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Jobs

D4V | Venture Capitalist

Tokyo, Japan

In a nutshell:

We are seeking a Japanese/English bilingual Venture Capitalist to join D4V (Design for Ventures) in Tokyo.

As a VC at D4V, you will have the opportunity to work closely with startups across multiple industries in a collaborative environment. You will interface with a wide range of stakeholders (e.g. Startup Entrepreneurs, Portfolio Companies, Investors, IDEO Designers) and uncover promising startups and help grow their businesses in Japan and beyond.

Note: This is a role with D4V, working directly with the D4V Team and selected IDEO members. D4V and IDEO are co-located in Omotesando. Learn more about D4V at d4v.com.

Why D4V?

D4V (Design for Ventures) is a Tokyo-based early-stage venture capital firm that invests in disruptive, consumer and enterprise technology startups. Partnering with the global design company IDEO, D4V provides both hands-on assistance and coaching to help startups create value via human-centered customer experiences and interactions.

We help startups deliver not only financial returns but also positive impact on the world. Our work aims to support and strengthen the culture of entrepreneurship in Japan and beyond, accelerating the growth of a more entrepreneurial economy.

Once here you will:

Identify investment trends and opportunities by:

Research: keeping an eye on industry trends, performing market research, and sharing it with the team.
Deal sourcing: setting up meetings with prospective opportunities through networking, joining startup events and proactive outreach.
Deal screening: call/meet with prospects and evaluate opportunities.

Evaluate investment opportunities and conduct due diligence:

Startup evaluation: Analyzing business plan, assessing the strength of the company/ team, modeling and calculating the value of the opportunity.
Expert interviews: Gathering information from industry experts, technical consultants, stakeholders who know the target startup, potential competitors, and potential acquirer.
Documentation: Preparing investment committee documents.

Support existing portfolio companies by:

Monitoring: Develop, track and evaluate startup performance and KPIs.
Sprints: Collaborate with IDEO to develop and run design sprints for portfolio startups.
Support portfolio companies’ recruiting and fundraising activities as required.

To learn more about D4V:

Relevant experience and mindset:

Fluent Japanese and English verbal and written skills.
Minimum 3 years of venture investing experience.
A science or technical background preferred, but not required.
Passion and pulse for Japanese startups, entrepreneurship, the venture ecosystem.
Passion for design and interest in working with designers to accelerate D4V’s portfolio companies’ growth.
A high comfort level in working within a self-directed culture and navigating ambiguity.
Openness to critique from other disciplines (designers in particular) and curiosity to learn from a spectrum of perspectives.
Excellent discretion, demonstrating sound judgment in dealing with confidential dialogues and information

Equal Opportunity Employer

IDEO is an equal opportunity employer; applicants are considered for all roles without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, national origin, citizenship status, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, marital, parental, veteran or military status, unfavorable military discharge, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

Apply now

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At IDEO, we are committed to the work of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within our organization and in the world.

Our purpose of having disproportionate, world-changing impact through design is directly connected to our ability to bring many different perspectives to the table. This applies to our candidates, the people we hire, the clients and customers we serve, and the communities we learn from in our research.

As a human-centered organization, we are committed to working with and designing for people of every race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, physical ability or attribute, religion, national origin, or political belief. We recognize that this commitment requires ongoing work and sustained attention, as well as adaptation to new insights and best practices.

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