Brian Waswani Odhiambo
InvestorManaging Director at Novastar Ventures · Board director at Chowdeck
Nigeria
Writes $100K – $5M checks · typically $1.5M
Find your path to Brian
59 people in our graph share verified history with Brian — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Dotun OlowoporokuunlockedBrian: together at Moniepoint (2021–2022)
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×3Brian: together at Trade Depot
×2Brian: together at Mophones
Brian: together at Ignitia AB
About
Partner heading Novastar's Lagos team. A Yale graduate, he helped start e-commerce platform Jumia, co-founded Zamsolar in Zambia and was COO at Livelyhoods before joining Novastar in 2015.
Board director at ChowdeckYC S22
Intro paths
YC
Brian went through Y Combinator (Summer 2022) — any YC alum in your network can reach them through the YC community.
GP
Their group partner at YC was Aaron Epstein, General Partner at Y Combinator — the partner who ran Chowdeck's batch and knows the company first-hand. YC profile ↗
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In turn, Brian can intro founders to Chowdeck's investors below.
Chowdeck's investors · 8
Brighter CapitalCupertino · $25K – $100K checks · since 2025GFR FundSan Francisco · $100K – $5M checks · since 2025HoaQ$25K – $350K checks · since 2025Novastar VenturesLondon · since 2025Palm Drive CapitalNew York · $500K – $5M checks · since 2025Rocketship.vcSunnyvale · $1M – $5M checks · since 2025Velocity DigitalLagos · since 2025Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K checks · since 2022
Co-founders at Chowdeck
Experience
- Novastar VenturesPartnercurrent2022 — present
- Novastar VenturesWest Africa Directorcurrent2020 — present
- Novastar VenturesInvestment Director2019 — 2020
- Novastar VenturesAssociate Director2017 — 2019
- Novastar VenturesInvestment Associate2015 — 2017
- Archbishop Tutu Leadership FellowshipFellowcurrent2024 — present
- Moniepoint GroupBoard Observercurrent2025 — present
- Moniepoint GroupBoard Member & Lead Investor2021 — 2025
- ChowdeckBoard Member & Lead Investorcurrent2025 — present
- MAX.NGBoard Member & Lead Investorcurrent2019 — present
- TradeDepotBoard Member & Investorcurrent2021 — present
- MoPhonesBoard Member & Lead Investorcurrent2025 — present
- Ignitia ABBoard Member & Investorcurrent2021 — presentStockholm, Stockholm County, Sweden
- Solar SisterBoard Membercurrent2022 — presentGreat Falls, Virginia, United States
- LivelyHoodsBoard Member2019 — 2024United States
- LivelyHoodsDirector, Operations2013 — 2015Nairobi, Kenya
- Afrisolar IncorporatedCo-Founder & Director, Operations2012 — 2013Lusaka, Zambia
- Jumia NigeriaHead of General Merchandise2012Lagos, Nigeria
- Jumia NigeriaBusiness Development Manager2012Lagos, Nigeria
Skills & more
Facebook2Microsoft Excel2Entrepreneurship40Start-ups34Startups5Business Development28International Development12Marketing8Business Strategy14Research12Data Analysis7Consulting6
+12 more
PolicyMarket ResearchE-commerceBusiness PlanningFinanceSales ProcessProgrammingNon-profitsEmerging MarketsSales OperationsWritingStrategic PlanningLanguages English · French · Kiswahili · Luo (Kenya and Tanzania) · Yoruba · Zulu
From Brian's professional profile.
Colleagues at Novastar Ventures
Abel Boreto
Investment Director at Novastar Ventures
Andrew Carruthers
Co-founder & Managing Partner at Novastar Ventures
Asra Nadeem
Startup Education Advisor at Draper Associates
Dayo Oduleye
Investment Associate at Novastar Ventures
Dieko Ojo
Investment Associate at Novastar Ventures
Dominic Michel
Investment Director at Novastar Ventures
Dot Beck
Director, Social & Environmental Value at Novastar Ventures
Ebube Emodi
Operations at Novastar Ventures
Network3
Abel Boreto
Investment Director at Novastar Ventures
Andrew Carruthers
Co-founder & Managing Partner at Novastar Ventures
Dominic Michel
Investment Director at Novastar Ventures
Investors connected to Brian in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Brian Waswani Odhiambo?
- Partner heading Novastar's Lagos team. A Yale graduate, he helped start e-commerce platform Jumia, co-founded Zamsolar in Zambia and was COO at Livelyhoods before joining Novastar in 2015.
- Where does Brian Waswani Odhiambo work?
- Brian Waswani Odhiambo is Managing Director at Novastar Ventures and Board director at Chowdeck.
- What check size does Brian Waswani Odhiambo write?
- Brian Waswani Odhiambo typically writes checks of $100K – $5M.
- Where did Brian Waswani Odhiambo go to school?
- Brian Waswani Odhiambo studied at Yale University (B.A (Hons), Political Science/African Studies/Economics); Alliance High School (High School Diploma).
Same school
Shared employers
Also worked at Novastar Ventures17
Dotun OlowoporokuManaging Partner at Ventures PlatformAbel BoretoInvestment Director at Novastar VenturesAndrew CarruthersCo-founder & Managing Partner at Novastar VenturesDayo OduleyeInvestment Associate at Novastar VenturesDieko OjoInvestment Associate at Novastar VenturesDominic MichelInvestment Director at Novastar Ventures
+ 11 more
