Rakuten Capital is the corporate venture capital arm of Rakuten, a global leader in internet services headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Rakuten Capital invests in early and growth stage companies globally.  Rakuten Capital has deployed over $1BN of capital and invested in 70+ companies, including Lyft, Pinterest, Upstart, and Careem. 

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Rakuten Capital is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Associate to join our team.  The Senior Associate will play a critical role in identifying, evaluating and executing investment opportunities, monitoring and managing the portfolio, and working on other strategic initiatives.  The industry focus for new investments will be (but not limited to) climatetech, fintech, and retail tech/e-commerce.  The Senior Associate will be an integral part of a small investment team and will have the opportunity to interact directly with senior executives at Rakuten and founders of portfolio companies.  In addition to investment activities, the position may also include work on international business development projects (partnerships, joint ventures and other business alliances).  The position offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of investments, innovation and business strategy in a global technology business. 

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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Deal Sourcing: Network with startups and other investors and conduct research to screen for attractive investment opportunities.

Due Diligence: Complete due diligence on potential investments, including market analysis, financial modeling, valuation analysis, financial statement review, unit economic analysis, customer interviews and competitor research.

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Deal execution and negotiation: Participate in and lead portions of the negotiation process.  Prepare investment memos and deliver presentations to the investment committee.  Draft term sheets and deal documents.  Collaborate with cross-functional teams to evaluate the technical and strategic fit of investments.  Coordinate with internal and external legal teams to close deals.  Portfolio Management: Monitor and manage existing portfolio companies, providing guidance and support to management.  Introduce portfolio companies to Rakuten business units and facilitate collaboration.  Prepare internal updates on the performance of portfolio companies.

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Market Research and Analysis: Continuously build knowledge base of emerging trends, technologies, competitive landscape and market dynamics in relevant industries.  Prepare reports and presentations as needed to update senior management.

Relationship Building: Build and maintain strong relationships with external parties: founders, co-investors and others.

Strategic Initiatives: Assist in other strategic initiatives as needed, which may include joint-ventures, partnerships and acquisitions. 

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MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities)

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

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• 3+ years minimum; 4-5 years ideal of work experience in investment and financial analysis positions, ideally venture capital, private equity, or hedge fund principal investment role or relevant investment banking or consulting experience with a top-tier firm.
• Bachelor’s degree from top university
• Highly analytical with strong financial modeling skills and ability to conduct valuation analysis
• Ability to work in a small-team and adapt quickly to fast-paced and changing work environment
• Eager to learn and passionate about investment in high growth tech companies
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex concepts clearly and concisely.  Ability to present to senior management of Rakuten (CEO, CFO, Head of Investments)
• Understanding of technology trends, startup ecosystems and the venture capital industry
• Flexibility and ability to engage in other strategic initiatives and projects as required by the team

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OTHER DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced degree (MBA or other) preferred
• Operational experience at a tech startup
• Strong network and relationship in the venture capital and startup community
• Experience with venture investment process and legal language literacy
• Japanese and other language skills preferred

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Five Principles for Success

Our worldwide practices describe specific behaviors that make Rakuten unique and united across the world. We expect Rakuten employees to model these 5 Shugi Principles of Success.

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Always improve, Always Advance - Only be satisfied with complete success - Kaizen

Passionately Professional - Take an uncompromising approach to your work and be determined to be the best

Hypothesize - Practice - Validate – Shikumika - Use the Rakuten Cycle to succeed in unknown territory

Maximize Customer Satisfaction - The greatest satisfaction for our teams is seeing their customers smile

Speed!! Speed!! Speed!! - Always be conscious of time - take charge, set clear goals, and engage your team

Rakuten provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type. Rakuten considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, provincial or local laws.

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At the time of posting, Rakuten expects the base compensation for this role to be within the range shown below. Individual compensation will vary based on job-related factors, including the skills, qualifications, and experience of the successful candidate as well as business need and geographic location. The successful applicant for this role will be eligible for discretionary bonus, health, vision, dental insurance, 401k matching, PTO, Volunteer Time Off (VTO), and other employee benefits as the company implements.

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USD $72,090.00 - $123,876.00 annually