Novastar Ventures
Impact investorLondon · Pre-Seed–Late Stage · 23 people tracked
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 · 23 people
from the firm's website & public directories
What they invest in
from 13 of 35 portfolio companiesCleantech ×5Logistics & Supply Chain ×4Digital Health ×3Healthtech ×3Impact & Social Good ×3AgTech ×2B2B Marketplaces ×2Climate Tech ×2
HQs:Kenya×5United States×4Nigeria×3Egypt×1South Africa×1
Investments · 35 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathNovastar Fund III (NVIII) portfolio company.
BasiGo provides electric buses and related services for public transport operators in Africa, including vehicle asset financing and charging infrastructure.
CleantechClimate TechMobility & TransportationClaymont, US
Jonathan Green(CFO & Co-Founder)Abhijit Bhattacharya(Executive Officer, Director)Jit Bhattacharya(CEO & Co-Founder)Moses Nderitu(Kenya Managing Director)Doreen Orishaba(Chief Product Officer)
BoardAkira Wada(Director)
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)inBrian Waswani Odhiambo(Director)
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
Novastar Fund III (NVIII) portfolio company.
Komaza partners with smallholder farmers across Africa to convert underutilized land into productive microforests, supplying sustainable wood and capturing carbon while generating income for farming communities.
AgTechClimate TechImpact & Social GoodNairobi, KE
Tevis Howard(Founder)
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
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
PayGo Energy builds hardware and software to expand access to Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) for clean cooking in emerging markets, targeting consumers who otherwise rely on charcoal and kerosene.
CleantechEnergyHardwareNairobi, KE
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
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
Mexico City
Joyce Cacho(Director)Alexander Eaton(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Thibault Couturier(Director)Liesbet Mijlemans(Director)Marcus Watson(Director)
Oakland, US
Ella Peinovich(Executive Officer, Director)Ashoka Reddy(Director)Gwendolyn Floyd(Executive Officer, Director)Ernest T. Selig(Director)Percy Grundy(Director)Elizabeth White(Director)
San Francisco, US
Michael Ukpong(Executive Officer, Director)Ruke Awaritefe(Executive Officer, Director)Tidjane Deme(Director)Cyril Collon(Director)Chukwunenye Onyekachi Izukanne(Executive Officer, Director)
Frequently asked questions
- 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.
Images
Co-investors · 7
Partech is a global investment firm that supports founders at every stage through dedicated teams and multiple funds across several continents.
QED Investors is a venture capital firm founded by former Capital One executives that invests in founders building transparency and fairness into financial services.
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.
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.
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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