Professional History: Brian Odhiambo is a Partner at Novastar Ventures, one of the biggest and most experienced global VC fund managers in Africa. The firm has a decade’s track record of investing on the continent, over $200m of AUM and 24 portfolio companies. With offices in Lagos, London, and Nairobi, Novastar partners with transformative businesses that create lasting financial, social and environmental value for the many, not just the few - for people and planet – for good. Brian built and leads Novastar’s West Africa practice. He led the firm’s investments in some of the fastest growing companies in Africa such as Moniepoint, TradeDepot, MAX and Ignitia; Brian is a Board Director on all of these companies.

Brian is a serial entrepreneur having built several ventures across Africa including being in the founding team that built Jumia, the largest e-commerce platform in Africa. He also cofounded Afrisolar, a last-mile solar distribution company in Zambia.

Outside Novastar, Brian sits on the Board of Solar Sister, a non-profit that supports over 10,000 women to create clean energy businesses in Tanzania, Kenya and Nigeria impacting over 4.5m lives.

Academic and professional credentials: BA - Yale University
BA(Hons) Political Science and African Studies – Yale University

Programs: Bates Fellowship
Billy & Shelly Rubin Fellowship
Lindsay Fellowship