Chpter, a Kenyan startup specialising in conversational commerce, has raised $1.2 million in a pre-seed funding round.
The round was led by Ken Njoroge, co-founder and former CEO of Cellulant, through his investment firm PANI, with additional participation from investors such as Plesion Capital, Techstars, Norrsken, Renew Capital, and ViKtoria Ventures.
Angel investors included Benjamin Fernandes, founder and CEO of NALA, and the co-founders of Workpay, Paul Kimani and Jackson Kibigo.
Founded in 2022 by Tesh Mbaabu, Mesongo Sibuti, Kuria Kevin, and Mark Kiarie, Chpter aims to improve the way businesses engage with customers on social media platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram.
The platform enables merchants to simplify their sales processes by integrating chat, order management, and payment systems, thereby converting social media from a mere marketing tool into a fully functional sales channel.
The funds raised will be utilised to accelerate product development, expand the platform’s availability across more countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, and enhance sales and marketing efforts to meet the growing demand from businesses.
Chpter’s platform is already operational in Kenya and South Africa, serving a variety of clients including Britam, Kicks Kenya, and Phoneplace.
Social commerce has gained high traction in Africa, with an increasing number of transactions being conducted via social media. This trend is driven by the accessibility and ease of use of these platforms, particularly in emerging markets where digital literacy and data costs can be barriers to traditional e-commerce.
However, many businesses face challenges in managing customer interactions and converting them into sales, leading to revenue losses due to abandoned carts and inefficient order fulfilment processes.
Chpter addresses these issues by offering an AI-powered platform that automates customer interactions and integrates with popular e-commerce and customer relationship management systems such as Shopify and Woocommerce.
This improves the efficiency of sales processes and also enhances the overall customer experience by providing personalised engagement across multiple social media platforms.
The startup’s innovative approach and prospect for pan-African success have attracted attention from investors. The participation of firms like PANI and Plesion Capital, as well as the endorsement from well-regarded angel investors, is a result of a strong vote of confidence in Chpter’s business model and leadership team.
In addition to the funding, Chpter has been recognised by several accelerator programs, including the Norrsken Accelerator and the Safaricom Spark Accelerator, which further validates its works in the growing field of conversational commerce.
Chpter further plans to expand its operations into five more markets, including Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, and Morocco, as it continues to pursue its vision of improving social commerce across the African continent.
