Invest in operators
We back logistics, procurement and industrial supply businesses with capital and operating expertise, and let them run as stand-alone companies with their own leaders.
Forward-looking investment company
Investing in the supply chains that move Southern Africa.
Starwise acquires, operates and scales mission-critical software and supply-chain businesses. We focus on the systems that run industrial operations, logistics and trade across the SADC region, and bring applied AI to them.
Long-term owners of the systems that keep industry moving.
Our approach
Back the operators, fix the friction, and measure the result.
Reduce cross-border friction
Delays at borders, in ports and in clearing often cost more than freight rates. We target the corridors and processes where time and certainty are lost.
Prove the economics first
Each opportunity starts with a baseline and a narrow pilot. Capital follows measured results on landed cost, delivery reliability and working capital.
Where we invest
Sectors where delays and uncertainty are most expensive.
Mining and minerals
- Critical spares and maintenance supply to mine sites
- Ore and consumables haulage, rail and port coordination
- Maintenance forecasting for mining fleets and rail networks
Industrial and cross-border trade
- Chemicals and industrial consumables distribution
- Procurement intelligence for multi-country buyers
- Freight visibility, customs and documentation across SADC borders
Supply chain in SADC
Visibility first, then prediction, optimisation and controlled execution.
A shipment in this region can cross several borders, pass through a port and a clearing agent, and reach a mine with a production deadline. Each party may work from its own spreadsheets and emails. The businesses that connect this information and act on it earliest will hold the advantage. Read how AI fits into that sequence.
Procurement intelligence
Extract terms from quotations, purchase orders and invoices. Compare true landed cost, flag unusual price changes and duplicate invoices, and check specifications before a part is ordered.
Critical-spares positioning
Combine equipment condition data with supplier lead times to hold the right parts near the mine. The aim is less production-halting downtime and fewer emergency airfreight shipments.
Corridor intelligence
Predict transit and border delays, compare routes and clearing options, and flag shipments that need intervention before demurrage starts. Track actual milestones, not just reported dispatch dates.
Trade administration
Reconcile bills of lading, customs clearances and delivery confirmations against each order. People approve purchase commitments and payments above set thresholds.
How we sequence the work
- Visibility. Where is the stock or shipment, and what do the documents say?
- Prediction. Which shipment is likely to be late, and which component is likely to fail?
- Optimisation. Which action gives the best outcome across cost, service, risk and working capital?
- Controlled execution. Can an approved change be carried out, and can the result be confirmed?
The Starwise playbook
Permanent capital thinking, modern execution.
Decades over quarters
We adopt a permanent, long-term mindset. We do not flip businesses. We build defensible, cash-generative software ecosystems that compound over time.
Autonomous leadership
Acquired founders and operators keep their autonomy. Decisions are made closest to the customer, while the central group provides capital, technical frameworks and shared services.
The AI multiplier
We embed AI engines into existing vertical products: automating manual workflows, predicting operational downtime and unlocking margin expansion.
Operational excellence
High-performance execution beats pure code every time. We deploy executive playbooks, frontline training and talent programmes to upskill teams for modern digital workflows.
Total cost of ownership
Freight is the visible cost. The total is much larger.
A shipment’s invoice shows the freight rate. The cost of owning that shipment includes the delays, holding costs and rework that follow it. Most of the cost sits below the waterline, where it is easy to miss.
Demurrage and detention
Charges for containers and vehicles held beyond agreed free time at ports, depots or borders.
Border and clearing delays
Waiting time, agent fees and rework when documents do not match at the crossing.
Emergency airfreight
Expedited shipments bought because a planned delivery slipped and a line stopped.
Inventory carried while waiting
Capital tied up in stock in transit or on hold, plus storage and insurance on that stock.
Damage, loss and rework
Broken or missing goods, replacement orders and the time spent resolving claims.
Stock-outs at site
Lost production, idle crews and rescheduled maintenance when a part is not on hand.
How to measure it
Total cost of ownership per shipment = freight + duties and clearing + demurrage and detention + inventory carrying cost + emergency freight + damage, loss and rework + handling and administration + cost of stock-outs
Most businesses track only the first two terms. The pilot in our method starts by measuring the rest against a baseline.
Industrial sectors
Systems for the operations that keep industry running.
Manufacturing and production
Enterprise resource planning, production scheduling, quality control and supply-chain optimisation for industrial manufacturers.
Logistics and distribution
Fleet management, warehouse operations, route optimisation and real-time tracking for industrial logistics networks.
Utilities and infrastructure
Asset management, predictive maintenance, grid optimisation and operational control systems for critical infrastructure.
Are you a Starwise company?
We seek founders and proven businesses ready for their next phase.
Domain
Vertical market software, industrial IoT or ERP, supply chain, logistics, or specialised enterprise operations.
Geography
Southern Africa and the SADC corridors, as well as Europe, the Mediterranean corridor and high-growth emerging industrial markets.
Revenue profile
High recurring revenue (ARR or SaaS), low gross churn and mission-critical product dependency.
Culture
Strong technical teams with an appetite to integrate modern AI without losing domain focus.
Based in Malta, Starwise operates under established European governance, data-compliance and legal frameworks. That gives us a reliable springboard into global markets.
Our method
A staged pilot before capital is committed.
We prove the economics on one product category, one customer group and a manageable set of shipments before expanding.
Baseline
Collect purchase orders, quotations, stock data, delivery records and invoices. Record current landed cost, delays and service levels.
Decision-support pilot
Use existing AI models and conventional analytics to clean documents, compare quotations, predict delivery dates and flag exceptions. People keep responsibility for commitments and payments.
Measure and decide
Compare actual outcomes with the baseline: on-time delivery, forecast error, emergency freight, demurrage, stock turns and administrative hours. Expand only if the numbers justify it.
This is a planned pilot method, not a guarantee of results.
Governance
What we keep under control.
- Every AI recommendation is logged next to the decision taken and its outcome.
- Source documents and structured records are checked before a model's output is used.
- Approval thresholds and transaction limits apply to any automated purchasing.
- Supplier identity, bank details and physical delivery evidence are verified against fraud.
- Confidence ranges are shown with every delivery prediction. AI can estimate uncertainty, but cannot remove it.
Get in touch
Interested in investing, partnering, or selling?
Tell us briefly what you have in mind and where it operates.
Open the contact form