Pemba recently did something we don’t do lightly – we stopped.
For two weeks, we focused on one thing: AI utilisation.
That’s not an easy call in private equity, pipelines don’t wait. But the pace of change in AI, made it clear that deep focus was required.
AI is already in the workflow, but are we using it as best we can?
We set out with three priorities:
- How we best use AI internally.
- How is AI is shifting advantage across our sectors
- How to help our partner companies use it in a way that actually moves the needle.
How we best use AI internally Working alongside one of Pemba’s AI Value Addition Partners, Tien-Ti Mak, we built the program around real work, live scenarios across screening, diligence and investment thinking. Where does AI actually help?
Used poorly, AI gives you surface-level answers, faster. Used well, it helps structure thinking, test assumptions and get to quality results quicker and exposes where judgment is weak.
That shifted the focus for us to spend less time on tools and more on how we should adjust our thinking.
We spent time on the basics;
- How to ask better questions
- How to push on outputs
- How to apply consistent frameworks so the work is repeatable not random.
We built practical playbooks that have become part of how we operate. And we tightened how we govern its use.
The change has been meaningful already and will keep evolving.
AI doesn’t improve outcomes on its own but amplifies what’s already there. Clear thinking in, better results out. Poor thinking in leads to faster noise. This matters in a judgment-led environment
For us, this is about being a better partner, making better decisions and helping our partners move forward with clarity and speed.
This is the first in a short series on how we’re approaching AI at Pemba. Next, we’ll look at what it means for where we invest, and why.
