Chpter, a Kenyan e-commerce startup founded by former Marketforce executives, has raised $1.2 million in pre-seed funding. The funds will be used to enhance its technology and expand operations into Egypt and Nigeria.
Founded in 2022 by Tesh Mbaabu, Mesongo Sibuti, Kuria Kevin, and Mark Kiarie, Chpter transforms social media into a sales platform with tools for chatting, ordering, and payments. The startup earns revenue through monthly subscriptions and transaction fees. Notable clients include Britam, Kicks Kenya, and Phoneplace. Chpter currently operates in Kenya and South Africa.
The funding round was led by Pani, an Africa-focused investment firm co-founded by Ken Njoroge, former CEO of Cellulant, and included participation from Plesion Capital, Techstars, Norrsken, Renew Capital, ViKtoria Ventures, and angel investors.
Chpter operates independently of Marketforce, despite some shared investors. The startup’s involvement in the Norrsken Accelerator in 2023 and the Safaricom Spark Accelerator in 2024 helped it gain recognition in the conversational commerce space.
