Chalo Ventures

We invest in and love entrepreneurs solving big problems

We invest in and love entrepreneurs solving big problems in Sub Saharan Africa and beyond.

We’re a small group of old friends with a shared passion for working with great teams solving important problems. We initially met in Hyderabad, India in the mid-2000s – hence the name “Chalo,” which means “let’s go” in Hindi. Our life journeys since then have led us on winding paths through different industries and continents, culminating in Nairobi now becoming our home. We’ve worked at a variety of organizations (Accion, Acumen, Apple, Bain, IFC, McKinsey, Generation Investments, etc.), as well as founded or held leadership roles in fast- growing startups and early stage companies across Africa, Asia, and the US. Chalo Ventures stems from our shared ambition to partner with, support and learn from incredible founders.

We invest early and small (US$25,000-75,000), which can be part of an angel/seed round, but we also look to help however we can with our varied networks, experiences, and insights. While we invest our own money and when the spirit moves us, we consistently prefer:

  • Big problems & big markets
  • Local and/or female founding teams
  • A compelling mission and sense of purpose
  • Connections to the macro trends shaping Africa’s future
  • Sectors in which we have unique experience or expertise (which includes health, energy, financial services, human capital, agriculture, and consumer products)

Overview

Website Visit website
Location Nairobi, Kenya
Targets Sub-Saharan Africa
Sectors Sector agnostic

Team

Activity