Investor - Associate - Australia

Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne

ABOUT THE FIRM

At January Capital, we invest in technology businesses being built in the Asia-Pacific region for the world. We are committed to supporting founders who challenge the status quo, tackle some of the region's biggest opportunities, and have the ambition to take APAC technology companies globally. We manage more than US$400 million on behalf of our investors, which include leading institutions, corporations, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals. Our portfolio includes Akulaku, Shopback, Marqo, Skedulo, Go1, Tazapay, and others.

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are experiencing a period of growth across the firm as we look to invest in and support the most ambitious founders in the Asia-Pacific region. To continue this trajectory, we are now searching for an experienced operator-investor to join our Australian investment team.

This role is designed for someone who has spent the early part of their career building inside high-growth technology companies, whether as an engineer, product person, data scientist, go-to-market leader, or early operator and now wants to channel that operating experience into backing the next generation of founders. We believe multiple career paths can make you successful in this role: what matters is that you've been close to how products are built, how companies scale, and how exceptional teams operate. You will work closely with our senior investment professionals across the full investment lifecycle: sourcing, diligence, deal execution, and post-investment value creation.

From building our firm's internal product and data agenda, to running The First Fellows (our regional student program across APAC), to deep ecosystem partnerships with the leading AI and tech companies in the region, there's no shortage of meaningful work to lead.

The role will be based in Australia, where we are continuing to expand our team. You will be a core member of the Australian investment team and a key partner to founders building in the region.

We are looking for someone bright, driven, and intellectually honest with the operating instincts to evaluate early-stage product, technology, and team, and the temperament to do the unglamorous work of becoming a great investor. You will have the ability to be part of a collegial, tight-knit, and energetic investment team.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Partner with our senior investment professionals to source, diligence, and execute investments in early-stage technology companies across Australia and the Asia-Pacific region, with a strong lens on product quality and differentiation.
• Conduct end-to-end diligence, including customer references, product and technical evaluation, market sizing, financial modelling, and investment memo drafting.
• Develop and pressure-test investment theses across thematic focus areas, incorporating product insights, user behaviour, and emerging technology trends to form a differentiated point of view.
• Partner closely with founders on the practical questions of building a company — particularly across product strategy, roadmap prioritisation, hiring, GTM, and fundraising.
• Support product strategy and roadmap for January Capital's internal investment platform — defining priorities, writing specifications, and partnering with our engineering, data, and ML teams to ship tools that change how the firm sources, evaluates, and supports companies.
• Run discovery with internal users (investors, partners, portfolio support) to translate workflow needs into clear product decisions; prioritise across competing initiatives and define the success metrics we hold ourselves to.
• Champion data quality, product adoption, and platform velocity across the firm; close the loop between how we invest and what we build so that every product investment compounds the partnership's edge.
• Contribute to firm-building initiatives that strengthen January Capital's position as a leading early-stage firm in Asia-Pacific, including content, founder programs, and ecosystem work.
• Help shape how January Capital shows up in the Australian market: ecosystem partnerships, events, brand, and how we leverage product and data to support founders.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• Minimum of a Bachelor's degree from a well-regarded tertiary institution, ideally in a technical or analytical discipline (i.e., Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Finance, or a related field). Postgraduate qualifications in these disciplines will be viewed favourably.

• 3–6 years of professional experience. Multiple pathways can lead to great investors. So it could be (i) product management role at a high-growth startup, (ii) software engineering or technical role at a startup or technology company, (iii) founder or early employee at an early-stage company, (iv) tier-one consulting or corporate strategy role with a specific focus on enterprise software.

• Strong intuition for early-stage product, team, and traction.

• Sharp written communicator; comfortable forming and defending a clear point of view on the businesses we evaluate.

• Genuine interest in venture investing as a craft, with the patience and humility to learn it from the inside.

• Previous experience that will allow you to quickly grasp complex software concepts within a short amount of time.

• Investing experience is a plus, not a requirement — operator credibility is the anchor.