Venture Lead

Venture Lead About the Role The Venture Lead is the studio's primary operator across its backed venture portfolio. This is not a desk-based diligence role — it is a role for someone who earns a founder's trust by being genuinely useful to them, then does that across four or five ventures at once. The Ventures Lead owns the venture pipeline and the day-to-day commercialisation work inside each venture. They are the founder's go-to person in the studio: approachable, firmly on the founder's side, and capable of switching context across ventures at different stages and in different sectors. Pipeline administration — memo-writing, deal tracking, IC preparation — sits here too, but it is the smallest part of the job. This is roughly 70% commercialisation and venture building operator and 30% pipeline and investment work. The right person has built and run companies, understands what it takes to cross the R&D-to-commercial gap, and brings the instinct and range to help technical founders do the same. The role reports directly to the Head of Studio. Location: Singapore-based (with existing work authorization) Start: September 2026 Travel: Frequent travel across Southeast Asia and to key funder markets Employment type: Fixed term till March 2028. Remuneration negotiable based on experience. Key Responsibilities Commercialisation Support Run active commercialisation support across a portfolio of 4–5 backed ventures simultaneously, each at different stages and requiring a different skill set. Coordinate and own the commercialisation work for each venture: business model pressure-testing, value-chain mapping, capital readiness preparation, and investor narrative. Map each venture's exit pathway as part of commercialisation work — identifying likely acquirers, distribution partners, and realistic value realisation scenarios within a 3–7 year window. Collaborate with the Head of Studio and Partnerships Lead to build relationships between each backed venture and their potential corporate partners, distributors, acquirers and/or investors. Venture & Team Building Be the founder's primary point of contact in the studio — a trusted peer and advisor, not an overseer. Earn the relationship through usefulness, not authority. Own all CEO recruitment and key hire processes for backed ventures Build the support network around each venture: identify and bring in relevant advisors, specialists, and partnerships. Pipeline & Investment Own the founder relationship across the full pipeline — from initial engagement through to IC decision. Cultivate venture pipeline sources, contacts, and networks (potentially design a venture scouts program) Write investment memos, track deals through the pipeline, and bring clear, documented recommendations to the Investment Committee. Coordinate diligence work with venture partners and the Head of Studio — the Ventures Lead is the relationship owner and memo-writer, not the sole diligence operator. Ecosystem Presence Be visible at founder events, accelerator Demo Days, and sector events across SEA — the studio's face to founders whether or not they are in the pipeline. Work with co-investors at the individual deal level, building trusted relationships that serve both the current venture and the studio's long-term deal flow. What Success Looks Like In the first 12 months, we will consider this role a success if you have: Taken active ownership of the venture pipeline and process — scouting, assessment, diligence all handled clearly, memos written on time, IC recommendations clear and well-reasoned, deal tracking clean Leadership of supporting 4–5 backed ventures, with each founder describing you as their most trusted point of contact in the studio. Moved at least 2–3 ventures to a materially stronger commercial position — a clearer model, a defensible unit economics story, a first revenue milestone, or a co-investor conversation that wouldn't have happened without your involvement. Built a visible and trusted presence in the SEA agtech and deep tech founder community — sourcing relationships and inbound referrals that improve the quality of the top-of-funnel. Completed CEO placements for at least 2 backed ventures, working with the Head of Studio and venture partners to identify, recruit, and onboard the right commercial leader for each. About You You have built and run something. You know exactly what it feels like to be a founder staring at a commercial problem you can't solve alone. You can exist in that type of uncertainty, but are quick to leap into action. You know that action accelerates insight, not overly wrought planning and strategy. That instinct is what makes founders trust you fast. You can hold four or five ventures in your head at once, each with different blockers, different personalities, different stages — and move between them without losing the thread. You are a portfolio operator by nature, not someone who goes deep on one thing and loses sight of everything else. You are a hustler in the best sense: you move fast (without breaking things), you create options, you are not precious about the work, and you care far more about the founder's outcome than about your own involvement in it. Essential Ex-startup founder or senior startup operator who has built and run companies in deep tech or highly regulated environments. Success or failure both count; what matters is that you've been in the room where hard decisions are made and you understand the extra complexities that science-based and deep technology involves. Razor sharp commercial edge. You love ventures and founders, however you know that simply having the best tech or getting the most press doesn’t equate to success. You love nothing more than rolling up your sleeves and getting a deal done no matter the obstacles. Operating experience in agribusiness or agtech — you understand the dynamics of the sector, the pace of adoption, and the specific constraints of working with farmers, processors, or agrifood value chains. Capital raising exposure — having been through a raise from either side of the table. Desirable Agrifood value chain depth in SEA — insight into how the region's food systems work, who the key players are, and where the structural bottlenecks sit. Beanstalk holds this domain, but if you bring it too, that sharpens IC decisions. Fluency in a Southeast Asian language — a meaningful signal of genuine regional commitment. How to Apply Please submit your application via this link.

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