Connecting the Dots: Lessons From a Summer in VC at Quona Capital: Expanding Financial Inclusion Through Financial Technology
Over the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to dive deep into several thematic areas at the intersection of fintech, financial inclusion, and emerging market infrastructure. What began as a series of standalone projects such as valuation appraisal and stress-testing of exit multiples for Quona portfolio companies, exploring opportunities at the intersection of climate tech and fintech for expanding financial inclusion in Africa, and assessing the role of stablecoins in Africa, ended up converging into a broader reflection on how infrastructure and inclusion shape the future of finance.
Another invaluable experience was the networking opportunities that working at Quona brought. I was able to capitalise on this and contribute to the Quona pipeline through building relationships with ventures like Zest, Tendo, and Off-Grid Finance.
Challenges I overcame
I faced several key challenges, which are inherent whenever starting life in a new company and a new industry. A big challenge was pulling the threads mentioned previously together and simultaneously managing multiple workstreams across different teams and therefore, competing timelines and priorities.
The solution was to build relationships with the rest of the team quickly and always maintain open lines of communication.
This meant that I was able to understand what was required when it was required.
An added challenge was the pitfall of siloed thinking. Each piece had its own logic and dataset: thesis development as a concept is very different to stress-testing the valuation of a portfolio company. Testing a valuation requires an understanding of a company and the market in which it operates on a qualitative level, but then a firm and robust understanding of the numbers involved in computing the valuation. This also involved an inherent challenge to the investment team’s initial thesis around the investment, which had its own challenges on a human level.
Lessons I learned
Three lessons stand out clearly from the perspective of working at a fintech VC firm:
- Infrastructure-first models drive stickiness: From assessing Quona portfolio company business models to speaking to founders at networking events, it became clear to me that the winning platforms are those solving systemic frictions, not just distribution.
- Financial inclusion creates enterprise value: The upside isn’t just social, it’s commercial. Products that reduce cost-to-serve and expand access unlock revenue scalability and margin resilience.
- Execution risk is universal: Conceptual theses may look strong, but success hinges on onboarding customers, managing FX liquidity, or ensuring enterprise adoption.
Memorable moments
Key moments that stood out for me were the invaluable opportunities for building out my network in the industry. Whether that was interacting with founders and fellow investors at networking events in London, listening in to investment team calls with potential investee companies, or discussing fintech themes over dinner with Quona partners, the key takeaways for me almost always came from the opportunity for in-person interactions. In a world where business often seems to be done online, this really impressed on me the value in getting out and about and meeting people.
Being present in a room with someone is always more valuable than a Zoom call.
Looking forward
Drawing these reflections into a single narrative has reminded me why I came to this work: to find the points where infrastructure innovation meets social inclusion, and to understand how capital can accelerate those intersections. The next stage will be continuing to track how these models scale, de-risk, and hopefully deliver transformative impact across emerging markets.
This internship experience was supported by the INSEAD Hoffmann Institute Impact Internship Stipend.
