they can't access the latest in-game items," said Sami Khan, co-founder of Tesoro XP. He argues that the current system is not necessarily the only way forward. "Publishers want to monetize virtual currency, but they don't necessarily care who pays for it."

A New Model: Connecting Carts to Consoles

Tesoro XP's solution is a three-sided marketplace designed to align the incentives of players, game publishers, and retail brands. The platform functions as a rewards engine that game publishers can integrate directly into their titles via a developer SDK. Once integrated, players can link their retail shopping accounts and earn premium in-game currency—the same currency they would otherwise have to buy—by making everyday purchases at participating national retail brands.

For retailers, this transforms marketing spend into a performance-based tool. Instead of broad, untargeted advertising, brands only pay Tesoro when a verified purchase is made by a player, directly linking their marketing dollars to consumer action and game engagement. This creates a trackable, high-ROI channel into one of the world's most engaged consumer bases.

"Retailers are already spending billions on marketing, and Tesoro connects those budgets to the gaming world in a way that's performance-based, trackable, and a win for everyone," Khan explained. "For the first time since microtransactions in gaming were introduced, Tesoro is creating the next generational revenue model for free-to-play games. And for brands, we're building a marketing platform that drives loyalty outside of closed-loop systems."

Retail's Quest for a New Loyalty Playbook

Tesoro XP enters the market at a time when retailers are aggressively seeking innovative ways to foster customer loyalty and reach younger, digital-native audiences like Gen Z. Traditional points-based loyalty programs are evolving, with a major trend being the integration of gamification to boost engagement. By turning shopping into a way to earn tangible digital rewards in beloved games, Tesoro offers retailers a powerful tool that is both an acquisition channel and a retention mechanism.

This model taps directly into the passionate identity of gamers, offering rewards that are far more compelling than a simple 5% discount. The platform promises to provide retailers with a direct line to the 220 million free-to-play gamers in the U.S., a demographic known for its deep engagement and community focus.

"Gamers represent one of the most passionate, engaged consumer bases in the world," said Jeff Cruttenden of Treasury. "Tesoro has built a model that aligns incentives for retailers, publishers, and players in a way we've never seen before. This is the rare kind of category-defining innovation we look for." This endorsement, from a founder who successfully democratized investing with Acorns, underscores the potential for Tesoro to democratize access within virtual economies.

Backed by Proven Innovators

The Tesoro XP founding team brings a wealth of directly relevant experience. Co-founders Sami Khan and Beau Button previously founded Atlas Reality, the company behind the mobile game ATLAS:EARTH. That app, which allows players to own virtual real estate tied to real-world locations and earn rewards from purchases, recently surpassed $100 million in lifetime revenue. This track record demonstrates a proven ability to build and scale a platform that successfully links real-world commerce with virtual rewards.

They are joined by co-founder Tim Mahler and a board that now includes Cruttenden and Jim Ward from TK MediaTech Ventures as an observer. "Tesoro is redefining how players, publishers, and retailers interact inside and outside the game," said Ward. "This model sits at the intersection of media, technology, and consumer behavior, exactly the kind of next-generation platform we're excited to back."

The newly raised capital will be used to accelerate product development, including the developer SDK and publisher portal, and to expand its pipeline of partner discussions with major game studios and national brands. The company is also actively hiring for its engineering and business development teams to support its ambitious 2026 launch. As the lines between entertainment, commerce, and daily life continue to blur, Tesoro XP is betting that the future of loyalty lies in rewarding players for the lives they already live.