Neha Shah
Neha Shah is a Kenyan investment professional and co-founder of Maitri Capital, a Nairobi advisory firm steering capital toward Africa’s small and medium-sized enterprises. During a 17-year career spanning audit, development finance and private equity she has advised or invested US$900 million across agribusiness, renewable energy, technology and consumer goods.
Shah began in assurance at KPMG East Africa before moving to Norfund, Norway’s development-finance institution, where she structured equity stakes in off-grid power companies and micro-finance banks. She later led East Africa coverage for Actis’s fund and served as head of investment strategy at family office Creadev International, closing Series B rounds for ecommerce and cold-chain logistics start-ups.
Since co-founding Maitri Capital in 2017 she has guided over thirty mandates – ranging from M&A sell-sides to US$50 million blended-finance raises and authored impact research that informed Kenya’s 2025 e-mobility policy. She is also a founding partner of Rafiki Ventures, a vehicle backing women-led tech businesses, and a venture partner with the Future of Learning Fund.
Named to Business Daily’s Top 40 Under 40 Women list in 2019, Shah sits on the boards of SunCulture and the Africa Venture Capital Association. She mentors analysts through the Womvest Fellowship and spends weekends hiking the Aberdares.