Octopus Ventures
Established in 2000, Octopus is a group of businesses investing in people, ideas and industries that change the world. You can learn more about us at octopusgroup.com.
At Octopus Investments, we’re experts in financial services and we’re also a certified B Corp, meaning we care as much about the impact of our investments as the returns they generate. Today we manage more than £12.4* billion on behalf of retail and institutional investors.
*Funds Under Management data includes undrawn commitments, funds under advisory mandates, funds monitored and the Octopus Cash service as of 31st December 2021
Job Description
PLEASE NOTE: Applications for this role will close at 9am on Monday 6th March
Octopus Ventures, part of the Octopus Group, is one of the most active early-stage investors in the UK. With more than £1.5bn in AUM and significant capital to deploy into new and follow-on investments. Today we have a portfolio of over 100 companies and have ambitions to grow this number considerably in the coming years.
The Octopus Ventures’ B2B software team provides growth equity funding to enterprise software companies that are going through rapid growth. The team of twelve has delivered a consistently strong period of performance and has raised significant fresh capital. It is now looking to expand its team as part of an exciting long-term growth plan.
The team will be looking to execute over ten new B2B software investments per year. Examples of recent investments include: Sova, digitally delivered recruitment software; MentionMe powering referral programmes for brands worldwide; and PeakData, a unique AI driven approach to locating healthcare professionals for pharmaceutical companies. Individual investments are typically between £2m and £15m into UK and International high-growth software businesses.
About the role
This is an entry level role with wide reaching responsibilities from origination of new investment opportunities to the execution of growth capital investments. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to assist with the management of the portfolio, helping to track the success of the investments that are made.
Core responsibilities will include:
- Working collaboratively to assist in the execution of all aspects of a new investment, including sourcing new opportunities, evaluation/filtering of opportunities, financial analysis, and performing due diligence
- Building and maintaining a deal origination network in the adviser / VC / B2B software sector
- Helping to prepare parts of the investment papers for the Investment Committee
- Assisting the investment team in the ongoing management of portfolio companies, often working directly with senior management of these companies
- Other ad-hoc analysis, portfolio monitoring, fundraising and supporting team-wide initiatives
Qualifications
Demonstrable interest in the VC space, which could include early experience in:
- Investing roles (VC, growth capital, venture debt or private equity)
- Transaction experience (banking, corporate finance or consulting)
- Strategy consulting with or into growth technology firms
- Other relevant roles in high-growth technology or enterprise software firms
If you do not have experience in any of the sectors listed above, but think you may have the relevant experience or skills, then we remain open to hearing from candidates from other sectors. Perhaps most importantly you will require an enthusiasm for working with growth stage technology businesses; to demonstrate why you are passionate about investing in enterprise technology.
You will need to have a basic working knowledge of financial analysis and accounting principles, although it is not necessary to have all the technical skills on day one. You will also have been exposed to financial modelling data analysis using excel. As we are a growth stage investor there may be more of a focus on technical analysis than other earlier stage VC positions, albeit as part of a varied and diverse role.
You will also need to demonstrate strong written and oral communication skills with the confidence to convey informed viewpoints to colleagues and external counterparties at all levels of seniority.
You will need to be a proactive, driven self-starter, who thrives on challenges and a fast pace, can manage multiple workstreams concurrently and is able to collaborate as part of a team whilst being open to challenge from others.
And, more than anything you will need to show a passion for entrepreneurship and the positive impact it can have on the world.
Additional Information
What we offer
💰 A competitive salary, bonus, pension and share incentive plan
✈️ Take what you need holiday
🏡 Flexible working
⚓ Anchor (our wellness hub) which includes Headspace, one to one coaching through Wellness Cloud, Parent Cloud, Digital GP & more
👪 Enhanced family leave policies
❤️ Life insurance, critical illness cover and income protection
🏥 Private medical insurance for you and your family
🚗 Electric vehicle leasing
🌍 The option to work overseas up to a month per year
Our Values
At Octopus we don’t just focus on what we do but also how we do it. Everyone shares our values of being straightforward, helpful and bold.
We’re committed to creating a diverse and inclusive employee experience for all. We promote equal opportunities for growth and development regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, or socio-economic background. We believe strongly that teams are at their best when every member of the team feels safe to bring their whole self to work.
We’re committed to creating a diverse and inclusive employee experience for all. We’re committed to promoting equal opportunities for growth and development regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, or socio-economic background. We believe that teams are at their best when every team member feels safe to bring their whole self to work.