Chpter, a Kenyan social commerce start-up, has spun off Pluto, a WhatsApp API suite designed to assist companies automate buyer interactions and course of transactions. Launched in 2025, Pluto now operates as an entirely owned subsidiary of Chpter, with Andrew Bosson, previously Chpter’s chief development officer, as co-founder and CEO.
Pluto’s launch comes as Kenyan companies wrestle to harness the rising pattern of social commerce. Whereas hundreds of thousands of Kenyans store immediately by means of social media platforms, companies usually lose clients when buyers are redirected to exterior fee methods. Pluto needs to bridge this hole by enabling customers to make funds inside WhatsApp, eliminating the necessity to change platforms.
“Following our partnership with Meta, we had been flooded with requests from a number of startups and corporations requesting to construct customized chat-based experiences for his or her clients on WhatsApp,” stated Tesh Mbaabu, Chpter co-founder and CEO. “In lower than 1 / 4, we’ve onboarded main purchasers throughout totally different sectors.”
Regardless of the surge in social commerce, many Kenyan companies have but to completely capitalise on its potential. Cart abandonment charges stay excessive when clients are pressured to exit their social media feeds to finish purchases. Pluto goals to place WhatsApp as a full-service channel for looking, buying, and engagement.
“By the tip of 2024, it was clear we would have liked to make this attainable, and the thought of Pluto was born,” stated Mbaabu.
Pluto’s clients embrace lender NCBA Financial institution, insurer Britam, native Safarilink, and the Kenyan Authorities. The corporate operates below a hybrid income mannequin, charging companies a month-to-month software-as-a-service (SaaS) charge starting from $50 for small enterprises to $550 for bigger ones. As well as, Pluto generates income from per-interaction charges associated to gross sales and assist, and outbound WhatsApp messages for advertising and operational functions, as a Meta enterprise companion.
