Andrew Carruthers was born in Lesotho and spent part of his childhood in Ethiopia and Kenya, giving him a personal connection to Africa long before he became an investor, and he had already built a long track record in venture capital—starting in 1996 and helping run over a dozen funds across Europe, India, and China—before moving into African investing in 2009. He has become an outspoken voice on climate and Africa's economic future, arguing that the continent can become a major force in global decarbonization, and outside of work he's known for a more unusual set of interests, including motorcycle safaris and water divining.
About their Fund
Novastar Ventures is a venture capital fund that invests in African startups reaching low-income consumers, suppliers, employees, and distributors at large scale, focusing especially on climate adaptation, decarbonization, and natural-resource businesses, and it looks beyond Africa's four biggest markets to places like Uganda, Ghana, and Francophone Africa for less crowded opportunities. The fund has backed companies such as Moniepoint, mPharma, TradeDepot, Turaco, MoKo, and iProcure, operates from bases in London, Nairobi, and Lagos, was named the accredited entity for a Green Climate Fund project spanning Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Egypt, and received a $40 million multifund commitment from Japan's SBI Holdings—its first direct investment in an African venture capital firm.
















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