Ventures Associate

WHO WE ARE:

Plug and Play (PNP) Tech Center is the largest global innovation platform and one of Silicon Valley’s most active early stage investors. We bring together the best start-ups and the world's largest corporations to create meaningful connections that help top companies innovate and meet their strategic goals. We are on a mission to bring the benefits of startup-focused open innovation to all four corners of the world.

Plug and Play has over 45 locations across the world and our corporate members include: The Alliance to End Plastic Waste, USAA, Visa, Nationwide, Aflac, Daimler, Ford, Nissan, BP, Johnson & Johnson, Roche, Pfizer, Walmart, Coca Cola, Adidas, and over 500 more.

Plug and Play’s corporate members utilize Plug and Play to identify the best startups to meet their challenges. Plug and Play’s proven investment track record includes Honey, Guardant Health, ApplyBoard, BigID, Kustomer, Rappi, Flutterwave, Hippo, PayPal, Lending Club, Dropbox, and many more.

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR:

We’re actively seeking a Ventures Associate in Milan to champion the Plug and Play business model. An ideal candidate has a passion for understanding how startups scale and is driven to take an active role in building out our ecosystem and investment portfolio.

The Venture Associate role is a key position on the Ventures Team. Associates are responsible for sourcing relevant startups and supporting deal teams on new investments. Associates also work with corporate partners on their technology needs and support overall program management.

HOW YOU WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Sourcing New Startups

● Source startups as investment opportunities and corporate partners.

● Attend calls or meetings with relevant companies.

● Build and maintain strong relationships with local VCs, universities, corporations, etc.

● Actively network with startup founders at industry events and conferences.

Support to our Corporate Partners

● Author in-depth trend reports and market analyses on a variety of topics, verticals and technologies.

● Schedule and facilitate deal flow meetings between startups and corporate partners.

● Curate startup lists for corporate partners based on their technology interests.

● Maintain relationships with industry partners.

● Perform additional operational work for Plug and Play Ventures as needed.

Diligence/Investment Research

● Support the deal team on investment opportunities.

● Conduct high-level research; analyze the market, examine industry trends, track. competitive landscape, interact with financial models, etc.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE:

• MSc Degree in Engineering, Economics, Management, and other technical background


• Years of experience and the field: 2 years of experience in startups, VCs, innovation or strategic consulting, or technical roles within innovation departments 


• Italian and English


• Advanced problem-solving skills and the ability to think strategically, analytically, and creatively. 


• Highly organized, shown to meet tight deadlines along with consistent accuracy and attention to detail.