Tesa Media launches AI banking app on WhatsApp, moving into fintech
Tesa Media, a media and digital content company, is entering financial services with TesaPay, an AI-powered banking platform built on WhatsApp. The company plans to launch the product in April 2026.
The move marks a significant shift for Tesa Media, which has focused on content production and community programs. The expansion signals founder Muili Seun's strategy to build across multiple sectors.
How TesaPay works
TesaPay lets users send money, receive payments, and manage funds through chat. Instead of navigating traditional banking apps, customers interact with the platform through conversational prompts powered by Generative AI and LLM.
The platform integrates payments, transfers, and cross-border transactions through partnerships with licensed financial institutions. Full technical details remain undisclosed, but the product has been in development for some time with a focus on lightweight design.
Seun said the goal is to "remove barriers and create a system that works for everyone, regardless of their location or financial background."
Why this matters for product teams
The launch demonstrates how AI for Product Development can simplify complex systems. Building financial services into messaging apps requires balancing regulatory compliance, user trust, and intuitive design - constraints that product managers in regulated industries face regularly.
Tesa Media's approach treats financial infrastructure as embedded communication rather than a standalone banking product. This positioning sidesteps some friction points of traditional fintech apps, though it introduces new regulatory questions.
Regulatory and competitive questions ahead
Stakeholders are watching how TesaPay navigates licensing, partnerships, and user trust in a crowded market. The company's foundation arm focuses on financial access and skill development, which aligns with the product's stated mission but doesn't resolve the operational challenges of operating in emerging markets.
Success depends on execution: maintaining security in chat-based transactions, managing compliance across jurisdictions, and building user confidence in a new interface for money movement.
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