Chpter, a Kenyan e-commerce platform specializing in social media integration, has raised $1.2 million in pre-seed funding to enhance its technology and expand operations into Egypt and Nigeria. The startup was launched in 2022 by Tesh Mbaabu, Mesongo Sibuti, Kevin Kuria, and Mark Kiarie, who are also the co-founders of Marketforce, a prominent e-commerce company.Chpter helps businesses transform social media platforms into sales channels by offering tools for chat, order management, and payments. The platform operates on a subscription-based model and earns additional revenue from transaction fees. Its client roster includes notable names like Britam Insurance, Kicks Kenya, and Phoneplace, with current operations spanning Kenya and South Africa.According to CEO Tesh Mbaabu, the newly secured funding will be used to integrate social media APIs, such as WhatsApp and Instagram, with established e-commerce and customer relationship management systems like Shopify and Woocommerce. This upgrade aims to create a seamless end-to-end solution for businesses.The funding round was led by Pani, an Africa-focused investment firm co-founded by Ken Njoroge, the former CEO of Cellulant. Additional investors included Plesion Capital, Techstars, Norrsken, Renew Capital, ViKtoria Ventures, and a group of angel investors such as Benjamin Fernandes, founder of Nala, and Paul Kimani and Jackson Kibigo, co-founders of Workpay.The startup’s founders, who previously gained experience running Marketforce, have positioned Chpter as a key player in the growing conversational commerce sector. Despite shared origins, Chpter operates as an independent entity.In 2023, Chpter participated in the Norrsken Accelerator program, which provided resources and exposure to help it grow. In 2024, the startup joined the Safaricom Spark Accelerator, receiving mentorship and training to further scale its operations.Chpter’s unique approach to leveraging social media for e-commerce positions it to thrive as it enters new markets and invests in improving its technology stack.
