Investment Associate/VP

Based in Silicon Valley, AgFunder is one of the most active foodtech and agtech VCs globally investing in the next generation of iconic foodtech and agtech startups. We also publish AgFunderNews and research reports. We invest in important and impactful themes like decarbonization, health and nutrition, alternative protein, novel foods, food as medicine, supply chain digitization, sustainability, indoor agriculture, automation and more.

We’re looking for an exceptional Investment Associate or VP with a scientific background (preferably biology) to join our venture capital team. This is a partner track position where we will work collectively to identify and support bold and exceptional founders and technologies that are transforming our food and agriculture systems.. You’ll play a key role in sourcing and analyzing startup investments, conducting due diligence including deep dives in technical due diligence , and making investment recommendations on Seed to Series B startups across the agrifood tech landscape.

To be successful you’ll need to be courageous, gregarious, outspoken, smart, curious, tireless, rigorous, persuasive, have intellectual breadth, strong quantitative, writing, and verbal skills, and be very comfortable forming and defending non-consensus views while making high conviction decisions under conditions of extreme uncertainty.

We invest in diverse founding teams and we strongly encourage diverse candidates to apply for this role. This is an incredible opportunity for the right person to come in early on a rapidly growing platform.

Why you WOULD want to join us

• We work alongside some of the smartest, most talented and passionate founders in the industry.
• We’re intense, passionate and determined
• We believe that venture capital can be a powerful platform for change
• You have a high standard of excellence for yourself and others
• You want to build a career in agrifoodtech VC investing with us.
• You are open minded and curious
• You know how to ask uncomfortable questions
• We are driven by a strong sense of purpose to make a strong positive impact on the world
• We’re low ego, and everyone are expected to stand up and speak truth to power -= - We’re a fast-growing platform with a global outlook and reach. We love to win, and our funds consistently exceed the top-quartile performance threshold of VC funds.

Why you WOULDN’T want to join us

• We’re intense and passionate
• You have little interest in food and agriculture, sustainability, health and nutrition
• You are not a team player. Collaboration is a cornerstone of our way of doing things.
• VC has long feedback loops and most of our investments will fail. VC is not a great career if you need a lot of frequent positive reinforcement.You’re the type of person who needs to be hands-on (VC is more like consulting than operations)
• You’re the type of person who needs to see all the data before making a decision (we make decisions under extreme uncertainty)
• You hate networking (A lot of VC is in highlighting your value to founders, coinvestors, industry relationships and Limited Partners)
• We are a lean team and you require a fair amount of handholding and organizational structure
• We’re globally distributed and remote first, so you won’t be happy if you need to see your colleagues in the office every day.

If you’re still with us, additional MUST HAVEs include

• PhD from a top school or lab (Ideally biology)
• A clear history of exceptionalism in your academic and/or professional career
• An ability to lead and inspire
• Strong verbal and written communication skills

Ideal candidate

• Experience in consulting, venture capital, or startups
• Demonstrated interest in food & ag
• Shown an ability to build a personal brand

Responsibilities include:

• Generating leads for new investment opportunities
• Proactively building and maintaining relations with startup founders and investors
• Exploring startups and build a deep understanding of relevant investment sectors
• Performing due diligence on select investment opportunities
• Presenting investment opportunities to our Screening Committee on a weekly basis
• Going deep and writing investment memos (typically 25-45 pages)
• Investment monitoring and supporting our portfolio companies
• Support in fundraising and investor communications