What stage does KawiSafi Ventures invest at?

KawiSafi Ventures invests at the Growth stage.

Where is KawiSafi Ventures located?

KawiSafi Ventures is headquartered in Nairobi, KE.

KawiSafi Ventures

Impact investorOperating companyActively deploying

Nairobi · Growth · 12 people tracked

Also known as KawiSafi

★ Follow + Add to CRM ⤳ Find an introduction

Find your way into KawiSafi Ventures

Paths you didn't know you had: your email and LinkedIn already hold routes to the KawiSafi Ventures team. We find them for you
2nd- and 3rd-degree connections: the friend-of-a-friend routes that take hours to manually find through your inbox or LinkedIn
Answers now, not in days: momentum is everything in a raise. Skip asking around whether someone knows someone

Days of research, done the moment you sign in, with every route ranked by how warm it is.

✨ Fox Verdict

Investment thesis

KawiSafi Ventures targets sub-Saharan Africa, where hundreds of millions live off-grid and rely on polluting fuels like diesel and kerosene. The firm believes decentralized renewable energy paired with mobile payments can rapidly and affordably deliver energy access while building a low-carbon economy. It invests in fast-growing, innovative companies across the off-grid energy value chain, deploying patient capital to catalyze sector growth. Beyond funding, KawiSafi collaborates with entrepreneurs to build talent, deepen markets, and attract additional capital, seeking competitive high-impact businesses that address major social and environmental challenges.

Invests inCleantech Climate Tech Energy Fintech Impact & Social GoodSector AgnosticAfrica Kenya Mexico Nairobi New York

Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.

Leave your own feedback

Stage

Growth

Nairobi, KE

Instruments

Equity

Founded

2022

Tracked investments

Team · 12 people

from the firm's website

Amar Inamdar· Managing Director· Nairobi County, Kenyain

Amar Inamdar is Managing Director of KawiSafi Ventures, a multi-fund platform within the Acumen Fund, bringing over 25 years of private sector experience in emerging economies. He previously spent a decade managing high-risk, high-impact investment portfolios at the International Finance Corporation and World Bank, and held a position on the new business team at Royal Dutch Shell focused on emerging energy markets. Inamdar holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge and an undergraduate degree from the University of Oxford, and serves as Chair of the board of Farm Africa.

Jacqueline Novogratz· Founder and CEO - Acumen· New York, New York, United Statesin 𝕏

Novogratz founded Acumen in 2001 and serves as its CEO, leading its work fighting poverty through patient investment. A serial social entrepreneur, she co-founded Rwanda's first microfinance bank, launched programs at the Rockefeller Foundation, and authored The Blue Sweater and Manifesto for a Moral Revolution. She holds an MBA from Stanford and a BA from the University of Virginia.

Angela Muraguri· Associate Director· Nairobi County, Kenyain

Baafour Otu-Boateng· Investment Director· Ghanain

Marcus Watson· Investment Director· United Kingdomin

Marcus Watson is a partner at KawiSafi Ventures responsible for investments, operations, and portfolio management across emerging markets. His background includes investment experience in energy, agribusiness, and financial services; advisory work on over $500 million in transactions and fund formations in Africa; and previous roles at Dalberg, where he led the Africa energy and infrastructure practice, as well as at the International Finance Corporation and as a corporate attorney in London. He holds degrees from Trinity College Dublin, the College of Law London, and Johns Hopkins University SAIS, and is qualified to practice law in England and Wales.

Biniam Yohannes· Managing Director - Catalyst Principal Partners· United Statesin

Investment Committee member; Managing Director at Catalyst Principal Partners.

C. Hunter Boll· Chief Operating Officer - Source Audio LLC

Investment Committee member; Chief Operating Officer of Source Audio LLC.

Chad Larson· Senior Advisorin

Chukwuebuka Amaji· Investment Associatein

Collins Mwangi· Senior Associate· Kenyain

Jackline Mwangi· Executive Assistant to the MD and Office Manager· Kenyain

Jackline Mwangi is an Office Manager at KawiSafi Ventures. She has prior experience as a Sales Manager in the travel industry, with skills in sales, account management, and business strategy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in International Business from Kampala International University.

Sheila Micheni· Investment Analyst· Kenyain

What they invest in

from 3 of 3 portfolio companies

Cleantech ×2Advanced Manufacturing ×1AgTech ×1Climate Tech ×1Energy ×1Fintech ×1FoodTech ×1Hardware ×1

HQs:Kenya×1Nigeria×1

Investments · 3 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

Inspira Farmsinspirafarms.com in 𝕏✓ verified

InspiraFarms Cooling provides cold chain infrastructure and cooling technology solutions to African agribusinesses, farmers, and exporters to reduce food losses and improve access to higher-value markets.

Advanced ManufacturingAgTechCleantechClimate TechFoodTechLogistics & Supply Chain

Co-investorsShell Foundation Pymwymic Aster Capital E3 Capital

GoCabgocab.io

GoCab operates a vehicle rent-to-own platform for professional drivers (VTC, taxi, and independent drivers), providing cars with flexible daily payment plans that lead to full vehicle ownership over a 3-4 year contract.

FintechMarketplacesMobility & Transportation

Co-investorsE3 Capital Cur8 Capital JANNGO Capital

Koolbokskoolboks.com in 𝕏Sep 2025 · $11M

Koolboks manufactures solar-powered ice makers and freezers designed for businesses in Africa, offering financing options and integrated battery storage technology to reduce electricity costs.

CleantechEnergyHardwareIoTLagos, NG

Co-investorsAruwa Capital Cascador Third Derivative Acumen All On Blue Earth Capital AG +2 more

Frequently asked questions

What stage does KawiSafi Ventures invest at?: KawiSafi Ventures invests at the Growth stage.
What sectors does KawiSafi Ventures focus on?: KawiSafi Ventures focuses on Cleantech, Climate Tech, Energy, Fintech, Impact & Social Good, Sector Agnostic.
Where is KawiSafi Ventures located?: KawiSafi Ventures is headquartered in Nairobi, KE.

Similar investors

Heliad AG

Heliad is a publicly listed evergreen investment firm that backs founders from early stage through IPO and beyond, providing access to capital markets via its balance sheet and its early-stage vehicle Collective Ventures.

$5.4M – $16.2M

Ireland Strategic Investment Fund

The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF) is a sovereign development fund managed and controlled by Ireland's National Treasury Management Agency, mandated to invest on a commercial basis to support economic activity and employment in Ireland.

Oltre Impact

Oltre Impact is Italy's first impact investment fund, investing in innovative companies that address major social and environmental challenges aligned with the UN SDGs.

$2.2M – $8.6M

Advantage Partners Inc.

Advantage Partners is a Japanese private equity firm engaged in buyouts, growth support for listed companies, renewable energy and sustainability investment, and real estate investment across Japan and Asia.

FMO

FMO is the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank that finances and invests in entrepreneurs across developing economies and emerging markets to promote inclusive and sustainable prosperity.