Venture Studio Associate

Onni Group of Companies • Vancouver, BC

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

Onni Capital is seeking a Venture Studio Associate to play a pivotal role in designing, recruiting, and running their venture studio program. This is a founder-facing position with significant ownership and responsibility, offering a unique opportunity to work closely with early-stage companies and contribute to the growth of a venture platform. The role involves managing the end-to-end program, sourcing and screening direct venture investments, and building a strong pipeline between studio graduates, venture investments, and Onni's operating businesses. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of early-stage companies, excellent commercial judgment, and a bias for action in a fast-paced, low-bureaucracy environment.

Requirements

• Two to five years in venture capital, an accelerator or venture studio, startup operations, or as a founder, with close proximity to early-stage companies.
• Evidence of having built or run something yourself (company, product, program, community, or event).
• Genuine credibility with founders.
• Strong commercial judgment and the ability to quickly assess teams, markets, and business models.
• Financial modeling capability sufficient to build a business case and read cap tables/term sheets.
• Excellent program and project management instincts.
• Demonstrated ability to use modern AI tools for research, analysis, prototyping, automation, and producing high-quality work.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including presenting to executives and giving difficult feedback.
• A bias toward action and comfort making progress with incomplete information.
• Comfort working in a small, fast-moving team with evolving responsibilities.
• High personal standards for accuracy, quality, ownership, and follow-through.

Nice To Haves

• Experience running or working inside an accelerator or venture studio program.
• Existing network in the Vancouver or Canadian startup ecosystem.
• Founder experience, including a company that did not work out.
• Exposure to proptech, construction technology, climate technology, fintech, or vertical software.
• Technical literacy sufficient to assess a product and talk credibly to engineers.
• Experience running events, community programs, or investor days.
• Familiarity with tools such as Claude, Claude Code, Linear, Slack, or similar platforms.

Responsibilities

• Design and run the twelve-week venture studio program, including curriculum development covering legal setup, engineering, product, marketing, and go-to-market strategies.
• Recruit and select founders for each cohort through outreach to universities, accelerators, and the technology community.
• Build and manage a network of mentors and industry experts, including operators from Onni's businesses and external founders/investors.
• Organize and execute demo day, including format, guest list, founder preparation, and follow-on capital discussions.
• Negotiate and document studio investments, including equity terms, and coordinate with legal counsel.
• Manage studio space, cohort logistics, and the daily operating rhythm of the program.
• Track cohort outcomes, including product progress, revenue, funding, and graduate placements, and report on program performance.
• Source direct venture opportunities through the studio, Onni's network, backed funds, and the founder community.
• Screen investment opportunities, prepare recommendations, and conduct due diligence, including market analysis, customer references, technical assessments, and financial reviews.
• Support term sheet negotiation and closing for direct investments.
• Monitor the venture portfolio, maintain founder relationships, and identify follow-on investment opportunities.
• Build the pipeline between studio graduates, venture investments, portfolio company roles, and Onni Capital.
• Identify opportunities for studio companies to solve problems within Onni's operating businesses and facilitate customer relationships.
• Represent Onni Capital in the Vancouver founder and investor community.
• Document processes, decisions, and operating standards to improve future cohorts.
• Contribute to internal investment discussions, product reviews, and Onni Capital events.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation
• Discretionary performance bonus
• Comprehensive company-paid benefits package
• Annual education and professional development allowance
• Regular product demonstrations, founder sessions, investment discussions, and team events
• Free access to a fully equipped gym
• Friends and family rates across participating hospitality brands
• Employee discounts at participating restaurants, retailers, fitness providers, and other businesses
• Generous employee referral program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed