Quona Visiting Associate (EMEA Team)

Quona Capital

7d•Remote

About The Position

Quona Capital is a venture capital firm investing in financial technology companies in emerging markets. We are looking for a Visiting Associate to join Quona’s EMEA investment team for a fixed term of three to six months. This role is designed as an apprenticeship, allowing the Visiting Associate to work across the full life cycle of a deal, from initial contact through to exit processes. A key part of the role will be building a new AI-native sourcing engine for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The Visiting Associate will work directly with Quona investment team members in London and Cape Town, and collaborate with global teams in North America, Latin America, and Asia. The EMEA team is small, ensuring direct involvement in the work. Quona Capital, established in 2015, manages approximately $1B and has over 70 portfolio companies. The firm is backed by global investors and has a diverse team spanning multiple regions. Quona values Impact, Trust, Teamwork, Integrity, and Excellence. The EMEA team focuses on Africa, MENA, and Europe-headquartered companies with emerging market applicability.

Requirements

Approximately four to six years of experience in venture capital, private equity, investment banking, management consulting, or a comparable analytical role.
Candidates may be pre-MBA, mid-MBA, or post-MBA.
A genuine appetite for the apprenticeship model and a desire to learn the craft hands-on.
A real connection to our markets (Africa, MENA, or emerging markets more broadly) through personal background, work experience, or a deliberately built network.
Enthusiasm for technology, entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and investing.
Team player mentality, ready to support the team in achieving collective goals.
Drive, hunger, humbleness, adaptability, curiosity, and openness.
Exceptional analytical skills and advanced financial modelling ability.
Ability to take initiative and work independently in a fast-paced, geographically distributed team.
Excellent English business writing and communication skills.
AI Fluency: Demonstrated experience building AI-driven workflows, databases, screening tools, evaluation systems, agents, or internal products that have been used by others. Understanding of when to use AI and when manual methods are more appropriate.

Nice To Haves

Domain expertise in financial services or financial technology.
Experience evaluating investment opportunities, with the ability to quickly identify and analyze key questions, risks, or upsides.
An existing network in African or MENA startup and venture ecosystems.
Languages relevant to our markets, particularly Arabic or French.

Responsibilities

Help design and operate a new AI-native sourcing engine for Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, including market mapping, data structuring, and opportunity screening.
Build a network within the fintech space and represent the firm at ecosystem events, connecting with founders and peer investors.
Conduct business, financial, and technology due diligence to support deal progression.
Develop financial models and company valuation analyses.
Draft pre-screen and investment committee memos.
Conduct thematic research and competitive deep dives within fintech sub-sectors.
Support portfolio companies and management teams on operational projects and strategic decision-making.
Assist with board preparation, KPI analysis, and performance tracking.
Support live exit processes, including buyer mapping, secondary strategy, and exit planning.
Undertake other projects as developed by the EMEA team.