Why Sapphire Ventures: Interviews, Careers, & Portfolio

Sapphire Ventures Overview

Sapphire Ventures is a venture capital firm which is said to be one of the world’s premier VC firms.

Their investment strategies – Sapphire Sport, Sapphire Partners, and Sapphire Ventures – are focused on supporting and scaling venture funds and companies to help them become category leaders.

Sapphire Ventures was first established in 1996 as the venture capital arm of SAP, a multinational software conglomerate. The firm became an independent entity in 2011, changing its brand to Sapphire Ventures in 2014.

At that time, the firm had managed around $1.4 billion and invested in over 125 companies – with 17 companies getting acquired and 10 companies going public.

The firm was founded by Nino Marakovic, Jai Das, Doug Higgins, David Hartwig, and Andreas Weiskan. Sapphire Ventures is based in Menlo Park, CA.

Sapphire Ventures AUM

According to the most recent regulatory filings, Sapphire Ventures has $10.0 BB in assets under management as of March 30, 2023.

Sapphire Ventures Interview Process & Questions

In most cases, firms will change the interview process for each candidate. However, when you interview at Sapphire Ventures or similar firms, you can expect to go through multiple interview rounds (~ 4 to 6).

The junior investment professionals or the HR team will most likely be in charge of the initial rounds, while the more senior staff take over in the later stages. Be prepared to answer a mixture of fit, technical, investing, and behavioral questions.

Expect the whole interview process to last for several weeks – unless it’s on-cycle or on-campus recruiting.

If you’re looking for resources to help you prepare for interviews, consider taking a look at my Growth Equity Interview Guide.

Why Sapphire Ventures

“Why this firm” almost always shows up during interviews, so make sure to prepare for this crucial question.

To avoid giving generic answers, you can mention the people who are working at the firm whom you’ve met during your networking efforts. Share with the interviewer how their positive experience at the firm has motivated you to apply.

It’s also a great practice to do some research about the firm. For this, I’d recommend listening to interviews with its founders, investors, and management team.

To help you get started, here’s an interview with Jai Das, Sapphire Ventures President, Partner and Co-Founder:

More Interviews

• Interview with Sapphire Ventures Partner Cathy Gao
• Interview with Sapphire Ventures Partner Casber Wang

Sapphire Ventures Case Study

Case studies is also one of the things you should prepare for. Firms like to use case studies to see how well candidates can communicate and their level of technical knowledge.

Most case studies at firms like Sapphire Ventures will have you conduct financial modeling and provide investment recommendations. But if you’re applying for a junior role, you may also be required to do a cold calling case study.

Case studies is one of the concepts I’ve tackled in detail inside my Growth Equity Interview Guide. Check it out!

Sapphire Ventures Salary & Compensation

According to Glassdoor, investment interns and associates typically have (median) salaries of $75K and $116K per year, respectively. No recent data for analyst hires.

Remember, these salary figures can vary depending on your education, experience, and other factors that the firm considers.

Investment Intern

Investment Associate

Sapphire Ventures Careers, Jobs, & Internships

If you want to stay updated with the latest job openings at top growth/VC firms, including Sapphire Ventures, visit our job board regularly.

Sapphire Ventures Portfolio & Investments

According to Crunchbase, Sapphire Ventures has made 336 investments across 14 funds. Some of their notable deals include Huntress, Defense Unicorns, and BioCatch.

Notable Transaction: Constructor

Constructor is a company which provides AI-powered solutions in the e-commerce space which helps shoppers discover the products they want to purchase and for sellers to deliver a great shopping experience.

Some of the businesses who have used Constructor’s solutions are Sephora, Birkenstock, Petco, and many more.

In June 2024, Constructor secured a $25 million investment from a Series B funding round led by Sapphire Ventures. This investment brought Constructor’s valuation to $550 million.

Constructor plans to use the new capital to accelerate their innovation and product development, and continue their international expansion.

Next Steps

If you decide to be one of the professional investors at Sapphire Ventures, I highly recommend checking out my Growth Equity Interview Guide.

Professionals who want to break into growth equity use this self-paced online course to increase their chances of securing their target role. The course covers concepts which usually show up during interviews such as case studies, financial modeling, and more.

Start preparing for your interviews today!