At Octopus we’re transforming the industries we operate in and improving the lives of millions of people. We’ve built market-leading positions in a number of specialist sectors, including smaller company financing, renewable energy, healthcare and property finance. We employ in excess of 800 people and manage more than £8.5 billion on behalf of over 50,000 investors. Our products don’t just help real people solve real life problems, they also make a positive impact on the world around us.
The Octopus Group incorporates Octopus Energy, Octopus Real Estate, Octopus Investments, Octopus Ventures, Octopus Wealth and Octopus Renewables. Our aim is to have an impact in everything we do, and to make a vital contribution to the UK economy by helping people, companies and institutions generate wealth. And we’re always on the look-out for smart, talented people who share our values.
Job Description
Octopus Ventures is one of Europe’s largest venture capital funds, with £1.2 billion under management. We can invest from £250,000 to £25 million in a first round of funding and will look to follow in subsequent rounds. We are proud to be known as one of the most entrepreneur friendly investors in Europe. The pioneers we back dare to reimagine the future of health, the future of money and deep tech.
Octopus Ventures, part of Octopus Group, is one of the largest VCs in Europe. We invest in the pioneers who will create the next $1 billion companies in health, money and deep tech. We know that being bold and generous with our time, our network and our knowledge works for everyone. We draw on the diversity of our experience to help the companies we back get better, faster, whether that involves building teams, developing their CEOs or scaling internationally.
We aim to be helpful and straightforward, committed to shaping an ecosystem where the brightest entrepreneurs can make a meaningful contribution to society. We know that companies which embrace diversity, including our own, perform better, which is why we’ve joined others and signed up to #movingforward.
Octopus Ventures have backed the founding teams of nearly 100 companies including Zoopla, Secret Escapes, Elvie, Depop, Sofar Sounds and Cazoo. Some of our portfolio companies have gone on to join forces with the world’s largest businesses including Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Twitter.
About the role
Octopus Ventures is (one of) the most active Series A investors in the UK. With >£1bn AuM and significant capital to deploy in new investments. Going forwards we aim to capitalise on our strong market position and network by building a team focused on slightly later stage start-ups that have proven product market fit and are ready to scale their business. The Growth team will work closely with the existing Octopus Ventures’ sector teams to leverage their expertise when assessing later stage opportunities. The newly formed team will seek to close up to four new investments per year; and as we grow the portfolio, there will be additional dealflow from follow-ons. The investment manager / principal will be a senior member of the growth team within Octopus Ventures – expected to lead new investments, take board seats and help shape the strategy and growth of the business from early on.
Essential Job Functions
You’ll divide your time roughly into:
- 20-30% finding new opportunities
- Attend and speak at industry events
- Build and maintain a deep network in the UK and European VC ecosystem
- Lead deep dives, industry analysis and market mapping of relevant sectors
- Track and chase companies, you are excited about
- Keep up to date and have a genuine interest in the developments and trends in tech and the VC and Growth investing landscape
- (% of time spent here is likely to decrease over time)
- 20-30% leading of new investments
- Take responsibility of all aspects of the deal process
- Lead due diligence, manage advisors, conduct site visits and expert interviews, assess market opportunity and sensitize financial forecasts
- Recommend and own valuation and ideal round structure
- Prepare internal briefing and IC documents
- Present and sell new opportunities internally to the investment and the partners
- (% of time spent here is likely to decrease over time)
- 20%-40% portfolio / board work and fund
- Take on board positions representing Octopus Ventures
- Draw on own and team network to support portfolio companies where possible
- Build close working relationships with founding teams of portfolio companies
- Manage complex situations within the portfolio incl. performance management, follow-on rounds and exits
- Take ownership of valuation of companies you are entrusted with
- Identify opportunities for follow-on funding from other Octopus investment vehicles and present such opportunities to LPs
- Act as an Octopus representative in front of multiple stakeholders including investors in our funds, entrepreneurs, other VCs and corporates
- (% of time spent here is likely to increase over time)
- 10-20% coaching more junior team members and leading the growth origination efforts
- Coach and mentor junior team members to help complement their investor skill set and make high quality investment recommendations
- Lead the growth teams concerted origination efforts, chair WIP meetings, own and track the team’s opportunity generation efforts
- Support the team lead in defining the team’s strategy driving growth
- Be proactive in suggesting and pursuing opportunities to grow Octopus Ventures’ growth investment practice
- (% of time spent here is likely to increase over time)
Qualifications
We know you have what it takes, if you have:
- Extensive relevant professional experience; likely but not necessarily including
- Originating, leading and executing investments in VC or growth capital;
- Being a key contributor in making and executing on investment recommendations;
- Working with and monitoring portfolio companies;
- Having acquired a strong analytics and strategy tool kit in strategy consulting, investment banking or a commercial or financial role in tech.
- Demonstrable experience leading and coaching junior team members;
- A strong passion for tech investing and knowledge of the VC ecosystem;
- Board experience (advantageous, but not crucial).
You’ll be a great fit for the team, if you are
- A team player who wants to be part of a tight and ambitious team with shared values: – one team, be bold, be straightforward and be helpful
- Naturally curious and passionate about the companies we invest in and the ecosystem they operate in
- Somebody who enjoys liaising with different kinds of people, representing Ventures internally and externally
- Result orientated and hands-on
- Prepared to get involved in every aspect of fund management
- Ambitious and take pride in your work
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment
Additional Information
Our Values and DNA
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. And while these are the principles that guide us as an organisation, our DNA goes even further, by revealing our inner strength:
We are loyal: we fully buy-in to the company’s vision and believe in everything that Octopus stands for. We are respectful: we live and breathe the Octopus values of being helpful, straightforward and bold. We are resilient: we have an inner strength that means we never give in We are intellectually curious: we seek to understand how the world works and we’re always learning, adapting and improving We understand who our customers are: and because we know them really well, we always give them our very best.
What we offer
Octopus has built an exciting and inclusive high-performance culture where employees feel empowered. This means we welcome discussions around flexible working hours. We also understand the value of diversity, and we have a team dedicated to promoting gender, ethnic, socio-economic, LGBT and disability equality, to make sure we back up our words with actions.
IF interested, please apply here.
