Azolla Management Company seeks an Investment Associate for its early-stage, impact-driven venture capital fund. Azolla Ventures brings a fundamentally new approach to venture investing, integrating catalytic capital and full-cycle capital to embrace high risk and prioritize climate impact. Azolla Ventures was created by Prime Coalition, a nonprofit organization that partners with philanthropists and other mission-driven investors to support market-driven innovations designed to catalyze, deepen, or accelerate solutions for climate change.

Reporting to the General Partner(s), the Investment Associate will be a crucial member of a small team which sources high-impact investment opportunities, builds relationships with start-up founders, and funds breakthrough technology companies. This is a unique opportunity for the right individual to learn the business of venture capital at the cutting edge of impact investing.

Azolla Management Company is an equal opportunity employer with an intentional focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Applicants from backgrounds which are underrepresented in venture capital are especially encouraged to apply.

Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts. (Remote for the time being)

Reporting relationship: Reports directly to General Partner(s).

Compensation: Salary commensurate with the fund’s investment stage and style, plus incentive compensation partially based on impact metrics.

Work Authorization: Unfortunately, Azolla Ventures is not able to sponsor U.S work visas now or in the foreseeable future. All applicants will be required to produce valid U.S work authorization prior to commencing employment.

Responsibilities:

• Work with the Azolla Ventures investment team to source, evaluate, structure investments in, and monitor transformational start-up companies that could have a big impact on climate change. Focus is pre-seed, seed, and Series A stage. Investee companies will have the potential to mitigate CO₂ emissions at the gigaton level, be attractive to follow-on investors, and be a fit for catalytic capital.
• Develop and maintain a network of trusted relationships among entrepreneurs, co-investors, university faculty and grad students, incubators, and technology hubs.
• Advance fund goals of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) through building a diverse network of pipeline partners, and sourcing diverse start-up companies that meet the fund’s internal targets surrounding geography, race, and gender.
• Conduct due diligence on prospective investments including industry research, expert interviews, competitive analysis, and financial modeling.
• Maintain a registry of prospective investments in the fund’s target universe.
• Own and manage the fund’s investment pipeline, including coordinating regular meetings of our investment advisory committee comprising the most active venture capital investors in climate and energy.
• Respond to inbound inquiries from entrepreneurs, co-investors, and ecosystem partners in a manner that engenders respect, trust, and goodwill for the fund and for you.
• Form well-articulated theses about key technology categories based on your own research, analysis, and point of view. Advocate passionately for these points of view and find breakthrough entrepreneurs who are aligned with them.
• Assist with fundraising.
• Assist with impact and financial reporting to fund investors.
• Contribute to thought leadership efforts through conference presentations, white papers, guest articles, and social media.
• Be able to rapidly take on new responsibilities in a fast-paced growth environment.
• Be a zealous advocate for the fund’s mission in all aspects of your professional life.

Requirements:

• Strong alignment with the fund’s “impact-first” climate mission.
• Broad and deep understanding of energy and environmental technologies. Areas of interest include (but are not limited to): bio, agriculture, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and nuclear, among others.
• Excitement and ability to work in a multicultural team; in addition, excellent interpersonal skills that allow you to work with founders, co-investors and partners of diverse backgrounds.
• Two to five years’ relevant work experience preferred (can include graduate work). Experience with institutional venture capital investing would be a big plus.
• Self-starting, can-do attitude: You should be a person who says “yes, if,” not “no, because.” Uncharted territory should excite you, not intimidate you.
• Excellent academic track record. A graduate degree is not required, but graduate study in the sciences or finance is helpful.
• High degree of organization and attention to detail; ability to juggle multiple tasks.
• Entrepreneurial, enthusiastic, and collaborative approach to work.
• Superior communication, listening, and critical thinking skills. Ability to speak articulately and think on your feet. A good sense of humor is a key asset.
• Strong analytical skills, both qualitative and quantitative.
• Excellent office software skills.
• Deep intellectual curiosity coupled with a vision for a better world.

Contact: To be considered, please submit your resume and cover letter here: https://azollaventures.typeform.com/to/c9S3Q52K. Please contact info@azollaventures.com with any questions. Unfortunately, we are unable to do informational interviews so when in doubt, please apply!