Episode 88 of the Investing in Impact podcast features an in-depth conversation with Medea Nocentini, Senior Partner at Global Ventures and Founder of C3 – Companies Creating Change, on how technology, capital, and strategic support can accelerate sustainable development across the Middle East and Africa (MEA).

With a unique background that spans private equity, social enterprise, and multinational corporate strategy, Medea offers rare insights into what it takes to nurture and scale impact-driven startups in frontier markets.

About Global Ventures

Global Ventures is a growth-stage venture capital firm based in the United Arab Emirates, focused on supporting mission-driven founders building transformational technologies in emerging markets.

The firm invests in sectors critical to the region’s future—including digital health, fintech, climate, logistics, and enterprise software—and works closely with founders to navigate the complex challenges of scale, market access, and infrastructure constraints.

Since its founding, Global Ventures has backed over 60 companies across 10 countries, with a commitment to investing in resilient business models capable of delivering both financial performance and social value.

Portfolio Highlights

Global Ventures’ portfolio reflects its mission to back companies solving real-world challenges in emerging economies. Some standout investments include:

• Tabby – A leading Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) platform in the MENA region, helping consumers access flexible payments while enabling merchants to boost sales.
• Altibbi – The region’s largest digital health platform, offering telemedicine, e-prescriptions, and AI-powered medical content in Arabic to millions of users.
• NowPay – A financial platform focused on employee financial health through salary advances, budgeting tools, and educational content.
• Helium Health - A leading digital health platform transforming hospital infrastructure across West Africa. Helium Health provides integrated electronic medical records (EMR), hospital management, and telemedicine solutions to improve healthcare delivery for both providers and patients.
• Klasha - Klasha is reshaping cross-border commerce by enabling global merchants to sell into Africa while receiving payments in local African currencies. In addition to simplifying payments, Klasha offers fast, end-to-end last-mile logistics, making it a critical enabler of Africa’s growing digital economy.

About C3 – Companies Creating Change

C3 is a B Corp-certified social enterprise founded by Medea Nocentini to empower impact-driven entrepreneurs across the Middle East, Africa, and beyond.

Operating at the intersection of education, capital access, and ecosystem development, C3 provides tailored accelerator programs that have supported more than 300 startups across 27 countries.

To date, C3 alumni have raised over $550 million in combined funding, and many have gone on to become leaders in climate, health, education, and financial inclusion.

Through strategic partnerships with corporates, governments, and NGOs, C3 bridges the gap between purpose and profit—helping entrepreneurs align impact with operational sustainability and investment-readiness.

Key Themes from the Conversation

In this episode, Medea shares:

• The evolving landscape of impact investing across MEA, and how increased regulatory clarity, infrastructure improvements, and capital inflows are shaping the next generation of tech-driven enterprises.
• The unique challenges and structural barriers founders face in frontier markets, such as fragmented supply chains, regulatory volatility, and access to talent.
• How C3’s blended approach of mentorship, training, and investor matchmaking builds long-term resilience for founders.
• The importance of ecosystem building—not just investing in startups, but also in the surrounding networks, corporate alliances, and knowledge hubs needed to ensure scalable, sustainable impact.