Chpter , a Kenyan ecommerce startup, has raised USD 1.2 million in a pre-seed funding round to enhance its technology and expand into Egypt and Nigeria. The company was founded in 2022 and it offers tools that enable businesses to use social media as a sales platform, providing chat, order, and payment functionalities.

The company operates on a subscription model and charges a transaction fee for payments processed through its platform. It currently serves clients such as Britam, Kicks Kenya, and Phoneplace, and has a presence in Kenya and South Africa. The recent funding round was led by Pani, an investment firm focused on Africa.

Other participants included Plesion Capital, Techstars, Norrsken, Renew Capital, ViKtoria Ventures, and several angel investors, including Benjamin Fernandes, CEO of Nala, and Paul Kimani and Jackson Kibigo, co-founders of Workpay. Chpter operates independently of Marketforce, although Marketforce is a shareholder in the company. Some investors in Chpter were also previous investors in Marketforce.

Chpter was not created under Marketforce and will continue to function independently. A fast ascent In 2023, Chpter was accepted into the Norrsken Accelerator, and in May 2024, it joined the Safaricom Spark Accelerator, which provided three months of training and mentorship. The investment from the Norrsken Accelerator has not been disclosed.

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