Investment Associate, Disruptive Ventures (Africa)
About BII
British International Investment (BII) is the UK’s leading development finance institution, wholly owned by the UK Government. Our primary mission is to address global development challenges through strategic investments that promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
BII focuses on catalysing economic development, creating jobs, and building resilient economies in some of the world's most complex and underserved markets. We invest in businesses and projects that prioritise inclusive development, environmental sustainability, and innovation.
Our approach is characterised by rigorous investment standards, high governance principles, and a commitment to delivering measurable development impact. Our team consists of highly skilled and passionate professionals dedicated to making a tangible difference globally.
We foster a collaborative and intellectually stimulating work environment that values curiosity, innovation, and professional growth. Our culture balances high performance with a strong emphasis on wellbeing, ensuring our employees can achieve their full potential while contributing to our mission.
BII at a glance:
Over 75 years supporting sustainable business growth in developing and emerging markets
More than £9.9 billion in net assets
1,600+ businesses invested in
950,000+ workers in the businesses we support
650+ people in our diverse global team
3 key development objectives: Productive | Sustainable | Inclusive
Team and role overview
The Disruptive Ventures team manages c. $480m of investments across 35 funds and 25 co-investments and sits within the wider Industries Technology and Service (ITS) group. It invests in early-stage funds, works alongside managers to generate early-stage co-investments and will increasingly look to make early-stage debt investments as well. We look to back high-quality management teams within established profitable enterprises and also invest in exceptional earlier stage companies when they are the leading players in the development of a rapidly growing new market.
Our investments are purely in Africa and South Asia, and we have a particular focus on businesses that are in, or expanding to, the poorer parts of those geographies as well as businesses with the potential for driving substantial inclusion, productivity and/or resource utilisation efficiency gains.
Purpose
The Investment Associate, Disruptive Ventures (Africa) will support the team’s strategy to address the early-stage funding spectrum in Africa to enable reach to entrepreneurs building disruptive business at scale. Whilst the focus will be for the Africa region, broader investment exposure to South Asia will be encouraged to leverage learnings and insights across these regions.
Responsibilities
Origination and Execution
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Support team on sector mappings, finding & evaluating investment opportunities, and building and maintaining relationships with funds and underlying companies in the Africa region
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Support the team’s leads on early stage Climate tech, Fintech and Disruptive technologies on origination and execution.
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Ensure high quality deal execution across products – from incorporating regional views, benchmarking funds, analysing companies in detail, conducting due diligence and navigating the Investment Committee process.
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Preparing detailed investment papers for presentation and recommendation to investment committee.
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Reviewing transaction/legal documentation together with the internal legal team and assisting in negotiation process
Portfolio management
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Analysing companies in detail, preparing for Board meetings, helping the companies wherever we can, preparing for follow-on investments, roll-ups and/or exits.
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Keeping up-to-date deal-flow, deal management and portfolio monitoring databases for transactions covered by the team.
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Preparing materials and analysis for BII Portfolio Review Meetings
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Processing drawdowns to and distributions from investments alongside support teams
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Taking a pro-active approach to identify problems of under-performance and/or non-compliance and propose tangible solutions.
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Proactively seek to add value to co-investments in the portfolio, working closely with Development Impact, ESG, Value Creation Strategies, Finance and Legal teams
Regional responsibilities
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First point of contact on all portfolio and pipeline activities in the region with senior regional leadership. Travelling across Africa to conduct onsite meetings as required and to London to meet with the broader BII teams.
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Responsible for building extensive networks on the ground with managers, founders and other interest groups to generate relevant insights into pipeline and portfolio.
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Ensuring regional priorities, engagements and portfolio monitoring is well socialised and managed including supporting on UK HMG engagements.
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Support local mobilisation efforts in the venture space in collaboration with regional teams.
The Candidate
Background, skills, aptitude
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Experience working in Africa, in private equity, corporate finance, investment banking, corporate development, M&A and investment advisory and/or investment management
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Demonstrated experience investing in African companies, with exposure to venture capital, private equity, fund investments, or impact investing strategies. Strong interest and knowledge of technology sectors spanning fintech, climate tech, AI, e-mobility etc.
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Experience and knowledge of equity products. Knowledge of debt and funds products is a plus.
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Candidates should have a solid grounding in fundamental analytics (financial / commercial analysis, valuation, financial modelling) from private equity, investment banking or strategy consulting.
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Over and above quantitative skills, analytical rigour and attention to detail, the softer skills we are looking for include: (1) ability to look at complex problems and get to the root of the issue, (2) ability to build relationships with companies, (3) ability to communicate clearly on paper and in person, and (4) ability to multi-task.
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Solid written and oral presentation skills, including the ability to write reports and to clearly present conclusions and ideas to an audience. High proficiency with Excel, including building financial models
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Analytical, research and valuation skills, including the ability to analyse investment performance, company reports, sector data, economic scenarios and political events
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Demonstrable professional approach and ability to develop relationships within BII as well as externally.
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High emotional intelligence and work ethic, able to contribute meaningfully in less-defined roles.
Candidates should be strongly motivated by BII’s development mission and ideally demonstrate some commitment to development or social goals through previous executive or non-executive activity.
Our cultural values
We look for team members who aspire, as we do, to work at our best and to be:
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Impact-led, commercially rigorous
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Tenacious in the face of challenges
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Collaborative and caring
British International Investment is committed to diversity and inclusion and welcomes all applicants regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or educational background.
Please apply to the role with a Cover Letter and CV
