Stephen van Helden

Stephen van Helden is a Principal at Novo Holdings, based in San Francisco, California.1 He joined Novo Holdings in June 2022 and focuses on leading investments in planetary health and decarbonization technology.13

Professional Experience

Stephen has an extensive background in various industries:

• Novo Holdings: As a Principal, he leads investments in life science and technology sectors.1

• Board Positions: He serves on the boards of several companies, including:

  • Elo Life Systems (since September 2023)
  • Evosep Biosystems (since January 2023)
  • MycoWorks (since December 2022)
  • Aquafortus Technologies (since February 2023)
  • KickStart International (since May 2021, also serving as Audit Committee Chair)1

• Previous Roles:

  • Executive in Residence at The Production Board (October 2021 - May 2022)
  • VP of Business Development and Head of Agriculture and Emerging Industries at Zymergen, Inc. (May 2017 - October 2021)
  • Associate Partner at McKinsey and Company (August 2011 - May 2017)1

Education and Background

• Stephen holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cape Town and an MBA from Stanford University.2
• He is originally from Cape Town, South Africa, and has worked across Africa and the United States.2

Areas of Focus

At Novo Holdings, Stephen concentrates on:

• Financing and scaling new technologies that benefit society
• Investments in food, nutrition, agriculture, chemicals, materials, and industrial technology4
• Water sector technologies2

Stephen is passionate about sustainably supporting communities across Africa to become self-sufficient in a changing climate and world.2