, a Kenyan software startup powering social commerce, has expanded to 11 more African countries through a partnership with fintech giant Flutterwave.

The move adds and Zambia to its existing footprint in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.

The expansion signals Chpter’s ambition to scale its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model across Africa — a region where digital tools for small businesses are still fragmented.

Through Flutterwave’s payment infrastructure, Chpter merchants in the new markets can accept payments via mobile money, cards, and bank transfers in local currencies or USD.

Chpter is pushing an AI-first strategy, restructuring its team and introducing AI-powered sales and customer service agents.

About 45% of its customer interactions are now handled by AI — a figure the company expects to grow to over 80%.

Chpter recently launched Pluto, a WhatsApp API suite for businesses to build full customer journeys on the platform.

As a Meta Business Partner, the company offers features like in-chat checkout, marketing tools, and a unified dashboard for managing conversations across platforms.

Chpter is testing whether SaaS can scale in Africa if pricing and product design are localized. It operates a subscription model ranging from $50 to $550 per month, depending on business size, and generates additional revenue through paid messaging and AI interactions.

In September 2024, Chpter raised $1.2 million in pre-seed funding led by Pani, the investment firm co-founded by former Cellulant CEO Ken Njoroge.

Other investors include Techstars, Norrsken, Renew Capital, and several angels. The startup has also gone through accelerators by Norrsken and Safaricom.

Source: TechCabal

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