Tesoro
Tesoro XP is a pre-launch card-linked rewards platform that connects retail spending to in-game currency for US free-to-play gamers, serving retail merchants, game studios, and end-gamers with patented Visa and Mastercard integrations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2025
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Tesoro does
Tesoro XP, Inc. is a pre-launch rewards platform company headquartered in Austin, Texas, building card-linked technology that connects retail spending to in-game currency for free-to-play gamers. The company serves three customer segments: retail merchants seeking to reach the 220+ million free-to-play gamers in the United States as customers, game studios and publishers seeking new monetization from non-spending players, and end-gamers who want to earn in-game currency through everyday purchases. Tesoro positions itself as the only platform enabling gamers to earn in-game currency effortlessly through card-linked offers, with stated access to a $125+ billion gaming economy.\n\nTesoro's platform is built on a patented card-linked system with proprietary integrations into Visa and Mastercard payment networks, which the company describes as making it the exclusive gateway to deliver card-linked offers in gaming. The platform exposes three core product surfaces: Tesoro for Merchants (a performance-driven marketing channel with zero integration required), Tesoro for Game Studios (a Developer SDK and Publisher Portal for embedding retail-funded rewards into free-to-play games), and Tesoro for Gamers (a mobile app for activating card-linked offers, linking Visa or Mastercard debit or credit cards, and tracking rewards). The SDK and publisher portal are intended to help game publishers tap into the 85% of free-to-play gamers who do not currently spend money directly, while increasing average revenue per daily active user (ARPDAU).\n\nTesoro operates on a performance-only revenue model, charging merchants a commission fee only when a qualifying transaction is verified through a linked card — no upfront fees, no subscription, and no charge for impressions or clicks. The company was formed in summer 2025 when Atlas Reality spun out its Atlas Merchant Program (AMP), which had operated since 2020 within Atlas Reality's Atlas Empires and Atlas Earth games and built a merchant base including Burger King, Speedway, Jimmy John's, Advance Auto Parts, and Jamba on the national brand side and 18,000 independent restaurants on the SMB side. Tesoro raised a $5.4 million seed round in January 2026 co-led by Treasury and TK MediaTech Ventures, with a planned public platform launch in Q1 2026.
Tesoro firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tesoro
- Legal name
- Tesoro XP, Inc.
- Website
- https://tesoroxp.dev
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2025
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Tesoro XP is a pre-launch card-linked rewards platform that connects retail spending to in-game currency for US free-to-play gamers, serving retail merchants, game studios, and end-gamers with patented Visa and Mastercard integrations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tesoro industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Gaming Rewards Platform
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fraud, Risk, Chargebacks & Compliance (KYC/AML, tax/VAT) (MPAFAJAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Player Wallets, Escrow & Custodial Account Services (MPAEALAK)
Keywords
Where Tesoro is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Tesoro business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Performance-Based Commission: Tesoro charges retailers on a performance basis only when purchases are verified. The platform earns a commission fee when a qualifying transaction is made by a gamer using their linked payment card at a participating merchant. This creates a performance-driven marketing channel where retailers pay only for actual verified purchases, not for impressions or clicks.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Performance-based only model with no setup fees |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Tesoro product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tesoro is a patented card-linked rewards platform that enables free-to-play gamers to earn in-game currency when they shop at participating merchants using connected Visa or Mastercard payment cards. The platform serves three audiences: merchants (a performance-based marketing channel to reach 220M+ gamers with no setup fees), game studios (a Developer SDK and Publisher Portal that funds in-game currency through retail spending and increases ARPDAU), and gamers (an offer-activation system that turns everyday purchases into virtual currency).
Product overview
Tesoro is a unified rewards platform that powers the $125+ billion gaming economy by connecting retail spending to in-game currency for free-to-play gamers. The platform consists of three core user-facing products: Tesoro for Merchants (enabling retailers to reach 220M gamers through performance-driven marketing with no setup required), Tesoro for Game Studios (providing a Developer SDK and Publisher Portal for studios to integrate retail-funded rewards and increase ARPDAU), and Tesoro for Gamers (enabling consumers to earn in-game currency by shopping at participating merchants using card-linked Visa/Mastercard connections). The platform also includes the Tesoro Offers sub-product for offer activation and a performance-based marketing system where merchants pay only when real purchases are verified. Tesoro was spun out of Atlas Reality's Atlas Merchant Program (AMP) in 2025 and plans to launch publicly in Q1 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tesoro Platform A rewards platform that connects retail spending to in-game currency for free-to-play gamers. Patented card-linked technology enables gamers to earn virtual currency by shopping at participating merchants using connected Visa or Mastercard cards.
- Developer SDK Software development kit for game publishers to integrate Tesoro's card-linked rewards into their free-to-play games, allowing gamers to earn in-game currency through retail purchases with linked cards.
- Publisher Portal Web-based portal for game publishers to manage partnerships, view analytics, administer rewards programs, and track performance of card-linked offers integrated via the SDK.
- Tesoro Offers Consumer offer-activation system within the Tesoro platform that lets gamers browse available offers, activate them before purchase, and earn in-game currency after a qualifying transaction with a linked Visa or Mastercard card is verified (typically within 1–3 business days).
Quantifiable outcome
- 71% net increase in customer spend for a national burger brand among Tesoro users compared to average non-Tesoro customers
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Tesoro
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Tesoro technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature4 records
Tesoro partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Atlas Reality (Atlas: Earth parent)flagshipAtlas Reality spun out its Atlas Merchant Program (AMP) to form Tesoro in summer 2025. Atlas Reality had been running card-linking rewards since 2019, averaging 15% ticket value increase month over month and 2.2X increase in gamer purchase frequency. The spin-off created the independent Tesoro company.
- VisacorePatented integration with Visa payment network enabling card-linked offers for gamers. Visa integration makes Tesoro the exclusive gateway to deliver card-linked offers across the gaming ecosystem.
- MastercardcorePatented integration with Mastercard payment network enabling card-linked offers for gamers. Mastercard integration makes Tesoro the exclusive gateway to deliver card-linked offers across the gaming ecosystem.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Tesoro competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Atrium (formerly Influencer): Atrium provides outcome-based performance marketing infrastructure for brands, with a focus on measurable ROI similar to Tesoro's verified-purchase model. It is comparable on the performance-based marketing philosophy, though focused on influencer and creator channels rather than gaming.
- Pinfluential: Pinfluential is an influencer and creator marketing platform that monetizes social engagement via performance-based payouts, structurally analogous to how Tesoro monetizes in-game engagement via performance-based merchant payouts. Both share the philosophy of paying for verified outcomes rather than impressions.
- Lolli: Lolli is a browser-extension and shopping rewards platform that pays consumers in Bitcoin for purchases at participating merchants. It shares the same merchant-funded, consumer-currency-rewards architecture as Tesoro and represents an emerging alternative currency mechanism.
Broad incumbents
- Swagbucks / Prodege: Swagbucks (Prodege) is a long-standing consumer rewards platform spanning surveys, shopping, gaming, and offers funded by brands. It includes a gaming rewards component and shares the brand-funded, consumer-incentive architecture that underpins Tesoro's value proposition.
- Ibotta: Ibotta is a scaled cashback rewards platform serving CPG brands and grocery/convenience retailers with digital receipt-based offers. It is comparable on the merchant-funded rewards mechanic and QSR/convenience retail vertical, though it lacks the gaming-distribution layer that makes Tesoro unique.
- Rakuten: Rakuten operates one of the largest consumer cashback and shopping rewards networks globally, with deep merchant relationships and a well-known consumer brand. It represents a scaled incumbent in retail-funded consumer rewards that could expand into gaming-rewards if the category matures.
- Fetch Rewards: Fetch Rewards is a major receipt-scanning and brand-funded consumer rewards platform with broad CPG and retail merchant partnerships. Comparable on the brand-funded consumer rewards mechanic and merchant-onboarding motion, though operating through receipts rather than card-linked transactions.
Direct peers
- Cardlytics: Cardlytics is the leading card-linked offer platform that partners with banks to deliver cashback offers to consumers based on their debit/credit card spending. It is the most direct analogue to Tesoro's card-linking mechanic, differing mainly in channel (bank apps vs. in-game SDK) and in targeting the general population rather than free-to-play gamers specifically.
- Mistplay: Mistplay is a mobile gaming rewards platform that pays gamers with gift cards and points for playing games, funded by game studios seeking engaged users. It is the closest pure-play competitor in the gaming-rewards category, intersecting directly with Tesoro's gamer-monetization layer, though funded by ad spend rather than retail card-linked offers.
- Dosh: Dosh is a card-linked cashback app that automatically rewards users when they shop at participating merchants using linked payment cards. It is a direct functional analogue to Tesoro's card-linking engine, differing in distribution (consumer app vs. in-game SDK) and in targeting the general population rather than gamers.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Tesoro financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tesoro leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Tesoro funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tesoro M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tesoro
What does Tesoro do?
Tesoro is a patented card-linked rewards platform that enables free-to-play gamers to earn in-game currency when they shop at participating merchants using connected Visa or Mastercard payment cards. The platform serves three audiences: merchants (a performance-based marketing channel to reach 220M+ gamers with no setup fees), game studios (a Developer SDK and Publisher Portal that funds in-game currency through retail spending and increases ARPDAU), and gamers (an offer-activation system that turns everyday purchases into virtual currency).
Is Tesoro a public or private company?
Tesoro is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Tesoro founded?
Tesoro was founded in 2025. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Tesoro based?
Tesoro is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Tesoro make money?
One revenue line is on record: performance-Based Commission.
Who are Tesoro's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Atrium (formerly Influencer), Pinfluential and Lolli. Broad incumbents are Swagbucks / Prodege, Ibotta, Rakuten and Fetch Rewards. Direct peers are Cardlytics, Mistplay and Dosh.
Does Tesoro have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tesoro.
What industry is Tesoro in?
Tesoro's product category is Gaming Rewards Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAJAD, Fraud, Risk, Chargebacks & Compliance (KYC/AML, tax/VAT), with a secondary code of MPAEALAK, Player Wallets, Escrow & Custodial Account Services.