Job Opportunity

Analyst – Deep Tech

Octopus Ventures | London, UK

Job Summary

Duties related to making investments, supporting deep tech portfolio companies and the firm. Robust track record as a strong contributor in a professional environment.

Details

About Octopus

At Octopus we’re transforming the industries we operate in and improving the lives of millions of people. We’ve built market-leading positions in a number of specialist sectors, including smaller company financing, renewable energy, healthcare and property finance. We employ in excess of 800 people and manage more than £8.5 billion on behalf of more than 50,000 investors. Our products don’t just help real people solve real life problems, they also make a positive impact on the world around us.

The Octopus Group incorporates Octopus Energy, Octopus Real Estate Octopus Investments, Octopus Ventures and Octopus Labs. Our aim is to have an impact in everything we do, and to make a vital contribution to the UK economy by helping people, companies and institutions generate wealth. And we’re always on the look-out for smart, talented people who share our values.

About Octopus Ventures

With £1.3 billion under management and investing over £100m a year, Octopus Ventures (OV) is one of the largest and most active venture investors in Europe. Our typical investment is from £1 million for Seed to £10 million for Series B and we can continue to fund the companies we back right through to IPO.

Our investment team is built to specialise in the four areas we believe will change the world for the better: health, money, deep tech and consumer. We back ‘pioneers’ and we use the term very deliberately to carve out that subset of entrepreneurs who are truly breaking new ground. Since 2008 we have backed nearly 120 teams, including Zoopla, Swiftkey, WaveOptics, Elvie, Bought by Many, Tails.com, Secret Escapes, graze.com and Cazoo.

We are based in London and New York with a network that spans from San Francisco to China. The companies we back become a part of this network, with access to a formidable resource of experience and expertise.

Responsibilities:

Our Investment Analysts are core to our investment team, helping to research, identify, select and due diligence the most exciting deep tech startups from across the UK, as well as cementing themselves as an important part of the wider venture ecosystem.

The day-to-day can vary a lot, but will involve:

Making investments:
* Represent Octopus Ventures at industry events to build relationships with entrepreneurs and other investors
* Build a personal network through which to source deals
* Compile research on exciting deep tech sectors to identify new opportunities
* Track and pursue entrepreneurs and companies that really excite us
* Analyse and perform due diligence on companies that fall within our investment criteria
* Help build and present investment theses for new deals and follow-on investments

Supporting deep tech portfolio companies:
* Help portfolio companies on specific commercial projects and identify ongoing initiatives to build Octopus’ portfolio offering

Supporting Octopus Ventures:
* Prepare deal- and fund-related analyses and presentations for the team
* Contribute to ongoing development of strategy for the deep tech pod

Qualifications:

While each successful candidate will bring her/his own experience and personality into the role, we expect every new Investment Analyst will likely:
* Have a robust track record as a strong contributor in a professional environment
* Have a demonstrated appetite for accountability and self-reliance
* Exhibit an abnormally high level of curiosity about how the world works
* Have a proven ability to ingest and process large amounts of nebulous information quickly
* Have a proven ability to build trust and rapport with a wide variety of founders and other investors

In return, Octopus Ventures has a track record in offering to its Associates:
* A highly practical apprenticeship in the venture capital industry inside one of Europe’s largest and most active early stage funds
* An accelerated path towards taking ownership of sourcing and diligencing early stage investments and presenting investment theses in front of Partners and peers
* An opportunity to work with some of the strongest entrepreneurs in the UK and build out a personal network in the ecosystem, supported by a strong brand name

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