Investment Thesis

MAF II targets a 35 / 35 / 30 capital deployment split across three thesis pillars. Every opportunity in the pipeline is mapped to one of these buckets to ensure thesis discipline and portfolio balance.

Target geography: East and Southern Africa, consistent growers (Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia) and recent accelerators (Zimbabwe, Mozambique, DRC), with selective post-conflict exposure where Maris has on-the-ground operating capability.

The Maris Opportunity Screener

Every opportunity is evaluated through Maris's proprietary 11-criterion screening framework before any capital commitment is contemplated.

Eleven assessment criteria

Verdict bands

Each opportunity is scored across the 11 criteria, weighted, and converted to a percentage that maps to one of three verdict bands:

Pipeline by Investment Thesis

Use the tabs to filter the geography map and the deal scoreboard by thesis. Click any deal row for the one-pager; click any country count for a thesis-by-country breakdown.

Pipeline geography

Active-book opportunities by country. Country shading scales with deal count; hover the map for the country name, click a number in the table for the thesis breakdown.

Deal scoreboard

Sorted Advance, then Hold, then Discard; tie-broken by Phase 1 score. Click any column to re-sort, click any row for the one-pager.

Team & Governance

80+ years of combined experience working together. Balanced team across Nairobi, Maputo, and London.

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Assucena Daude

Accounts Supervisor, Maris Mozambique

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Assucena Daude

Accounts Supervisor, Maris Mozambique

Assucena worked as an Administrator at Mozambique Managed Offices before moving to Maris Mozambique in 2016 to join the accounting team.

She holds a Bachelor of Accounting Degree from the University of Sao Tomas.

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Johannes Gunnell

Managing Partner

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Johannes Gunnell

Managing Partner

Johannes joined Maris in 2010 following seven years in Global Equities at UBS Investment Bank, with a particular focus on Green and Socially Responsible Investments.

He was a Partner at Maris Capital and previously the Commercial Director for Maris, responsible for new investments, acquisitions and disposals. He has sat on numerous boards, including publicly listed companies in Tanzania and Pakistan.

Johannes holds an MA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University.

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Joyce Kipruto

ESG Manager

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Joyce Kipruto

ESG Manager

Joyce monitors and oversees the implementation of the Group’s ESG initiatives across operations, ensuring alignment with the Environmental and Social Management System. She is also responsible for reporting on the progress of these initiatives to stakeholders.

Joyce joined Maris in 2022 as an ESG Data Analyst and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Planning and Management from Kenyatta University.

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Salome Maina

Administrative Assistant, Maris Kenya

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Salome Maina

Administrative Assistant, Maris Kenya

Sally was Maris's first employee, joining Maris Kenya in 2012 with a Diploma in Business Administration and Public Relations / Journalism.

In addition to general administration, Sally provides support for logistics and procurement across the group.

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Harry Minter

Partner

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Harry Minter

Partner

Harry joined Maris in 2012 and spent the last 10 years managing businesses in East Africa. He started up three portfolio companies and orchestrated the exit of Equator Energy.

He now heads up the Renewables Division and focuses on climate-related pipeline. Prior to joining Maris, he worked for a hedge fund group in London.

Harry holds a law degree from Edinburgh University, Level 3 IMC certificates, and an MBA with distinction from Warwick Business School.

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Bryan Mukiri

Associate

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Bryan Mukiri

Associate

Bryan leads investment screening, financial analysis, and valuation, while supporting deal origination, due diligence, and portfolio monitoring across the firm’s holdings.

He brings four years of experience in corporate finance, financial advisory, and M&A across Africa, previously at a boutique M&A and capital raising firm based in Nairobi, Kenya, where he contributed to more than USD 100m in transactions spanning real estate, manufacturing, agriculture, and financial services.

Bryan holds the FMVA designation and is a Certified Public Accountant (ICPAK). He earned a BSc (Hons) in Finance and has completed executive programmes in financial markets and sustainable development.

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Ian Musyoka

Associate

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Ian Musyoka

Associate

Ian is a seasoned finance and accounting professional with over seven years of experience in financial reporting, tax compliance, budgeting, and audit.

As the Group Accountant at Maris Kenya, Ian provides critical financial analysis and support to the company and diverse portfolio of subsidiaries, spanning sectors such as renewable energy, services, and agriculture.

Ian holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Strathmore University and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA-K).

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Eva Nightingale

General Manager, Kaia Village

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Eva Nightingale

General Manager, Kaia Village

Eva joined Kaia Village (Quirimbas Support Services) in 2015 from a high-end events catering company in the UK, which she founded and managed.

She has professional experience in the public sector and has run a UK-registered NGO focused on health and education in rural communities.

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Janet Onyango

Head of Finance

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Janet Onyango

Head of Finance

Janet joined Maris in 2019 and is regional finance director for East Africa.

She has over 15 years’ experience in financial accounting, planning, reporting, analysis and controls. She has worked across East Africa and the Middle East in a variety of sectors including FMCG, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Industrials and Audit assurance for both private and publicly listed companies.

Janet holds an MBA in Strategic Management and is a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya.

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Charlie Tryon

Founding Partner

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Charlie Tryon

Founding Partner

Charlie co-founded Maris in 2009 and is a Director and Chief Executive of Maris Limited. He oversees the group from East Africa.

Prior to establishing Maris, Charlie developed a successful portfolio of venture businesses in Afghanistan and East Africa. He has started up and sat on the board of a wide range of businesses, and is currently Chairman of Africa Logistics Properties.

Previously, Charlie worked for Societe Generale in the investment banking division in London after graduating from the University of Edinburgh.

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Helen Vincent

Board Secretary & Executive Administrator

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Helen Vincent

Board Secretary & Executive Administrator

Helen spent a decade at Africa Matters Limited with Baroness Lynda Chalker, gaining a wealth of experience working with governments across the African continent.

While at AML she was Personal Assistant to the Board and Event Manager, leading event collaboration with trade and industry bodies, including the Global African Investment Summit and the Nigerian and Ugandan Presidential Roundtables.

Helen holds a BSc in Geography from Portsmouth University, with a geographic focus on South Africa and Mozambique.

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Levi Wayua

Associate

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Levi Wayua

Associate

Levi leads market research, investment screening, and data analytics for the Group.

He brings prior experience in commercial research and project management, with strong capabilities in dashboard design, GIS mapping, and data interpretation.

Levi holds a BCom in Marketing and certifications in Data Science, Humanitarian Data Analysis, and Research Methods, with experience across the renewables, humanitarian, health, FMCG, technology, and agriculture sectors.

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New Hire

Operating Partner

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New Hire

Operating Partner

Maris plans to make a new African, female senior hire in the Nairobi office, with a view to moving up to partner level in a couple of years.

This hire would take place once MAF II has made a first close. The new hire would have responsibility for both deal sourcing and portfolio company management.

Contact & Enquiries

Financials & KPIs

Track record performance metrics across Maris Africa Fund I and Maris Ltd investments. Click any slide below to open the full Investor Returns appendix.