Tesoro XP, a new rewards platform designed to let retailers fund in-game currency for gamers, has raised $5.4 million in seed financing ahead of a planned 2026 rollout. The round was co-led by Treasury, a New York-based fintech fund, and TK MediaTech Ventures, a venture firm focused on next-generation media technologies.
As part of the financing, Jeff Cruttenden, a founding partner at Treasury and co-founder of Acorns, joined Tesoro XP’s board of directors. TK MediaTech Ventures’ Jim Ward will participate as a board observer.
The company is positioning its platform as a way to expand access to premium in-game currency for free-to-play players, particularly those who may not regularly spend on virtual items. Tesoro XP says it is targeting an estimated 220 million free-to-play gamers in the U.S., noting that a relatively small subset of players drives a disproportionate share of revenue under traditional virtual currency monetization models.
Tesoro XP’s model is built around integrating real-world retail offers into games through a “plug-and-play” approach for publishers. Players can earn in-game currency through everyday purchases, while retailers pay Tesoro XP only when those purchases are verified—framing the system as a performance-driven marketing channel that connects offline spend to in-game engagement. The company said it is in discussions with major game studios and national retail brands as it prepares for launch, though additional details were not disclosed.
The seed capital will be used to accelerate product and partnerships, including development of Tesoro XP’s developer SDK, expansion of its publisher portal, and growth of its merchant and publisher pipeline. Tesoro XP also plans to continue building its engineering and business development teams to support a targeted Q1 2026 launch.
Tesoro XP was founded by Sami Khan, Tim Mahler, and Beau Button. Khan and Button previously co-founded Atlas Reality, Inc., the company behind ATLAS:EARTH, which Tesoro XP said has surpassed $100 million in lifetime revenue.
KEY QUOTES:
“Players often feel excluded in today’s top games when they can’t access the latest in-game items. Publishers want to monetize virtual currency, but they don’t necessarily care who pays for it. 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.” “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.”
Sami Khan, Co-Founder, Tesoro XP (And ATLAS:EARTH)
“Gamers represent one of the most passionate, engaged consumer bases in the world. 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.”
Jeff Cruttenden, Founding Partner, Treasury (And Co-Founder, Acorns)
“Tesoro is redefining how players, publishers, and retailers interact inside and outside the game. This model sits at the intersection of media, technology, and consumer behavior, exactly the kind of next-generation platform we’re excited to back.”
Jim Ward, TK MediaTech Ventures
