Why Mach49: Interviews, Careers, & Portfolio

Mach49 Overview

Mach49 is a venture capital firm founded in 2014 and is currently based in Redwood City, California. 

The firm specializes in supporting large corporations to build VC arms and invest in startups.

Mach49 does not only provide investments, they also provide hands-on support to their partners and acts as an extension of their client’s team.

They provide venture building (where they participate in brainstorming, incubating, and launching new ventures) and venture investing (where they help clients in identifying promising startups).

Mach49 hasn’t gone public, but it was acquired by Next 15 Communications Group back in September 2020. The acquisition details were not disclosed.

Mach49 AUM

Currently, there is no publicly disclosed information regarding Mach49’s assets under management.

Mach49 Interview Process & Questions

Firms may decide to tweak their interview process with each candidate. However, you’ll find that the general nature of the interview stays the same. When you interview at Mach49, you can expect:

• 4 to 6 rounds of interviews
• For the initial rounds, the junior professionals will be in charge of the interview. For the later part, the senior staff take over.
• Entire process typically lasts for several weeks – except for on-cycle or on-campus recruiting

The interview questions will be a combination of behavioral, fit, and investing questions so make sure to prepare for that.

My Growth Equity Interview Guide is an excellent resource in case you need help preparing for interviews.

Why Mach49

“Why this firm?” almost always shows up during interviews – and also one of the most critical questions you have to answer.

If you’ve done networking to get connected with the firm’s employees, this is the right time to mention whoever you’ve met and how their experiences have positively influenced your decision to apply.

You can also try listening to interviews with the firm’s founders, portfolio companies, and key personnels to come up with relevant answers.

For starters, here’s an insightful webinar with Mach49’s Operating Partner-in-Residence, Terrance Orr:

More Interviews

• Chris Tacy, Mach49’s Chief Strategy Officer, on how AI can be a game-changer for organizations
• Vijay Govindarajan, Coxe Distinguished Professor of Management at The Tuck School of Business, discusses Mach49’s blueprint for growth

Mach49 Case Study

Communication skills and technical knowledge are two important factors that investment firms like Mach49 consider when selecting the right candidate. They often use case study to evaluate these traits.

Most case studies will have you perform financial modeling and provide investment recommendations. However, cold calling case study may also be included if you’re applying for junior roles.

You can find more case study resources inside my Growth Equity Interview Guide.

Mach49 Salary & Compensation

As per Glassdoor, analysts at Mach49 have earned salaries of $71K per year, while there’s no recent data for associate hires. Figures may vary depending on many factors like experience, location, and education.

Analyst

Mach49 Careers, Jobs, & Internships

Visit our job board if you’re looking for open roles at Mach49 or other similar firms.

Mach49 Portfolio & Investments

Since its founding, Mach49 have made some impressive transactions:

• Startups founded collectively by M49 – and running: 563
• Venture acquisitions / IPOs collectively by M49ers: 145 exits
• Share of Fortune 500 M49ers have worked with: 292 / 500

Notable Transaction: French Wine and Liquor Giant

Mach49 goes beyond just introducing corporations to startups. One example is when a French wine and liquor giant invested in a local events ticketing platform.

Instead of just helping the company with funding, Mach49 got more involved and turned it into a partnership.

They stepped in and helped this liquor company evaluate the initial investment – laying out clear goals, crafting the right message that resonates with their target customers, and creating an engagement plan.

In short, Mach49 acted as a facilitator between the two companies. As a result, the wine and liquor company gained insights from the ticketing platform’s tools.

In the end, what started as a standard marketing expense became an investment for the future, helping the liquor company position themselves to benefit from the growing experience economy.

Next Steps

If you decide to send your application and build your investing career at Mach49, I would highly recommend that you check out my Growth Equity Interview Guide first before attending interviews.

Growth Equity Interview Guide helps professionals get a good grasp of topics that are typically covered during interviews such as financial modeling, case studies, and more. Check it out and start learning today!