Novastar Ventures
Impact investorLondon · Pre-Seed–Late Stage · 20 people tracked
Find your way into Novastar Ventures
4,419 people in our graph share verified history with the Novastar Ventures team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Investment thesis
Novastar Ventures invests in bold entrepreneurs driving an entrepreneurial revolution across Africa, aiming to transform markets and sectors for the benefit of people and the planet. The firm emphasizes environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles across its portfolio and manages funds dedicated to impact-oriented investing on the continent, such as its Africa People and Planet Fund III.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
Team · 20 people
from the firm's website & curated & public directoriesWhat they invest in
from 19 of 37 portfolio companiesLogistics & Supply Chain ×6Cleantech ×5Climate Tech ×5Impact & Social Good ×5Mobility & Transportation ×5Healthtech ×4AgTech ×3B2B Marketplaces ×3
HQs:Kenya×7United States×6Nigeria×5Egypt×1South Africa×1
Investments · 37 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 32025 · 12022 · 12015 · 16 dated
Arc Waste Compactors manufactures waste and recycling equipment including self-contained, stationary, apartment, and vertical compactors, as well as cardboard balers for commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities.
Advanced ManufacturingCircular EconomyHardware
Co-investorsH.I.G. CapitalNorrsken22Proparco
BasiGo provides electric buses designed for African public transport, along with a pay-as-you-drive leasing model that removes the high upfront cost of ownership and a charging and service network.
CleantechClimate TechMobility & TransportationClaymont, US
Jonathan Green(CFO & Co-Founder)inAbhijit Bhattacharya(Executive Officer, Director)Jit Bhattacharya(CEO & Co-Founder)inMoses Nderitu(Kenya Managing Director)inDoreen Orishaba(Chief Product Officer)in
BoardAkira Wada(Director)
Co-investorsKeiki CapitalMoxxie VenturesNimble PartnersTrucks VC
Breadfast is a delivery app offering groceries, fresh bakery items, fruits and vegetables, ready-to-eat meals, beauty, pharmacy, and household products, along with financial features like cashback and rewards.
ConsumerE-commerceFoodTechLogistics & Supply ChainMobility & TransportationCairo, EG
Muhammad Habib(Founder)inAbdallah Nofal(Founder)inMostafa Aminin
Co-investors4DX Ventures500 GlobalOutliers VCShorooq PartnersVershina CapitalVNV Global+5 more
Chowdeck is a food delivery platform in Africa that connects customers with restaurants and delivery riders.
B2B MarketplacesConsumerFoodTechLogistics & Supply ChainMarketplacesLA, NG
Femi Aluko(Founder)inOlumide Ojo(Founder)inLanre Yusuf(Founder)in
BoardBrian Waswani Odhiambo(Director)in
Co-investorsBrighter CapitalGFR FundHoaQPalm Drive CapitalRocketship.vcVelocity Digital+1 more
Elephant provides digital health infrastructure for public healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries, offering an offline-capable EHR (ElephantOS), clinical guidance tools (Elephant Nudge), and an AI-driven platform to integrate third-party healthcare tools into clinical workflows.
AI & Machine LearningDigital HealthEnterprise SoftwareHealthtechUK, ZA
Michael D.(Founder)in
Co-investorsEntrée CapitalManta Ray VenturesPUSH Ventures
Komaza is a forestry company in Kenya that uses a smallholder microforestry model, partnering with thousands of small farmers to grow trees on distributed land pockets rather than large plantations.
AgTechClimate TechImpact & Social GoodNairobi, KE
Tevis Howard(Founder)inAyesha Wagle(Executive Officer)inJoris de Vries(Director)
BoardSteve Beck(Director)in
Co-investorsCeniarth
MAX is a mobility fintech platform that provides financial services, vehicle ownership solutions, and support services to informal transport operators across Africa.
B2B MarketplacesCleantechClimate TechFintechLogistics & Supply ChainMobility & TransportationLagos, NG
Co-investorsAlitheia CapitalBreakthrough Energy VenturesGoodwell InvestmentsOlive Tree CapitalShell FoundationWaarde Capital
Logistics & Supply ChainMobility & TransportationLagos, NG
Chinedu Azodoh(Executive Officer, Director)inAdetayo Bamiduro(Executive Officer, Director)in
Co-investorsCapria VenturesTechstarsEndeavor CatalystGlobal VenturesProparcoTriple Jump
MoKo manufactures and sells furniture, including TV stands designed with modern storage and display features for residential living rooms.
Advanced ManufacturingConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceRetail TechNairobi, KE
Moniepoint provides banking, payments, credit, and cross-border payment services along with business management tools for African businesses and individuals, with a focus on MSMEs.
Enterprise SoftwareFintechSaaS
Co-investorsCapria VenturesDevelopment Partners InternationalNew VoicesOui CapitalQED InvestorsInternational Finance Corporation+4 more
mPharma operates a network of pharmacies across Africa that uses technology to negotiate lower drug prices with manufacturers and manage prescription information and payments.
B2B MarketplacesDigital HealthHealthtechLogistics & Supply Chain
Co-investors4DX VenturesBreyer CapitalOTVPeregrine VenturesThe Raba PartnershipTimon Capital+2 more
PayGo develops smart metering technology for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) distribution, enabling pay-as-you-go billing for cookstove users in emerging markets.
CleantechEnergyHardwareIoTNairobi, KE
Fausto MarcigotMark O'KeefeNick Quintong
Penda Health operates a network of medical centers in Nairobi providing outpatient, home-based, specialist, and diagnostic care, along with telemedicine, to patients and corporate partners.
Digital HealthHealthtechNairobi, KE
Co-investorsFINCA VenturesGlobal Partnerships
Regen Organics produces organic fertilizer products to address food insecurity and climate change in emerging economies.
AgTechCircular EconomyClimate TechImpact & Social GoodKilifi, KE
Ani Vallabhaneni(Co-founder and CEO)inDavid Auerbach(Co-founder and President)in
Life Ride offers non-emergency medical transportation with door-to-door assistance for people with mobility challenges, including wheelchair users and those recovering from injury.
HealthtechLogistics & Supply ChainMobility & TransportationLivingston, US
Co-investorsKli CapitalBritish International InvestmentInternational Finance CorporationMirovaNorrsken22Proparco
The Sanergy Collaborative is a network of partner organizations addressing the sanitation crisis in densely populated cities through a circular economy approach: building safe sanitation systems, collecting and treating waste, and upcycling it into products like organic fertilizer, ecofuels, and animal feed.
Circular EconomyCleantechImpact & Social GoodNairobi, KE
Sistema.bio manufactures prefabricated, modular tubular biodigesters that convert animal dung into biogas for small and medium-sized farms.
AgTechCleantechClimate TechEnergyMexico City
Alexander Eaton(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)inCamilo Pagés(Founder)in
BoardThibault Couturier(Director)Liesbet Mijlemans(Director)inMarcus Watson(Director)inJoyce Cacho(Director)
Co-investorsDila CapitalFactor[e] VenturesShell Foundation
San Francisco, US
Michael Ukpong(Executive Officer, Director)inRuke Awaritefe(Executive Officer, Director)Chukwunenye Onyekachi Izukanne(Executive Officer, Director)Onyekachi Izukanne(Founder)in
BoardTidjane Deme(Director)inCyril Collon(Director)in
Co-investorsMSA NovoSahel CapitalPartech Ventures
Turaco provides embedded insurance products—including hospital cash, credit life, funeral, micro-property, and accident cover—that businesses can integrate to offer to their customers.
AI & Machine LearningFintechImpact & Social GoodInsurTechWilmington, US
Ted Pantone(Co-Founder & CEO)Charles Welden(Director)Rachel Levenson(Director)Peter Gross(Director)Brekly Pantone(Director)
Co-investorsAfricInvestAmbassadors Impact NetworkEnza CapitalGlobal PartnershipsMercy Corps VenturesMusha Ventures+2 more
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
GreenPathGreenpathfoodGreenWheelsIgnitiaIprocuiProcureKOKO NetworksNewGlobePayGoPayGo EnergyPendapoa! InternetPoa.CoSOKOSolarNowSure Chill
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
Max · alleywatch.com · Sep 10, 2026

Ride · disruptafrica.com · Sep 9, 2026
Arc · inforcapital.com · Sep 8, 2026

Metro Africa Xpress · empowerafrica.com · Aug 17, 2026
Moniepoint · thesaasnews.com · Jul 28, 2026
Chowdeck · thesun.ng · Jul 17, 2026

Breadfast · brandiconimage.com · Jul 14, 2026
Mpharma · billionaires.africa · Dec 22, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Novastar Ventures made?
- Novastar Ventures has 37 tracked investments, including 4 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Novastar Ventures invest at?
- Novastar Ventures invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth, Late Stage stages.
- What sectors does Novastar Ventures focus on?
- Novastar Ventures focuses on Climate Tech, Impact & Social Good, Sector Agnostic.
- Where is Novastar Ventures located?
- Novastar Ventures is headquartered in London, GB.
- Does Novastar Ventures lead rounds?
- Novastar Ventures typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
- Who does Novastar Ventures co-invest with?
- Novastar Ventures most often shares deals with Ceniarth, Dila Capital, Factor[e] Ventures, among 11 tracked co-investors.
Images
Co-investors · 7
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is a global development institution that provides debt and equity financing to the private sector in emerging and developing markets to promote economic development and reduce poverty.
Partech is a global investment firm that backs founders across multiple continents and at every stage through dedicated teams and funds.
QED Investors is a venture capital firm focused on financial services, founded by former Capital One executives to back founders bringing transparency and fairness to fintech.
SparkLabs Global Ventures is an early-stage venture fund whose partners are described as experienced operators and entrepreneurs, providing capital along with hands-on guidance to founders on scaling and international expansion.
Aster is a venture capital firm that positions itself as an ecosystem builder, supporting portfolio startups by connecting them with corporates and industry experts to accelerate industrialization and market adoption.
Helios Investment Partners is an Africa-focused private investment firm operating since 2004, running three strategies including private equity, climate, and Helios Digital Ventures. Helios Digital Ventures invests in Africa's scalable digital champions.
Firms observed investing alongside Novastar Ventures, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Novastar Ventures's recorded portfolio.
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