Cheki.co.ke
Cheki.co.ke is a Kenya-based online vehicle marketplace founded in 2010, connecting individual car buyers, private sellers, and licensed motor dealers through a freemium listings platform with premium dealer subscriptions, certified-vehicle inspection, and an integrated suite of buyer tools.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersNairobi, Kenya
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Cheki.co.ke does
Cheki.co.ke (legally "Cheki Cars Marketplace") is a Kenya-based online vehicle marketplace founded in 2010 that connects vehicle buyers and sellers across the Kenyan market. The platform supports both private sellers and licensed motor vehicle dealers, offering free basic listings alongside paid premium services such as featured ads and vehicle inspection, and reports more than 10,000 active sellers with a multi-city physical footprint spanning Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nakuru, and Kiambu.
Beyond the core listing marketplace, Cheki operates an integrated suite of buyer tools including a VIN Decoder, Landing Cost Calculator, Vehicle Import Duty Calculator, KRA CRSP Lookup, Car Loans referral service, Vehicle Alerts, vehicle comparison, and a Price Guide. The product is delivered as a responsive web platform with standard search/filter, buyer-seller communication, and WhatsApp integration. There is no disclosed mobile app and no documented proprietary technology stack, AI/ML capability, or data flywheel.
The business model is freemium: free basic listings drive inventory, while revenue is generated through three streams — paid listing fees, premium/transaction-based services (featured placements, inspection, promotion), and dealer subscriptions for licensed dealers. Payment processing is integrated with M-Pesa via the Safaricom Daraja API, Pesapal, and PayPal. The primary customer segments are individual car buyers, private sellers, and licensed motor dealers, with explicit price-tier filters targeting the sub-KES 1,000,000 budget segment as a secondary audience.
Cheki.co.ke firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cheki.co.ke
- Legal name
- Cheki Cars Marketplace
- Website
- https://cheki.co.ke
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Cheki.co.ke is a Kenya-based online vehicle marketplace founded in 2010, connecting individual car buyers, private sellers, and licensed motor dealers through a freemium listings platform with premium dealer subscriptions, certified-vehicle inspection, and an integrated suite of buyer tools.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cheki.co.ke industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Vehicle Marketplace
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (441), Other Motor Vehicle Dealers (4412)
- SIC
- Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Automotive Vehicles & Parts C2C (CRAFAKAE)
Keywords
Where Cheki.co.ke is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nairobi
- HQ country
- Kenya
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices6 records
Markets served
Cheki.co.ke business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Listing Fees: Listing a vehicle may be free or paid depending on the user's plan. Basic listings can be created for free while premium features require payment.
- Premium Services: Featured ads, vehicle inspection services, and promotional features may incur additional charges beyond basic listing fees.
- Dealer Subscriptions: Licensed motor vehicle dealers may have different pricing models including listing quotas or renewal limits for business accounts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free basic listing tier for private sellers |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Premium/featured services for enhanced visibility |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Cheki.co.ke product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cheki.co.ke operates an online car marketplace that connects vehicle buyers and sellers across Kenya. Users can list vehicles for free or via paid premium/featured options, while buyers browse, filter, and compare listings by make, model, price, and location. The platform supports both private sellers and licensed motor vehicle dealers and includes integrated value-added tools such as a VIN Decoder, import duty and landing cost calculators, KRA CRSP lookup, vehicle alerts, and a car price guide.
Product overview
Cheki.co.ke operates as a single-platform online vehicle marketplace for the Kenyan market, offering a core marketplace for listing and discovering vehicles across multiple categories (cars, motorbikes, trucks, vans/buses). The platform is complemented by value-added tools including a VIN Decoder, Landing Cost Calculator, Vehicle Import Duty Calculator, KRA CRSP Lookup, Car Loans referral service, Vehicle Alerts, and a Price Guide. These tools function as integrated modules within the same website rather than separate products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cheki Vehicle Marketplace Kenya's online car marketplace connecting vehicle buyers and sellers, featuring verified listings, search filters by make, model, year, price, location, body type, and condition, with direct communication between parties via WhatsApp and in-platform chat. Supports both private sellers and licensed motor vehicle dealers, with vehicle categories including cars, motorbikes, trucks & trailers, and vans/buses.
- Cheki Certified Cars Verified vehicle listings program featuring enhanced trust badges and inspection services for pre-selected vehicles, providing buyers with additional confidence in used car purchases from certified dealers.
- Car Loans (Financing Referrals) Car loan referral service connecting vehicle buyers with partner financing institutions for vehicle purchase financing through integrated third-party financial services.
Companies that use Cheki.co.ke
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Cheki.co.ke technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Cheki.co.ke partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- M-Pesa (Safaricom Daraja API)corePayment processing integration enabling buyers and sellers to transact via M-Pesa mobile money. The Safaricom M-Pesa Daraja API is used for secure payment processing on the platform.
- PesapalcoreAlternative payment gateway integration providing additional payment options for platform transactions alongside M-Pesa.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cheki.co.ke competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- PigiaMe: Kenyan classifieds platform covering multiple categories including vehicles. Smaller auto vertical than Cheki/Jiji but competes for the same Kenyan seller listing volume.
Direct peers
- Jiji Kenya: Kenya's largest general classifieds platform with a substantial automotive vertical. Directly competes with Cheki for vehicle listing inventory and buyer attention in the same Nairobi/Kenya marketplace.
- Autochek: Pan-African automotive technology platform offering vehicle listings, inspections, and financing across multiple African markets. Direct competitor targeting the same dealer-and-buyer auto marketplace category.
- Cheki Nigeria: The Nigerian arm of the Cheki auto-marketplace brand. Operates the same C2C/B2C2C vehicle marketplace model in a different geography, serving as a directly comparable peer at the brand level.
- BeForward Kenya: Japan-headquartered used vehicle exporter with a strong Kenya presence and a listing platform for fresh imports. Competes for the same fresh-import buyer segment that is core to Cheki's inventory mix.
Broad incumbents
- Car & General: Long-established Kenyan automotive conglomerate with dealerships, distribution, and an online presence. Broader incumbent that overlaps with Cheki in motor vehicle retail but with deeper physical and financing infrastructure.
Regional players
- Cars.co.za: South Africa's leading automotive marketplace. Same online vehicle marketplace category as Cheki but focused on South Africa rather than Kenya, providing a useful regional comparable for unit economics and feature benchmarking.
- AutoTrader South Africa: Established South African automotive classifieds platform. Comparable online vehicle marketplace model in a different geography, useful for category-level benchmarking against the Kenyan market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cheki.co.ke social profiles
Digital presenceCheki.co.ke financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cheki.co.ke leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cheki.co.ke funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cheki.co.ke M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cheki.co.ke
What does Cheki.co.ke do?
Cheki.co.ke operates an online car marketplace that connects vehicle buyers and sellers across Kenya. Users can list vehicles for free or via paid premium/featured options, while buyers browse, filter, and compare listings by make, model, price, and location. The platform supports both private sellers and licensed motor vehicle dealers and includes integrated value-added tools such as a VIN Decoder, import duty and landing cost calculators, KRA CRSP lookup, vehicle alerts, and a car price guide.
Is Cheki.co.ke a public or private company?
Cheki.co.ke is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Cheki.co.ke founded?
Cheki.co.ke was founded in 2010.
Where is Cheki.co.ke based?
Cheki.co.ke is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, in the Africa region.
How does Cheki.co.ke make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Listing Fees are the primary driver. The others are premium Services and dealer Subscriptions.
Who are Cheki.co.ke's main competitors?
PigiaMe is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Jiji Kenya, Autochek, Cheki Nigeria and BeForward Kenya. Car & General is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are Cars.co.za and AutoTrader South Africa.
Does Cheki.co.ke have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cheki.co.ke.
What industry is Cheki.co.ke in?
Cheki.co.ke's product category is Online Vehicle Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAFAKAE, Automotive Vehicles & Parts C2C. Its NAICS code is 441 and its SIC code is 5500.