Investment Associate

Fictiv•Oakland, CA

10d•Onsite

About The Position

Misumi Ventures is a newly launched, $50 million early-stage fund investing at the intersection of frontier hardware, robotics, automation, and industrial AI. The fund aims to build a portfolio of 20 to 30 seed and early-stage companies. The fund's thesis focuses on addressing the gap between prototype and production for hardware companies, offering portfolio companies direct access to MISUMI's extensive manufacturing capabilities, including a vast catalog of standard parts, company-owned factories, sourcing partners, and a global network. The Investment Associate will be the fund's first dedicated full-time investment professional, with a broad scope of responsibilities including building the deal funnel, managing fund positioning, supporting diligence and portfolio companies, and handling LP reporting. The role reports to the Managing Partner and involves participation in investment discussions.

Requirements

Two to four years in venture capital, investment banking, management consulting, corporate development, or an operating role at a hardware or deep-tech company.
Demonstrated technical fluency in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, robotics, manufacturing, or a related field.
Strong written communication skills for memos, market analysis, and LP reporting.
Comfort operating without an existing playbook in a fund making its first investments.

Nice To Haves

Established relationships in the venture, engineering, or founder community.
Prior exposure to hardware, robotics, aerospace, medtech, or industrial automation as an investor, engineer, or operator.
Familiarity with manufacturing, supply chain, or design-for-manufacturing.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain relationships with investors across relevant sectors, work accelerator and university research channels, and map funding activities in robotics, automation, aerospace, and industrial software.
Run first meetings and write investment memos to determine partner engagement.
Own the fund's external presence, including website, content, founder communications, and participation in deep-tech and hardware communities.
Organize founder dinners, technical sessions, and events to establish fund presence.
Conduct technical and commercial diligence, including customer references, expert calls, competitive and supply chain analysis, and market sizing.
Connect portfolio companies with MISUMI's engineering and sourcing organization.
Support portfolio companies with recruiting, customer introductions, and subsequent financings.
Manage quarterly LP reporting in coordination with the fund administrator and MISUMI Americas finance.
Provide portfolio and pipeline reporting for the investment committee.
Maintain CRM and data discipline.