Rakuten Capital is a corporate venture capital group that provides funding, sector experience and operational support to its portfolio companies across the world. Rakuten Capital is part of the Rakuten Group, one of the world’s leading internet service companies (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 4755). Rakuten has built and invested in innovative internet businesses in e-commerce, financial services, digital content and advertising since 1997. Rakuten is ranked as one of “Top 30 Most Innovative Companies” by Forbes and operates in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Rakuten Group is headquartered in Tokyo with over 13,000 employees. For more information visit: https://capital.rakuten.com
The Rakuten FinTech Fund is a corporate venture capital fund focused on growth and early stage investments in fintech companies (online lending, insurance, asset management, payments, virtual currency, etc.) in North America, Europe, Asia and emerging markets. The fund was launched in 2014 to invest with the primary objective of capital appreciation, while identifying targets with potential strategic relevance to Rakuten’s growing financial services businesses. Rakuten’s Mobility investment strategy involves growth and later-stage investments in leading ride-sharing and delivery platform companies globally. Current investments include Lyft, Cabify, Careem and Glovo.
Responsibilities:
- STRATEGIC VISION: Understanding of financial services and the impact of disruption across the various sub-sectors in the industry. Provide high level strategic analysis of financial services sub-sectors and be able to understand and explain strategic and operational issues at the start-up level. Ability to identify the technological impact of investment targets, regulatory implications, customer acquisition strategies, and business models.
- ANALYSIS: Industry and company-specific financial analysis including valuation (comparable company and transaction analysis, DCF), financial statement analysis, developing mid and long-range projection models, downside/risk analysis, and other ad-hoc analyses. Ability to identify Rakuten’s potential to add value to investments, as well as the reciprocal added value to Rakuten’s various business units.
- EXECUTE: Ability to lead venture capital processes from sourcing through closing, including all steps of strategic, operational and financial analysis, valuation, negotiation, coordination with finance and legal and document execution. Proactive screening and monitoring of leads. Ongoing monitoring of existing investments.
Qualifications
- Ability to work in a small-team and adapt quickly to fast-paced and changing work environment
- 2+ years 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
- Proven leadership and strong teamwork skills, including Envisioning, Engaging, and Executing. Ability to take on a leadership role to suggest and implement new processes and procedures to improve the efficiency of the fund’s operations
- Sense of urgency (speed, speed, speed) as well as ownership to deliver results (getting things done)
- Outstanding communication skills, including ability to present findings to senior management (CEO, CFO, Head of Investments) of Rakuten
- Experience in dealing with start-ups or prior start-up experience.
- Ability to gain familiarity with investment process and legal language literacy
- Strong financial modelling skills
- Fluent in English verbal and written communication, other languages (Mandarin) preferable. Japanese is not mandatory but helpful
- Flexibility: ability to engage in other strategic initiatives and projects as required by the Firm
- Willingness and ability to travel nationally and internationally
Education Requirements:
BA from top-tier university
Rakuten does not accept candidate referrals or resumes/CVs from recruitment agencies with whom Rakuten does not have a contract. Rakuten will not accept any claim for payment based on unsolicited referrals or resumes/CVs.
If interested, please apply here.
