Senior Associate:
Yamaha Motor Ventures (“YMV”) exists to catalyze innovation by supporting entrepreneurs with Yamaha Motor’s unique capabilities to transform how we live. We have the resources and backing of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (“YMC”), but we also have the openness and agility of a startup. We also manage Yamaha Motor Venture’s dedicated funds with $300M in AUM that invests in exploratory areas such as Mobility, Manufacturing, Data & AI, Robotics, FinTech and Climate Tech (the “Fund”).
YMV is searching for a Senior Associate as a key part of the Fund’s Investment Team. The role is ideally suited for a high energy individual with intellectual curiosity for diverse technologies and business models. The Senior Associate will conduct sourcing, due diligence and lead potential Fund investments and support the investment team in developing investment recommendations. The ideal candidate will help support the ongoing influx of potential investment opportunities, will represent YMV at various events in exploratory areas, venture and startup ecosystems, and will build a strong network to source potential investments and support portfolio companies. The Senior Associate must be able to work in a fast paced, team environment.
Essential Responsibilities:
- Build strong relationships within the venture and startup ecosystems to source potential investments.
- Participate in due diligence process with Partner.
- Conduct investment research, financial analysis and modeling of potential investments.
- Develop in-depth assessment of business plans and investment proposals to determine business model viability, industry attractiveness and strategic fit.
- Develop investment recommendations and supporting documents.
- Develop an independent, value-added perspective on investment discussions.
- Facilitate strategic collaboration opportunities between startups and the various businesses within Yamaha Motor Corporation.
- Communicate with senior leaders in potential investment companies.
- Contribute to ongoing market reports with analysis of trends and insights at times requiring in-depth analysis.
- Represent YMV at venture, industry and startup events.
Base Salary Range:
- The typical range for this role is between $100K - $185K.
The ideal candidate should possess:
- Intellectual curiosity for diverse technologies and a hunger to learn.
- Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in a science, business, or an engineering field from an accredited university. Preference for candidates with Masters or higher post-graduation education, including those with MBA or MS degrees.
- Domain expertise in manufacturing, robotics or AI
- Ability to synthesize several, sometimes conflicting, viewpoints into informed opinions and recommendations.
- Prefer at least 5 years of experience working in venture capital, private equity or investment banking.
- Financial modeling skills including the ability to create and understand financial models, cap tables and various forms of company valuations and transactions (equity or debt).
- Demonstrates a passion for venture capital and working with startups.
- Possess and maintain a valid Driver’s License and a driving record from the state of your primary residence that meets YMV insurance standards.
- Able to pass a seven (5) year background check
Travel & Location
- Position is based in Palo Alto, CA.
- Some domestic and international travel of up to 30% may be expected or required, particularly to areas such as Japan.
- Must be a local candidate. Relocation not available.
YMV is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.
AT YAMAHA, WE ARE THE “KANDO” CREATING COMPANY
What is Kando you ask? Quite simply, Kando is an emotion that is best described as the feeling of deep satisfaction and intense excitement that we experience when we encounter something of exceptional value. We create Kando for our customers by offering them the most exciting and highest quality products in our industry. But in order to achieve this, we need passionate people who believe in what we do. Is that you?
About Yamaha Motor Ventures (“YMV”)
Our work encompasses venture capital investments, portfolio management, innovation projects, and strategic efforts in collaboration with Yamaha Motor’s global operations. We’re active members of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, and we value action-oriented efforts. Some of the areas we explore include the future of mobility, sustainability, robotics, agriculture, digital health, wellness, finance, and insurance. YMV is a wholly owned subsidiary of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. For more information: https://www.ymvsv.com/
Skills Required
- Minimum of a Bachelor's degree in science, business, or engineering
- Domain expertise in manufacturing, robotics or AI
- Financial modeling skills, including cap tables and company valuations
- Ability to synthesize viewpoints into informed investment recommendations
- Demonstrated passion for venture capital and working with startups
- Possess and maintain a valid Driver's License and acceptable driving record
- Able to pass a five-year background check
- Prefer at least 5 years of experience in venture capital, private equity, or investment banking
- Preference for candidates with a Masters or higher (MBA or MS)
- Must be a local candidate based in Palo Alto, CA; relocation not available
What We Do
Entrepreneurs often need strong partners in order to scale their businesses. This is particularly true for those developing novel hardware systems, exploring new business models, or growing international ventures. Yamaha Motor Ventures & Laboratory Silicon Valley (YMVSV) exists to accelerate the efforts of teams driving disruptive change. We have the resources and backing of Yamaha Motor Company (Japan), yet the openness and agility of a startup. Promising efforts sometimes raise venture capital. Financing these companies through strategic investment is a portion of our activity. For other ventures, strategic corporate partnerships might mean access to vehicles, technology, teams, hardware, infrastructure, or something else entirely. Whether investment, partnership, or both, we work collaboratively to create the future of industries ranging from personal transportation to industrial automation.
