Savant is a deep-tech and green economy fund that invests in solutions that address sustainability problems in agritech, energy tech, greentech and water treatment. The problems the planet has are driven by the damaging application of science and engineering innovation that has improved life for humans in the near term, to the detriment of Earth in the long term. These issues can only be fixed through the application of relevant science and engineering innovations. By investing in these solutions, Savant helps empower innovators tackling the climate crisis. The company’s investment in the startups goes beyond funding to include commercial guidance, mentors and partnerships. Team Savant is made up of scientists, engineers and innovators who have commercial experience and they find and support these innovators so that they can take their innovations to market. Under Nick Allen’s leadership, Savant has nurtured 35 companies (20% of them female-founded), creating more than 500 jobs. Savant has invested in: Burnstar, which decarbonises hydrogen production through pyrolysis; AgriLogiq, which builds resilience in agricultural production through its poly-greenhouse climate automation software and hardware for irrigation and fertiliser systems; Pyroltech, which manufactures green building materials through pyrolysis of waste; SNC, which produces nanofibres for scaling Direct Air Capture (extracting CO2 from air); and Kulu, which works on circular economy solutions, turning fats, oils and grease into biodiesel.
Institutional memberships
- International Accounting Standards Council
- Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association
- African Private Capital Association
Greatest achievements
We’ve been proud to invest in numerous fantastic green economy companies, building
solutions for all our futures.
What advice would you give to future generations?
Though the future may seem bleak and the challenges overwhelming, we must remember that we brought ourselves — and the planet — to this point, and we have the power to reverse it. The technologies to address these issues already exist and will continue to evolve. We must be courageous enough to make tough choices now, even if they carry short-term costs. It’s time to choose not just for immediate gains, but with the true long-term effect in mind.