Investor directory

Novastar Ventures

Novastar Ventures Ltd is a venture capital firm established in 2014 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, with additional offices in Lagos, Nigeria, and London, United Kingdom. The firm specializes in seed, start-up, early to late venture, and growth capital investments, primarily targeting education, healthcare, agri-business, food, and water sectors. Novastar Ventures focuses on serving Base of Pyramid (BoP) markets in East and West Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States. The firm typically invests between $0.25 million and $8 million in innovative companies that aim to profitably address the needs of East Africa’s aspiring mass market. Rather than viewing themselves solely as fund managers, Novastar Ventures emphasizes collaboration with entrepreneurs to transform ideas into impactful businesses, fostering innovation, accountability, and wealth accumulation for the common good.

Focus

AfricaScale StageSeries AEarly VentureSeries BShow more
http://www.novastarventures.com
https://crunchbase.com/organization/novastar-ventures
https://linkedin.com/company/13645352
https://signal.nfx.com/firms/novastar-ventures
https://twitter.com/novastarv
https://www.capitaliq.com/CIQDotNet/company.aspx?companyId=266600582
https://www.privateequityinternational.com/database/#/profile?id=15565

Steve Beck

Managing Partner

Abel Boreto

Associate

Andrew Carruthers

Managing Partner

Asha Mweru

Investment Associate

Brian Waswani Odhiambo

Managing Director

Sapna Shah

Partner

Bethel Tsegaye

Investment Manager

Niraj Varia

Partner

Past deals in East Africa

Soko

Series A in 2019
Soko, Inc. operates an online store for handcrafted jewelry and accessories. It offers necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings. The company was formerly known as SasaAfrica. Soko, Inc. was founded in 2011 and is based in Kenya with additional offices in Nairobi, San Francisco, and New York. Soko, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of SOKO EPZ.

Sanergy

Series B in 2017
Sanergy makes hygienic sanitation affordable and accessible in urban slums for everyone starting with Nairobi, Kenya. It promotes the fundamental human right to sanitation in the slums of Kenya by increasing access to and usage of hygienic sanitation facilities. Sanergy creates an efficient, equitable, and sustainable sanitation cycle by building a dense network of small-scale sanitation centers across the slums, a low-cost containerized waste collection infrastructure, and converting this waste at their central processing facility into useful byproducts, such as organic fertilizer and renewable energy.

Soko

Venture Round in 2016
Soko, Inc. operates an online store for handcrafted jewelry and accessories. It offers necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings. The company was formerly known as SasaAfrica. Soko, Inc. was founded in 2011 and is based in Kenya with additional offices in Nairobi, San Francisco, and New York. Soko, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of SOKO EPZ.

Penda Health

Venture Round in 2016
Penda Health Limited operates a network of outpatient medical centers in Kenya, specifically located in Umoja and Kitengela. Founded in 2011, the company provides a range of healthcare services including medical consultations, laboratory facilities, pharmacies, dental services, and specialty consultations from OB/GYN professionals. In addition to patient care, Penda Health also focuses on continuing medical education for healthcare workers in the region. The organization aims to improve the accessibility and quality of outpatient care for patients and their families in Kenya. Penda Health is headquartered in Nairobi.

Sanergy

Venture Round in 2016
Sanergy makes hygienic sanitation affordable and accessible in urban slums for everyone starting with Nairobi, Kenya. It promotes the fundamental human right to sanitation in the slums of Kenya by increasing access to and usage of hygienic sanitation facilities. Sanergy creates an efficient, equitable, and sustainable sanitation cycle by building a dense network of small-scale sanitation centers across the slums, a low-cost containerized waste collection infrastructure, and converting this waste at their central processing facility into useful byproducts, such as organic fertilizer and renewable energy.

Hivisasa

Venture Round in 2015
At Hivisasa, we believe that societies function best when information flows freely among people. This is why we've created Africa’s first crowdsourced news site. Our innovative platform allows you not just to discover untold stories but also to write your own. Born five years ago, Hivisasa now reaches over two million Kenyan readers a month, whose engagement helps support 1,500+ pioneering local writers. And we are just getting started. As a Kenyan company, community is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to fostering understanding, championing accountability and supporting collective action through local news. All Hivisasa editors are local and proud to collaborate with writers from all walks of life to bring you the news you need to stay ahead.

Soko

Seed Round in 2015
Soko, Inc. operates an online store for handcrafted jewelry and accessories. It offers necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and rings. The company was formerly known as SasaAfrica. Soko, Inc. was founded in 2011 and is based in Kenya with additional offices in Nairobi, San Francisco, and New York. Soko, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of SOKO EPZ.