Venture Capital Associate

Octave is an early-stage fund focused on AI, data infrastructure, and privacy. Our namesake, Octave Chanute, played a supporting role in the Wright Brothers' pioneering flight. At Octave, our highest calling is to play a small part in supporting enormous ambitions.
As grizzled former founders, we understand that the startup journey, at best, is equal parts disaster and glory. We are here to assist you from the tactical to the personal. We champion founders focused on enterprise data opportunities at the earliest stages with our time and our money. The founders we have backed have created over $29.25B in enterprise value in the data space.
Octave is searching for the first Associate to join the GP in building the next phase of the firm on the strong foundation that has already been established. The role will span investing in and supporting founders, firm building, fundraising, and the basic blocking and tackling required to operate a world-class fund. You will receive mentorship but must be comfortable with a significant amount of self-direction.
To succeed in the role, you must:
Have a deep understanding of technology and be able to describe complex and technical aspects simply in plain language.
Exhibit a low ego and highly empathetic service mentality to founders, LPs, and partners.
Be an organized, execution-oriented person who is willing to wear many hats.
Be able to create and maintain processes.
Be comfortable asserting what you know, and acknowledging what you don't.
The day-to-day will include:
Support Fund Operations: Collaborate with the CFO and part-time associates to ensure smooth and efficient fund operations.
Evaluate Investments: Directly assist in evaluating companies, drafting investment memos, and maintaining portfolio updates.
Perform Technical Diligence: Conduct thorough technical diligence on potential investments, assessing the technological feasibility, scalability, and innovation of startups.
Identify Investment Opportunities: Proactively seek and engage with promising entrepreneurs to discover new investment opportunities.
Provide Portfolio Support: Offer targeted support to portfolio companies, helping them navigate challenges and opportunities.
Conduct Financial Analysis: Work closely with the CFO to perform detailed portfolio analyses, contribute to fund reporting, and aid in fundraising efforts.
Manage Tasks: Efficiently handle a broad range of tasks for the General Partner, including conducting company research, following up with founders, and building relationships.
Qualifications:
Experience founding a startup and the struggles that come with it.
Participated in startup accelerator program like YC.
Education and Engagement: Holds a CS degree (or related) with active involvement in tech outside the classroom, like clubs and hackathons.
Strong Network: Excellent at building and maintaining relationships.
Self-motivated and Creative: Highly driven, innovative, and adaptable to unstructured settings.
Detail-Oriented Work Ethic: Committed to precision and quality in all tasks.