Africa is one of the most compelling investment frontiers in the ocean economy.
With over 47,000 kilometres of coastline and some of the world’s largest freshwater bodies, the continent’s blue ecosystem sustains millions of livelihoods. Across these waters, founders are building infrastructure for food security, connecting fragmented value chains, and pushing deep tech and biotech solutions. It’s a rapidly growing ecosystem that global capital has only begun to notice.
/ How we’re doing it
We’re running a multi-year initiative to identify, develop, and connect blue economy ventures across Africa to capital and markets — supported by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) and in collaboration with OceanHub Africa (OHA).
/ Focus
The initiative focuses on four areas
/ Generating
Generating deal flow by sourcing and screening high-potential ventures across the continent
/ Building
Building investment readiness through technical support and founder development, including our collaboration with OceanHub Africa Accelerator Program
/ Connecting
Connecting ventures to investors by mobilising ocean and climate capital around a curated pipeline
/ Supporting
Supporting female founders to start and scale businesses in the sector
So far, we’ve engaged with 200+ founders across aquaculture, fisheries, ocean tech, circular economy, and biotech — building what we believe is the most comprehensive view of early-stage blue economy innovation on the continent.
100 Innovators Shaping Africa’s Blue Economy
Out of that work, we have published a directory showcasing 100 of the most promising ventures across 15 African countries and six sectors. The report maps where capital is flowing, where gaps remain, and where the next wave of investable companies is emerging.
/ Team
Africa team
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Yann Vaudin
Investment Associate
Yann is an Investment Associate at Katapult, where he leads dealflow efforts for Katapult Africa and Katapult Ocean Asia, from origination to execution. He is dedicated to helping bridge the gap between financial markets and sustainable innovation across emerging markets. ESSEC Business School graduate, with a specialisation in impact finance, Yann has been involved in the climate-focused venture space for the last 5 years, previously at Equitable Ventures and Compass Venture Capital.
yann@katapult.vc
https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaudinyann/
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Lucretia Chopera
Africa Deal Flow Lead
Lu is the Africa Deal Flow Lead at Katapult Ocean, with over 20 years of experience in impact investing across Southern and East Africa. She previously worked with venture capital firms Knife Capital and E-Squared Investments, supporting the growth of early-stage, high-impact ventures. Lu now leads a Norad-funded initiative to expand deal flow and catalyze investment into early-stage ocean impact startups across Africa. She is based in Cape Town and holds a BSc (Hons) in Economics and an MBA from Wits Business School.
lucretia@katapult.vc
https://www.linkedin.com/in/luchopera/
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Ofek Liepaz
Venture Capital Scout
Ofek is a Venture Capital Scout at Katapult Ocean, where he helps map and strengthen Africa's blue economy ecosystem by sourcing and evaluating early-stage ocean-impact startups across the continent. He previously worked in product and business development at early-stage climate tech and sustainability startups, helping founders build and scale in fast-moving environments. Based in Cape Town, he is also an award-winning underwater photographer with a lifelong connection to the ocean, and his images are used throughout Katapult Ocean's reports and marketing materials.
ofek@katapult.vc
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ofekl/
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Shivni Bhudia
Investment Analyst
Shivni is an Investment Analyst at Katapult, where she works on deal flow origination and selection across Katapult Africa and Katapult Ocean Africa. Prior to Katapult, she worked at an investment bank in the Sales and Wealth Management division, gaining experience in client advisory, portfolio management, and financial markets. She holds a Bachelor of Business Science in Finance from the University of Cape Town and has completed CFA Level I.
shivni@katapult.vc
https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivni-bhudia/
