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Persistent

Venture studiooperating company · company profile

Nairobi · Seed–Series A · 29 people tracked

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Investment thesis

Persistent focuses on Africa's climate transition, backing early-stage climate entrepreneurs to build a resilient, low-carbon future. Beyond providing investment, the firm offers customized venture-building support—including corporate structuring, interim CFO and legal services, international expansion strategy, fundraising introductions, and portfolio management—to help portfolio companies grow better and scale faster. Its impact mission emphasizes measurable outcomes such as lives improved, jobs created, and CO2 avoided, with a portfolio spanning the energy and e-mobility sectors across markets including Kenya, Nigeria, DRC, South Africa, and Tanzania.

Source: firm website, verified Sep 27, 2026.

Stage
Seed–Series A
Check
$250K – $1M
HQ
Nairobi, KE
Instruments
Equity
Founded
2012
AUM
$70M
Tracked investments
13

Team · 29 people

from the firm's website & curated
Chris Aidun· Partner, Co-founderin

Co-founder and Partner with over 30 years in venture capital, private equity and finance law. Formerly Managing Director of E+Co and a senior PE partner at Weil, Gotshal & Manges; manages corporate structure, legal and tax matters.

Dirk Muench· Co-founder, Strategy Advisor, Director of the Boardin

Co-founder and Strategy Advisor who led many of the firm's key initiatives. Also Director of Climate Investments and Ventures at South Pole and board member of Uebermorgen Ventures; previously at E+Co, JPMorgan and DRKW.

Tobias Ruckstuhl· Managing Partnerin

Managing Partner of Persistent with over a decade of experience investing and building companies in frontier markets across Sub-Saharan Africa. Former entrepreneur in Central Africa and management consultant at Accenture; holds a Masters from University of St. Gallen and is a CMA charterholder.

Toukam Ngoufanke· Partnerin

Partner driving investing and venture building across Sub-Saharan Africa. Previously held M&A, strategy and consulting roles at Mastercard and worked at KPMG; holds MBA/MA from Wharton and Lauder and an MSc in Engineering from Northwestern.

Wairimu Karanja· Partnerin

Partner based in Nairobi who oversees corporate, legal, ESG and compliance matters and supports entrepreneurs with venture building advice. Brings 15 years of legal experience in climate, energy, infrastructure, PE and M&A across Africa.

Eva Stolz· Investment Principalin

Venture Builder serving as interim CFO for portfolio companies and Treasurer of GOGLA. Previously a consultant at Bain & Company and worked with a microcredit organization in Uganda; holds a Masters from Bocconi and FGV.

Amos Gachuiri· Director of the Boardin

Investment professional with two decades in development and impact investing, SME finance and M&A. Investment Manager at FSD Africa Investments; previously at PwC, KPMG, GroFin and Grassroots Business Fund; holds an MBA from ESMT Berlin.

Chanzu Lidaga· Tech Venture Builderin

IT Solutions Engineer with over seven years in cloud orchestration, automation, networking and infrastructure design, translating business requirements into technical solutions for partner companies. Pursuing a Master's in Information Security and Digital Forensics.

Clara Li· Senior Investment Analystin

Venture Builder supporting pipeline management and evaluating opportunities in Resources and Agricultural Transition sectors across SSA. Previously worked at Easy Solar and IBM's Salesforce practice; holds degrees from Columbia and University of Michigan.

Dami Aremu· Investment Associatein

Venture Builder supporting the Energy Entrepreneurs Growth Fund, focusing on solar, e-mobility and enabler businesses. Over seven years in transaction advisory and consulting; previously in KPMG West Africa's Deal Advisory practice.

Damilola Oluwayose· Communications Analystin

Communications Analyst supporting internal and external communications, brand and design. Holds a degree in History and International Relations; previously worked in project management and communications.

Ikanna Okim· Legal Associatein

Dual-qualified lawyer (Nigeria and England & Wales) specializing in corporate law, climate finance and international commercial law, supporting deal structuring and compliance. Holds a Master's in Law from Oxford.

James Wambua· Senior Investment Associatein

Investment associate working on Persistent's mandate in the Energy Entrepreneurs Growth Fund (EEGF). A CFA charterholder with over seven years in transaction, project and corporate finance; previously worked at Berkeley Energy, E3 Capital and InVhestia Africa.

Jess Rono· Finance Venture Builderin

Venture Builder advancing the GET.invest mandate with expertise in financial planning and operations. Formerly CFO of OkHi and other SSA startups; holds an Economics degree from University of Nairobi and is pursuing an MBA at Chicago Booth.

John Ndosi· Finance Managerin

Finance Manager focused on financial reporting and management for Persistent and its portfolio companies. Over 15 years in financial management; previously Finance Manager at Worldcover and finance head at Samasource Kenya.

Joy Rukundo· Marketing & Communication Managerin

Marketing and Communication Manager responsible for internal and external communications, brand, design and event management. Holds a media management degree from Macromedia University in Munich.

Léa Bouguern· Investment Associatein

Venture Builder who previously interned in investment banking at BNP Paribas and Natixis. Holds master's degrees from the Magistère Finance de La Sorbonne and in financial engineering from La Sorbonne University.

Magdalena Herman· Tech Venture Builderin

Technology Venture Builder focused on data management, evaluating technology set-ups of investees and improving automation and scalability. Holds an MSc in Information Systems from University of Lausanne; previously a consultant at Enable.digital.

Nahashon Mwangi· Senior Investment Analystin

Senior Investment Analyst identifying and evaluating investment opportunities and supporting portfolio management and research on the climate-positive sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. Previously at Pearl Capital Partners; holds a degree in Financial Engineering.

Njugu-ini Ruci-ini· Finance & HR Officerin

Accounts & Administration Officer focused on financial reporting and tax compliance for Persistent and its portfolio companies. Over seven years in accounting, payroll and tax advisory; a CPA finalist pursuing an MSc in Finance.

Omonigho Erigha· Senior Legal Associatein

Energy and finance lawyer with over a decade advising on energy and infrastructure projects in Africa. Previously at Olaniwun Ajayi LP, Axxela and Aluko & Oyebode; holds an LL.M from King's College London and contributes to climate finance policy discussions.

Philipp Cottier· Chair of the Board of Directorsin

Chairman of the Board and active investor in fintech, blockchain, hedge funds and impact investments. Chairman of Persistent Energy LLC, former head of PE at responsAbility, and founder of Harcourt; holds a PhD in finance.

Rukayat Bello· ESG Associatein

ESG Associate responsible for ESG integration across the investment lifecycle. Over eight years across renewable energy, insurance and manufacturing; previously a senior sustainability consultant at Forvis Mazars Nigeria.

Serge Musingilwa· Senior Investment Analystin

Venture Builder working as an analyst on partner projects and pipeline efforts. An ACCA affiliate pursuing a Master's at Strathmore; previously interned at UNFAO in the DRC and co-founded the Congo Youth Entrepreneurship Forum.

Shigeru Sugimoto· Director of the Board

Kyuden's board representative at Persistent and General Manager of the Asset Management Unit in Kyuden International's EMEA department. Over 20 years in business development and asset management across power generation and transmission.

Vincent Kienzler· Lead Tech Venture Builderin

Lead Technology Venture Builder helping partner companies with technology strategy and capacity in software, IT/cybersecurity and hardware, and assessing tech during due diligence. Co-founded two tech/energy companies and holds multiple master's degrees and a PhD.

Winfred Kiberu· Senior Legal Analystin

Legal Analyst providing legal and compliance support to the firm and its partners. Holds an LL.B from Strathmore University; previously a legal intern at Wairimu & Co. Law + Policy and other Kenyan legal institutions.

Yewande Oyewole· Investment Associatein

Venture Builder implementing the CEI Africa Foundation mandate. A CFA charterholder with over five years in consulting and impact investment; previously an investment analyst at All On and a senior associate at Fritova International.

Opeyemi Solaru· Impact and Gender Managerin

Impact measurement professional focused on impact, ESG integration and venture building support. Previously worked with Impact Hub Lagos and Founders Factory Africa supporting early-stage startups.

What they invest in

from 4 of 13 portfolio companies

Cleantech ×3Energy ×3Climate Tech ×2Mobility & Transportation ×2AI & Machine Learning ×1Enterprise Software ×1Hardware ×1Semiconductors ×1

HQs:Switzerland×1Ghana×1Nigeria×1

Investments · 13 tracked

founders shown can be your intro path
Bos Semibos-semi.comin

BOS designs automotive semiconductors, including chiplet-based system-on-chip and AI accelerator products for ADAS, in-vehicle infotainment, and physical AI applications in vehicles, advanced mobility, and robotics.

AI & Machine LearningHardwareMobility & TransportationSemiconductors

Jae-hong Park(Founder)Park Jae-hong(Founder)

Co-investorsAtinum Investment Co. Ltd.Korea Investment Partners

Candicandi.solarin𝕏

Candi Solar develops and deploys solar energy solutions for businesses across multiple continents.

CleantechClimate TechEnergyZurich, CH

Philippe Flamand(Founder)inNishant Soodin

Co-investorsE3 CapitalNorfundSTOA

Kiru Energyourkiru.comin𝕏

OurKiru provides solar energy solutions for residential homes, businesses, real estate developers, and remote communities, offering power reliability, cost savings, and independence from grid electricity.

CleantechClimate TechEnergyEnterprise Software

Solar Taxisolartaxi.co

SolarTaxi is a Ghana-focused electric vehicle company that sells EVs and offers related charging and servicing support, aimed at Ghanaian consumers evaluating the switch from petrol cars.

CleantechEnergyMobility & Transportation

Other

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

AgrailsAltechBPSCandi SolarEcobodaaHohm EnergyKAMIM TechnologiesTRÍTRī

Frequently asked questions

How many investments has Persistent made?
Persistent has 13 tracked investments.
What stage does Persistent invest at?
Persistent invests at the Seed, Series A stages.
What is Persistent's typical check size?
Persistent typically writes checks of $250K – $1M.
What sectors does Persistent focus on?
Persistent focuses on AgTech, Circular Economy, Cleantech, Climate Tech, Energy, Fintech, Impact & Social Good, Mobility & Transportation.
Where is Persistent located?
Persistent is headquartered in Nairobi, KE.

Media · Podcasts & interviews

featuring the team

Funding Climate Impact with Persistent Capital (The Energy ...

Okra Solar · Tobias Ruckstuhl

Images

Persistent photoPersistent photo

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