# HBD Venture Capital

HBD Venture Capital is a Venture Capital based in Durbanville, South Africa.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Venture Capital
- **Headquarters:** Durbanville, South Africa
- **Region:** Africa
- **Address:** 12 Plein Street, Durbanville, Cape Town, 7550, South Africa
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** hbd.com

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Mark Shuttleworth established HBD Venture Capital after building Canonical, the open-source software company. The office sits in Durbanville, South Africa, and operates as a privately owned emerging-market investment group. HBD allocates across venture stages from seed through Series B. It deploys via fund commitments, direct co-investments, and SPVs. Confirmed sector exposure includes FinTech, AgriTech & FoodTech, Digital Health, Industrial Tech, and Mobility & Transportation. All activity remains inside Africa. The firm also holds commercial real estate on Príncipe Island, São Tomé and Príncipe, including Bom Bom Resort and Sundy Praia. The team consists of former investment managers who later founded Knife Capital to oversee legacy positions. Philanthropic vehicles sit alongside the investment office, notably the Shuttleworth Foundation and Ubuntu Foundation. No public headcount or AUM figure exists. HBD's structure keeps investment decisions inside the family office while outsourcing execution to external managers and co-investment partners, creating a hybrid mandate that blends direct oversight with fund-of-funds exposure.

## Sectors

- FinTech
- AgriTech & FoodTech
- Digital Health
- Industrial Tech
- Mobility & Transportation
- Media & Entertainment

## People

- Mark Shuttleworth — Founder
- Keet van Zyl — Business Partner
- Eben van Heerden — Business Partner
- Anita Nel — Business Partner

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at HBD Venture Capital?

Mark Shuttleworth sets the mandate. Former investment managers Keet van Zyl, Eben van Heerden, and Anita Nel maintain ongoing relationships with the office after founding Knife Capital.

### How does HBD Venture Capital source proprietary deal flow?

The firm receives opportunities through its network of external fund managers and accepts direct co-investment proposals from those managers or other parties.

### Does HBD Venture Capital participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

HBD makes both fund commitments and direct co-investments presented by its managers.

## Related profiles

- [Hauslein & Company, Inc.](https://altss.com/profile/hauslein-company-inc-james-hauslein-family-office)
- [HCF Vermögensverwaltung](https://altss.com/profile/hcf-verm-gensverwaltung)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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