How to apply for Investment Director

About PULA

Pula provides tech-driven agricultural insurance to 4.9 million smallholders, helping them manage climate risk. The company operates across Africa and runs Pula Xcelerator, an internal M&A and strategic investment vehicle that scales agriculture, insurance, financial services, and technology businesses with at least $500K in annual revenue.

About the role

As Investment Director, you own the investment process from sourcing through evaluation and execution for Pula Xcelerator. You will identify high-potential businesses, engage founders, and help shape the systems that define the Xcelerator. The role reports to the President & Co-Founder and is remote, with a preference for candidates based in South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritius, or countries where Pula has a presence.

A typical day

A typical day may involve scouting potential businesses, speaking with founders, evaluating opportunities against Pula Xcelerator's criteria, and working on systems for the investment process. You would also collaborate with the President & Co-Founder and others across Pula's network. Specific routines depend on the team, so ask about daily workflows and collaboration tools during interviews.

Who PULA is looking for

• Has commercial insight and entrepreneurial experience, not necessarily a formal finance background.
• Can source, evaluate, and execute investments or M&A deals in agriculture, insurance, financial services, or technology.
• Is based in South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritius, or a country where Pula has an established presence, and can collaborate within ±3 hours of East Africa Time.
• Is comfortable working in a dynamic, entrepreneurial environment and engaging directly with founders.

Tips for this application

• Show you understand Pula Xcelerator's focus: businesses with at least $500K in annual revenue in agriculture, insurance, financial services, or technology.
• Highlight any experience sourcing, evaluating, or executing investments or M&A deals, especially in African markets.
• Explain how your commercial insight and entrepreneurial experience fit a role that values these over a purely formal finance background.
• Confirm your location and ability to work within ±3 hours of East Africa Time in your application.
• Reference Pula's work with smallholders and climate resilience to show you understand the parent company's context.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your experience sourcing and evaluating investment opportunities, particularly in agriculture, insurance, financial services, or technology.', 'Your ability to engage founders and support businesses scaling across Africa.', 'Your commercial insight and entrepreneurial background, since the role prioritizes these over a formal finance background.', 'Your location and time zone alignment with East Africa Time, if applicable.']

Research before applying

• Pula's agricultural insurance model and how it serves 4.9 million smallholders.
• Pula Xcelerator's focus sectors, revenue threshold, and how it uses Pula's distribution, data, and partnership networks.
• Pula's established presence in specific countries, to confirm whether your location is a fit.
• The President & Co-Founder's background and public statements about Pula Xcelerator or investment strategy.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would source high-potential businesses with at least $500K in annual revenue in Pula Xcelerator's target sectors.
• Your approach to evaluating and executing an investment or M&A deal from start to finish.
• How you would engage founders and assess whether a business can scale using Pula's distribution, data, and partnership networks.
• Your understanding of Pula's work with smallholders and agricultural insurance, and how Pula Xcelerator fits into that.
• How you would build or improve the systems that define the Xcelerator, given the role's ownership of the investment process.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming the role requires a formal finance background when the job description says commercial insight and entrepreneurial experience matter most.
• Ignoring the location and time zone requirements, which are explicitly stated as preferences.
• Applying without showing familiarity with Pula Xcelerator's target sectors or the $500K annual revenue threshold.