Analyst or Associate

Who we are

• Started in 2015 by Mingpo Cai and Denis Barrier, Cathay Innovation is a rapidly growing global venture capital fund investing in startups at the center of digital revolution across Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, and Latam
• Cathay Innovation is currently investing with our newly launched €1Bn Innovation III fund and has overall close to €2.5Bn AUM
• We typically invest initial checks between €5-25m in A, B and C rounds and have strong follow-on capabilities
• We are part of Cathay Capital, with a team of 140 professionals around the world with close to €5bn AuM

Portfolio

• Cathay Innovation has invested in the past 6 years in over 60 startups across the world, including 19 unicorns
• Our portfolio includes: and many more !

How do we differentiate from other VC funds

• International – Our team spread across 9 offices in the US, Europe and Asia is highly involved in helping our portfolio companies expand into new geographies. We have also a local edge in Southern Europe, Africa and Latam thanks to our partnerships with Seaya and Africinvest
• Ecosystem – We have gathered a select group of 20+ leading global corporations as both committed investors in our fund and valued partners to our portfolio companies. We work closely with the leaders driving innovation across their organizations to acquire domain expertise, understand operational needs and facilitate collaboration that activates both startup growth and corporate innovation
• Our platform — bridging entrepreneurs with innovation centers, investors, and Global 500 companies across continents — grants startups access to new markets, invaluable industry knowledge, and introductions to potential partners with the world’s leading corporations from the start
• Access to financing – We are able to support portfolio companies across multiple rounds with follow-on capital in category-defining companies, and connection with some of the most relevant and deep-pocket investors around the globe, some of them being direct investors in our fund
• Track-record & experience in fast scaling companies – we are investors in 19 unicorns and have supported hyper-growth businesses including PinDuoDuo, Chime, Glovo, Alma, Descartes Underwriting, and many more
• We invest in impactful entrepreneurs, able to drive the change for a better tomorrow – as an Article 8 Fund we intend to achieve a purpose-driven fund managing to combine impact and scale e.g. the right intentionality with impressive growth

We are currently looking for an Analyst or Associate (depending on experience) to grow our newly formed Berlin office together with Costanza and Colombe, while working closely with our European headquarter in Paris: Denis, Jacky, Jean-François, Emanuele, Marion, Romain, Paul, Matthieu, Jurgen & Catherine

As an analyst or associate, you will be a key member of Cathay, helping to build out a new geo and being involved in all processes of the fund. You will be immersed in a very international environment and will see global trends emerge early on thanks to frequent interaction with our global team. Depending on your experience and skills, you will be given additional responsibilities and opportunities for growth.

What the role entails

• Map and research emerging spaces across target geographies to identify attractive markets
• Contribute to all aspects of deal flow, from sourcing, screening, and evaluating new investment opportunities to assisting with due diligence, deal execution, and closing
• Meet and network with exceptional entrepreneurs and attend leading industry events
• Occasional travel to attend conferences across Europe and attend internal team meetings across the globe
• Actively support the existing portfolio companies
• Working closely with our strategic corporate ecosystem to share relevant deal flow updates and participating in reporting to LPs

Qualifications

• 1-4 years of experience working at a tech startup, consulting, investment banking or venture capital/private equity
• True interest in innovation and the tech ecosystem
• Highly analytical with an interest in sifting through, and identifying trends within, large volumes of data + a basic understanding of financial modeling and accounting
• Demonstrated ability to develop a point of view and build networks/relationships
• Self-starter that has the desire to be part of a fast-developing, entrepreneurial project on four continents
• Full professional fluency in English and German is a must
• Network in Germany is a plus

To apply, please send your resume and a short cover letter (max 400 words) answering the questions below:

• What motivates you specifically to join Cathay and pursue this role?
• What are the sectors you have a particular interest in and why?
• Could you suggest 2 companies we should invest in and why?