AI-Powered Conversational Commerce Platform Chpter Raises $1.2M To Expand Across Sub-Saharan Africa

Chpter, an AI-powered company based in Kenya, has secured significant funding.

Chpter

Launched in 2022 by Mesongo Sibuti (chief technology officer), Kuria Kevin (chief product officer), Mark Kiarie (chief operating officer) and Tesh Mbaabu (CEO), the conversational commerce company allows businesses to scale their revenue — on platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and TikTok — by up to five times through features that include automated abandoned cart recovery, post-purchase chat messages, and automated responses through chatbots, per its website.

“We are thrilled to pioneer the social commerce revolution, starting in Africa, as more and more consumers turn to social channels such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to communicate and purchase from the brands they love.” Mbaabu, co-founder of Chpter, said in a post shared on Medium. “Specifically, WhatsApp’s role in business communication cannot be overstated. With more than two billion active users, it offers an unparalleled platform for businesses to offer support, engage in sales conversations, and maintain customer relationships.”

To support entrepreneurs further, Chpter also makes it possible for automated marketing and payments to be housed on its platform as well, per the post.

So far, a variety of businesses across Kenya and South Africa are customers, and they span sectors such as e-commerce and retail, financial services, education, media and entertainment, health and wellness, and others.

Raising $1.2M

Now, the founders are looking to work ahead of an e-commerce industry that is projected to reach $46.1 billion by 2025 in Africa, Ventureburn notes. In light of this, they have secured $1.2 million in pre-seed funding, per Medium. PANI Managing Partner Ken Njoroge led the round, which included participation from Plesion Capital, Techstars, Norrsken, Renew Capital, ViKtoria Ventures, and angel investors such as NALA Founder and CEO Benjamin Fernandes and Workpay co-founders Paul Kimani and Jackson Kibigo.

The funding will be directed towards the company’s marketing and sales goals as well as support the scaling of products across Sub-Saharan Africa.

“At Pani we’re always on the lookout for founder teams with incredible grit — they embody the relentless passion and fight needed to build in Africa,” Njoroge of PANI said. “When we find such founders, we walk with them & invest in them. For this reason, we’re glad to be part of the Chpter story and to support the growth of a product with the potential to transform how we buy and sell across the continent.”

Ben Finlay, general partner at Plesion Capital, commented:

“We invested in Chpter because of their highly innovative technology and best-in-class leadership team. Their digital solutions solve complex problems specific to African commerce, highlighting their potential for pan-African success, and their leadership team has the capability and experience to capitalize on this massive opportunity.”