PulaGo Startup Partners
Have the idea. Build the business. Grow with a partner.
Capital on its own rarely builds a business. Customers do, and systems, and somebody to argue with about the numbers. We are exploring a programme that would put up to P5,000 into one promising early-stage Botswana business — and then work alongside the founder to grow it.
Applications are not open.
Not a giveaway. Not a competition. No fee, ever.
Try it
Where would P5,000 go?
Move the sliders. This is the conversation we would want to have with a founder — and the reason we talk about a budget rather than a cheque.
Every pula allocated. This is what a plan looks like.
Illustrative figures for discussion, not prices, market rates or an indication of funding.
The idea
An investment, and a partner who shows up
PulaGo would put in money and work. The entrepreneur runs the business. If both sides agreed to proceed, PulaGo would hold a negotiated minority stake — negotiated meaning exactly that, case by case, with no percentage decided in advance.
What PulaGo may bring
- Seed capital, against a real budget
Up to P5,000 for a first ticket, released against an itemised business budget rather than handed over as cash. Subject to assessment, available funding and an agreement both sides actually sign.
- Finding you customers
Working out who will pay, preparing the offer, making introductions where we have them, and doing real outreach alongside you — not advice about outreach.
- Pricing, books and cash flow
Setting prices that cover costs, keeping books that mean something, and watching cash weekly. This is the practice PulaGo already runs for small Botswana companies.
- Planning, systems and reviews
A plan with numbers in it, the systems to run the business day to day, and honest monthly reviews where both sides answer for what happened.
What the entrepreneur brings
- A customer problem you can name
Someone specific with a problem worth paying to solve, and a product or service that solves it. Not a sector you like the look of.
- The daily running of it
You lead operations. You sell, you deliver, you handle the people and the problems. We are a partner in the business, not a manager of it.
- Open books
Willingness to be transparent about money, and to work under governance both sides agree to in writing.
- Follow-through
Approaching real customers, hearing no, and changing something because of it. This is the one we cannot supply for you.
If it ran
How a partnership might work
An illustration of the shape, not a published process. There are no dates here because no round exists, and nothing below is a commitment by anyone.
Explore
We both work out whether there is anything here
A conversation about the business, the customer and what you are actually trying to build. No documents, no commitment on either side.
Assess
We look at it properly
Your target customers, what a sale earns after costs, and what the money would be spent on. We would ask questions and check what can be checked.
Agree
Terms get negotiated — not presented
Ownership, the budget, who decides what, reporting and how either side can exit. There is no standard split waiting in a drawer.
Launch
Documents first, money second
Capital is released after agreements are signed and the conditions in them are met. Where it makes sense, we would pay suppliers directly.
Review
We stay in it
Weekly actions and a monthly business review, signed off by both sides. The support is the point; the capital on its own would not be worth either of our time.
Read this part twice
What this is not
P5,000 in a feed looks like free money. It is not, and the difference matters enough to spell out.
- Not a giveaway, a prize or a lucky draw. Nobody wins this.
- Not a grant, and not a loan — the intended shape is a minority equity partnership, though the legal structure is not final.
- Not decided by likes, comments, shares or follower counts. Engagement is not an application.
- Not a guarantee of funding, a meeting, a reply or a date. We cannot promise any of those.
- Not a fixed share of your business. There is no standard percentage, and anyone quoting one is guessing.
- Never a fee. PulaGo will not ask you to pay anything to be considered, and nobody is authorised to take money on our behalf.
Programme status
We are working out whether this programme can run, and on what terms. Nothing here is an offer, and there is no application to submit yet. When that changes, it will be said on this page first.
Before any application could open, the programme needs the legal entity confirmed, regulatory guidance on how it is run and advertised, a data-protection review under the Data Protection Act, 2024, and approved public terms. That work is not finished, which is why there is nothing to apply to.
PulaGo will never ask you to pay to be considered, and will never ask for your Omang, bank details or business plan in a social media comment. If someone does either in our name, they do not speak for us.
Questions
Frequently asked
Is the P5,000 guaranteed?
No. P5,000 is the proposed maximum for a first investment, not an amount anyone is entitled to. Any actual amount would depend on the business, the review, available funding and an agreement both sides sign.
Is this a loan?
The intended approach is an actively supported minority equity partnership rather than an ordinary loan, but the precise legal structure has not been finalised and is subject to Botswana legal and tax advice.
How much of my business would PulaGo own?
There is no fixed percentage, and we will not publish one. It would be negotiated case by case against the opportunity, what each side contributes and the governance agreed — then written into formal documents before anything is binding.
Would PulaGo run my business?
No. The founder leads day-to-day operations. PulaGo would take an active part in agreed growth, financial and strategic work — the things we are useful for — under terms set out in writing.
Can I apply today?
Not yet. The programme is being explored and there is no application form. This page carries the current status, and it is the first place a change would appear.
Is there an application fee?
No, and there never will be. If anyone asks you to pay to be considered for PulaGo funding, or offers to guarantee it, they do not speak for us.
Does taking part in The Pula Challenge help my chances?
No. The Pula Challenge is an educational series about how small businesses make money, and it is worth reading on its own terms. It confers no eligibility, priority or special status in any future investment programme.
Should I post my business plan in the comments?
Please do not. Share only general thoughts publicly. Never post your Omang, bank details, customer lists or supplier terms in a comment — on our posts or anyone else’s. Any detailed discussion would happen privately.
Meanwhile
The Pula Challenge
A weekly series about how small Botswana businesses actually make money — real numbers, worked through, with the uncomfortable parts left in. It is an education series, not a route into this programme, and it is the most useful thing we can offer you today.
This page describes a programme PulaGo is considering. It is not an offer, an invitation to invest, or a commitment to provide funding to anyone. Any future programme would depend on published terms, an assessment process and the legal and regulatory clearances required in Botswana. Nothing here is financial, investment or legal advice.