How many investments has Novastar Ventures made?

Novastar Ventures has 41 tracked investments, including 5 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 15 tracked co-investors.

What size deals does Novastar Ventures back?

Across 8 deals with disclosed amounts, Novastar Ventures has joined rounds of $3M – $15M (median $4.5M).

Novastar Ventures

Venture capital

London · Pre-Seed–Late Stage · 20 people tracked

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4,327 people in our graph share verified history with the Novastar Ventures team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

Andrew Ogawaunlockedknows Riki Yamauchi · together at U.S.-Japan Council (overlapped)

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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.

Invests inClimate Tech Impact & Social GoodSector AgnosticAfrica Kenya London Nigeria South Africa

Source: firm website, verified Sep 27, 2026.

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Stage

Pre-Seed–Late Stage

London, GB

Leads rounds

Follows

Instruments

Equity

Founded

2014

Last 12 months

4 investments

AUM

$147M

Tracked investments

Team · 20 people

from the firm's website & curated & public directories

Andrew Carruthers· Co-founder & Managing Partner· Londonin

Co-founder and Managing Partner based in London. Has invested in startups since the dot-com era, managing numerous funds across Europe, India and China, before turning to African venture investing and co-raising Novastar's first fund in 2014. LSE graduate.

Steve Beck· Co-founder and Managing Partner· Londonin

Co-founder and Managing Partner. He began investing in African startups in 2009 through a private investor circle (backing NewGlobe and Sanergy), had an 18-year consulting career and led philanthropic investment bank Geneva Global. Stanford graduate with a PhD from LSE.

Brian Waswani Odhiambo· Partner· Lagosin 𝕏

Partner heading Novastar's Lagos team. A Yale graduate, he was part of Jumia's founding management team, co-founded Zamsolar in Zambia and was COO at Livelyhoods in Nairobi before joining Novastar in 2015.

Sapna Shah· Partner· Nairobiin

Partner in Nairobi who began in international banking at Lloyds TSB and HSBC before returning to Kenya as an investor at Acumen and co-founding a food startup. Joined Novastar in 2015; LSE graduate.

Abel Boreto· Investment Director· Nairobiin 𝕏

Investment Director at Novastar's East Africa advisor in Nairobi. Began as a Bloomberg credit research analyst in the US, later launched Sarora Dairies in Kenya and worked at agritech firm Tulaa before joining Novastar in 2019. Harvard graduate in Government.

Dominic Michel· Investment Director· Londonin

Investment Director in London who previously worked in corporate finance at EY and for an NGO in Uganda. A Chartered Accountant focused on businesses creating social value, he joined Novastar in 2019.

Mukami Wainaina· Associate Investment Director· Nairobiin

Associate Investment Director in Nairobi. She began at Aldridge Wealth Family Office, co-founded early-stage fund Chui Ventures and led fintech, agritech, healthcare and mobility investments at Al Mada Ventures. A Chartered Accountant with an LLM from LSE.

Riki Yamauchi· Director, Strategic Investments and Partnerships· Nairobiin

Director of Strategic Investments and Partnerships in Nairobi. A Japanese-American with a decade in investment banking at Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan, he moved to Kenya to make early-stage investments and joined Novastar in 2023.

Dayo Oduleye· Investment Associate· Lagosin

Investment Associate in Lagos with a banking and engineering-consultancy background and about 12 years' experience supporting entrepreneurs across the Middle East, Pakistan and Africa. Holds a BSc in Statistics and an MBA from Obafemi Awolowo University.

Dieko Ojo· Investment Associate· Lagosin

Investment Associate in West Africa who previously worked at Uber and led market expansion and fundraising at Moove, later advising the CEO of MTN fintech subsidiary MoMo PSB. Economics graduate from the University of Nottingham.

Dot Beck· Director, Social & Environmental Value· London

Director of Social & Environmental Value in London. A former teacher who led Geneva Global's Human Liberty Sector, she established Novastar's approach to measuring social and environmental value while living in Nairobi from 2014 to 2020.

Ebube Emodi· Operations· Lagosin

Leads Operations for Novastar in Lagos. Holds a Master's in Entrepreneurship & Innovation from USC and a Law degree from Exeter, and has worked with the Tony Elumelu Foundation and Africa Practice supporting African entrepreneurs.

Joss Carruthers· Director, Talent Development· Nairobi and London

Director of Talent Development and an executive coach based in Nairobi and London. She supports leaders in building productive teams and holds coaching and languages qualifications from AoEC, Cambridge and the Courtauld Institute.

Nghi Tran· Legal Counsel· Londonin

Legal Counsel in London with over 15 years' venture capital legal experience across Europe and Africa. UK and Australian qualified lawyer who joined Novastar in 2019 from Spark Ventures.

Rebecca Hume· MLRO

Novastar's Money Laundering Reporting Officer and Group Data Protection lead. A regulatory compliance professional with over 15 years advising private equity, venture capital and impact fund managers; joined Novastar as an advisor in 2017.

Sara Firouzyar· Head of Communications & Marketing· Londonin

Head of Communications and Marketing in London with over 15 years of communications experience for sustainable investors. Previously led global capital markets communications for CDP.

Trishaad Surty· Operations and Projects Associate· Londonin

Operations & Projects Associate in London. A Kenyan founder-operator who co-founded solar company Spenomatic in Nairobi; holds an MBA from Oxford Saïd and engineering degrees from UCL.

Winnie Zesiro· Finance Director· Londonin

Finance Director in London with extensive experience in financial and fund management, reporting and investor relations. Joined Novastar in 2020; holds finance degrees from the University of Nairobi and is an ACCA member.

Asra Nadeem· Operations & Projects Associatein

Startup Education Advisor at Draper Associates, CEO of DraperU and Partner at DraperU Ventures, which seeds global founders in frontier tech across AI, aerospace, defense, manufacturing, energy and logistics. Originally from Pakistan, she previously led growth at Rozee.pk and worked at Naseeb.com and Bayt.com.

Samuel Kanu· Associate· Nigeria

What they invest in

from 20 of 41 portfolio companies

Logistics & Supply Chain ×6Cleantech ×5Climate Tech ×5Impact & Social Good ×5Mobility & Transportation ×5Fintech ×4Healthtech ×4AgTech ×3

HQs:Kenya×7United States×6Nigeria×5Egypt×1India×1South Africa×1

Investments · 41 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path

By year:2026 · 4 2025 · 1 2022 · 4 2021 · 5 2019 · 3 2018 · 2 2017 · 2 2016 · 1 2015 · 2 2014 · 226 dated

Arcarcwastecompactors.com inSep 2026 · $33.3M

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. Capital Norrsken22 Proparco

ARC Ridearcrideglobal.com inSeries A · Feb 2026 · $5M

Novastar Fund III (NVIII) portfolio company.

Karl Boyce(Founder)in

Co-investorsBritish International Investment IFC International Finance Corporation Mirova Norrsken22 Proparco

Basi-Gobasi-go.com in 𝕏Nov 2022

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)in Moses Nderitu(Kenya Managing Director)in Doreen Orishaba(Chief Product Officer)in

BoardAkira Wada(Director)

Co-investorsKeiki Capital Moxxie Ventures Nimble Partners Trucks VC Africa50 SBI Holdings +1 more

Breadfastbreadfast.com in 𝕏Feb 2026 · $50M

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 Ventures 500 Global Outliers VC Pioneer Shorooq Partners Vershina Capital +14 more

Chowdeckchowdeck.com in 𝕏Series A · Jul 2025 · $15M

Chowdeck is a food delivery platform in Africa that connects customers with restaurants and delivery riders.

B2B MarketplacesConsumerFoodTechLogistics & Supply ChainMarketplacesLA, NG

Femi Aluko(Founder)in Olumide Ojo(Founder)in Lanre Yusuf(Founder)inBabafemi Aluko(CEO / Co-founder)

Board Brian Waswani Odhiambo(Director)in

Co-investorsBrighter Capital GFR Fund HoaQ Palm Drive Capital Pioneer Rocketship.vc +8 more

Elephant Healthcareelephant.healthcare inSeries A · Jan 2021 · $14M

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 Capital LocalGlobe Manta Ray Ventures PUSH Ventures

GreenPath Foodgreenpathfood.comSeries A · Apr 2018 · $1M

Ignitiaignitia.seSeries A · Jul 2021 · $4M

Provides hyper-local tropical weather forecasts via SMS to help farmers make smarter planting decisions.

Co-investorsFINCA Ventures

Iprocureiprocu.reSeries B · Aug 2022 · $9MDefunct

iProcure was a Nairobi-based agritech company that built a proprietary distribution platform connecting agricultural input manufacturers directly to agro-dealers in Kenya and Uganda, lowering prices for farmers by cutting out middlemen.

Co-investorsCeniarth GrowthAfrica British International Investment

KOMAZAkomaza.com in 𝕏Series A · Nov 2017 · $10M

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)

Board Steve Beck(Director)in

Co-investorsCeniarth

MAXmax.ng in 𝕏Series A · Jun 2019 · $7M

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 Capital Breakthrough Energy Ventures Capria Ventures Goodwell Investments Olive Tree Capital Shell Foundation +1 more

Metro Africa Xpressmaxdrive.ai in 𝕏Feb 2022

Nigerian mobility company financing, assembling and servicing electric two- and three-wheelers for Africa's commercial drivers.

Logistics & Supply ChainMobility & TransportationLagos, NG

Chinedu Azodoh(Executive Officer, Director)in Adetayo Bamiduro(Executive Officer, Director)in

Co-investorsCapria Ventures Techstars Endeavor Catalyst Global Ventures Lightrock Proparco +1 more

Moko.Comoko.co.ke in

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

Moneytormoneytor.inJul 2021

Moneytor is an Indian software platform that automates debt collection workflows for lenders.

Fintech

Anubhav SinghAyush Srivastava

Co-investors500 Global Durians Endeavor Catalyst FMO Global Ventures Oui Capital +1 more

Moniepointmoniepoint.com in 𝕏Series B · Jul 2021 · $30M

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

Felix Ike(Founder)inTosin Eniolorunda(Founder & CEO)in

Co-investorsCapria Ventures Development Partners International LeapFrog Investments New Voices Oui Capital QED Investors +6 more

Mpharmampharma.comSeries B · Jan 2019 · $10M

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 Ventures Breyer Capital OTV Peregrine Ventures The Raba Partnership Timon Capital +3 more

Paygoenergypaygoenergy.co in

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 Healthpendahealth.com in 𝕏Series A · Aug 2016

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 Ventures Global Partnerships

Regen Organicsregenorganics.co in 𝕏

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)in David Auerbach(Co-founder and President)in

Rideride.lifeSep 2026 · $33.3M

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 Capital British International Investment International Finance Corporation Mirova Norrsken22 Proparco

Sanersaner.gy in 𝕏

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

Shopsokoshopsoko.com in 𝕏

SOKO designs and sells jewelry made by artisans in Kenya, combining product design with ethical, sustainable production.

Direct to ConsumerE-commerceImpact & Social Good

Gwendolyn Floyd(Founder)

Co-investorsGrowthAfrica

Sistema Bsistema.bio in 𝕏

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)in Marcus Watson(Director)inJoyce Cacho(Director)

Co-investorsDila Capital Factor[e] Ventures Opes Impact Fund Shell Foundation

SolarNowsolarnow.euSeries A · Oct 2014 · $3M

Sure Chillsurechill.comSeries A · Jul 2019 · $5M

Trade Depottradedepot.coSeries B · Dec 2021 · $42M

San Francisco, US

Michael Ukpong(Executive Officer, Director)inRuke Awaritefe(Executive Officer, Director)Chukwunenye Onyekachi Izukanne(Executive Officer, Director)Onyekachi Izukanne(Founder)in

Board Tidjane Deme(Director)in Cyril Collon(Director)in

Co-investorsMSA Novo Partech Ventures Sahel Capital Helios Digital Ventures International Finance Corporation

Turacoturaco.insure in 𝕏

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-investorsAfricInvest Ambassadors Impact Network Enza Capital Global Partnerships Mercy Corps Ventures Musha Ventures+2 more

Other

Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.

BasiGoBridge International AcademiesGreenPathGreenWheelsKOKO NetworksLynk JobsMoKo Home + LivingNew Globe EducationPayGoPayGo EnergyPendaPoa! InternetPoa.CoSOKO

Portfolio news

latest coverage across their companies

Kenya’s ARC Ride secures $33.3m financing to scale electric mobility infrastructure - Disrupt Africa

ARC Ride · disruptafrica.com · Sep 9, 2026

Moniepoint Raises $200M Series C

Moniepoint · thesaasnews.com · Jul 28, 2026

Chowdeck Raises $9M in Series A Funding

Chowdeck · finsmes.com · Aug 11, 2025

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Novastar Ventures made?: Novastar Ventures has 41 tracked investments, including 5 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 15 tracked co-investors.
What size deals does Novastar Ventures back?: Across 8 deals with disclosed amounts, Novastar Ventures has joined rounds of $3M – $15M (median $4.5M).

Images

Co-investors · 7

International Finance Corporation

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.

Both backed · 5

ARC Ride Breadfast Moniepoint Ride Trade Depot

$20M – $500M

Partech Ventures

Partech is a global venture capital firm supporting founders across multiple continents and investment stages through dedicated teams and funds.

Both backed · 1

Trade Depot

$200K – $50M

QED Investors

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.

Both backed · 1

Moniepoint

$30K – $25M

Trucks VC

Trucks is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on the future of transportation, backing ideas that make mobility decarbonized, safer, and more accessible.

Both backed · 1

Basi-Go

Helios Digital Ventures

Helios Investment Partners is an Africa-focused private investment firm operating since 2004, investing across private equity, climate, and digital ventures strategies. Helios Digital Ventures is its arm backing scalable digital champions in Africa.

Both backed · 1

Trade Depot

SparkLabs Global Ventures

SparkLabs Global Ventures is a seed-stage fund investing in early-stage companies globally, backing exceptional entrepreneurs building category-defining companies.

Aster Capital

Aster is a venture capital firm focused on deep tech, industry, and climate, backing entrepreneurs building large-scale industrial solutions across Europe.

$550K – $5.5M

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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