Katyusha Lands on MAX as PSB’s AI Business Assistant Expands Into Russia’s New Messenger
PSB Bank has launched small and medium-sized business services inside the MAX messenger through its AI-powered assistant Katyusha, extending a fintech tool that previously operated only on VKontakte into a fast-growing national communications platform.
More and more Russian entrepreneurs are moving onto the national messenger platform as its audience expands rapidly. According to April figures, the number of registered MAX users has already surpassed 111 million.
Fintech Moves Directly Into the Messaging Layer
For businesses, opening a new communication channel is no longer enough on its own. Companies also want access to the same operational tools they already rely on elsewhere. Through the Katyusha AI assistant, entrepreneurs can now process payments, issue invoices, monitor balances and receive account statements directly inside their MAX channels without switching to a separate banking app. Customer interaction is powered by RAG technology built on a large language model (LLM). The neural network also automates routine business workflows, including recruiting, social media promotion and marketplace sales analytics.
This is not Russia’s first attempt to embed business services and fintech products directly into a communications environment. Internet banking is becoming increasingly integrated into the country’s national messenger ecosystem. Customers get faster and more convenient service, while businesses reduce operating costs and speed up sales cycles.
From Chatbot to AI Agent
The corporate communications market is following users into the messengers and social networks they choose for everyday interactions. At the same time, modern chatbots look very different from the systems businesses used just a few years ago. The spread of generative AI has made them significantly more capable.
PSB, for example, says its chatbot now handles more than half of consultations about the bank’s products and services on VKontakte without involving human employees. T-Bank has also reported that its fine-tuned language models independently resolve up to 45% of customer requests.
Russia’s chatbot market is projected to grow by 20% to 25% annually, with the biggest advantage likely going to AI-agent models deeply integrated into business operations.
Efficiency Becomes a Competitive Advantage
When Katyusha first launched on VKontakte, it stood out as a breakthrough product. The AI assistant allowed users to perform banking operations conversationally without leaving the messenger itself. That approach helped PSB become one of the winners of FINAWARD 2023, a Russian national award recognizing innovation and achievements in the financial sector.
In 2025, Katyusha’s effectiveness was reinforced by a Markswebb study that named it the best online banking platform for businesses. The same year, PSB launched a chatbot for retail customers inside MAX that provides consultations on loans and bank cards. The bank has now expanded further by rolling out a business assistant in the same messenger capable of processing payments, generating invoices and statements, and helping entrepreneurs manage other operational tasks.
Technology as the Foundation of the Digital Economy
Katyusha gives businesses access to financial operations directly inside their working communications channel. In practice, that functionality could help transform the MAX national messenger into a broader platform ecosystem for small and medium-sized businesses.
Over the next two years, major Russian banks are expected to move aggressively into this space, giving users the ability to make payments without switching into standalone mobile banking apps. Demand for services that combine payment convenience, cybersecurity and AI-powered business tools is also expected to strengthen the role of Russia’s IT sector in the country’s digital economy. Technology is increasingly becoming a measurable driver of business acceleration and financial performance.
