Overview
A top-tier venture capital firm is building out its early-stage investment team in Santa Monica and is seeking an exceptional Investment Associate to join. This firm backs category-defining companies at inception and partners deeply with founders through scale.
This is not a traditional associate role. You will operate as an investor from day one—owning sourcing, driving diligence, and building conviction alongside partners. The bar is high. The pace is fast. The expectation is that you will quickly become someone founders and co-investors trust.
This is a seat at the table to help identify and shape the next generation of iconic companies coming out of LA and beyond.
What You’ll Do
- Source proprietary, high-quality early-stage opportunities before they are widely competitive
- Build differentiated investment theses across sectors and emerging trends
- Lead deep diligence across founders, markets, and business models with strong independent judgment
- Develop trusted relationships with top founders, operators, and investors in the LA ecosystem
- Support portfolio companies on key inflection points—product, growth, and fundraising
- Contribute meaningfully in investment discussions with clear, well-structured perspectives
Who You Are
- Top 1% performer with 2–4 years of experience in venture capital, growth equity, investment banking, or a high-growth startup
- Demonstrated pattern recognition for what makes exceptional founders and breakout companies
- High intellectual horsepower paired with strong commercial instincts
- Naturally curious, constantly learning, and deeply embedded (or ready to embed) in the startup ecosystem
- Strong point of view and willingness to challenge thinking with data and insight
- Operates with urgency, ownership, and a bias toward action
Why This Role
- Direct access to partners and real decision-making authority from day one
- Exposure to high-velocity deal flow in one of the most important startup ecosystems in the U.S.
- Clear path to becoming a long-term investor within the firm
- Lean team, high standards, no passengers
- Opportunity to build a career investing in companies that define industries