Job Description:

SUMMARY:

Rakuten Capital is the corporate venture capital arm of Rakuten, a global leader in internet services headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Launched in 2014, Rakuten Capital invests in early and growth stage companies globally. To date, Rakuten Capital has deployed over $1BN of capital and invested in 70+ companies, including Lyft, Pinterest, Upstart, and Careem.

The analyst will support investment activities from deal sourcing to closing.

Primary industry focus (but not limited to) will be climate tech/sustainability and fintech, including blockchain/Web3. The analyst will be an integral part of a small investment team (currently 4 people) and will have the opportunity to interact directly with senior executives at Rakuten and founders of portfolio companies.

Key Responsibilities:

• Deal sourcing: Attend conferences, network with other investors, and screen for attractive investment opportunities.
• Due diligence: Review due diligence materials, evaluate financial models and unit economics, interview customers, and research competitors.
• Deal execution and negotiation: Participate in the negotiation process. Assist the team with a term sheet and document drafting. Prepare internal memos for the investment committee. Coordinate with legal and various internal departments to close deals.
• Industry research: Perform in-depth market research to identify investment trends and understand the competitive landscape.
• Portfolio Company Support: Provide strategic support to portfolio companies, including leading partnership discussions, validating fundraising plans, and conducting industry research

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities)

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Strong financial modeling skills and ability to conduct valuation analysis
• Highly analytical, strong communication skills and excellent interpersonal skills to develop business relationships
• Ability to work in a small team and adapt quickly to a fast-paced and changing work environment
• Eager to learn and passionate about investing in high-growth tech companies
• Flexibility and ability to engage in other strategic initiatives and projects as required by the team
• Ability to gain familiarity with the investment process and legal language literacy
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft PowerPoint

Qualification Requirements

• 1-3 years of work experience in investment and financial analysis positions, ideally venture capital, private equity, or hedge fund principal investment role or relevant investment banking or consulting experience with a top-tier firm.
• Undergraduate degree from a top university

Five Principles for Success

Rakuten Group has an unswerving commitment to building an egalitarian society by empowering individuals and companies to be successful in business and in life. The Five Principles for Success are designed to keep each of us on track, to ensure we make continuous progress toward our ultimate goals.

1. Always Improve, Always Advance

• There are only two kinds of people in the world:

• Best Effort people are satisfied with the status quo; when they fail, they console themselves by saying "I did my best."

• Get Things Done people are absolutely committed to reaching their goals.

• With enough determination and effort—by being a Get Things Done person—you can achieve anything.

2. Passionately Professional

• Rakuten is an organization composed of true professionals.

• Real professionals in any field—whether in sports, the arts, science, business, or anything else—only reach the top because they have the self-discipline to develop and improve themselves continuously.

• Only by consistently working many times harder than our competitors can we consistently win.

3. Hypothesize → Practice → Validate → Shikumika

• Success in business depends on making and executing concrete specific action plans.

4. Maximize Customer Satisfaction

• Rakuten is first and foremost a service company. We're proud to serve our customers and we ceaselessly seek to improve their experience.

5. Speed!! Speed!! Speed!!

• The internet makes the window of opportunity for every small business. Accomplish in one month what it takes other companies a year to do, because we can only win by being many times faster than our competitors.