Venture Associate

Overview

Union Heritage Ventures, an early-stage investor, headquartered in Detroit, Michigan is seeking a motivated Venture Associate to become a core member of our investment team. The Venture Associate will play a key role in evaluating prospective portfolio companies, preparing investment memos, and supporting the fund’s decision-making process. This role provides direct exposure to early-stage venture capital and a hands-on opportunity to sharpen analytical, financial, and strategic skills.

For more information on our firm, please visit: https://www.unionheritage.com/venture-capital/

Responsibilities

The Venture Associate will:

• Be a part of the core Investment Team, conducting due diligence on prospective investment opportunities.
• Prepare written investment memos, including:
• Analysis of company and opportunity.
• Analysis of business model – strengths, weaknesses, and scalability.
• Evaluate financial projections and assumptions – pressure test forecasts.
• Validation of go-to-market strategy – with emphasis on client acquisition, pilots, or proof-of-concept engagements.
• Execution analysis – assessing operational capacity, milestones, and delivery risks.
• Risk assessment – identifying key areas of uncertainty or downside.
• Exit modeling – projecting potential exit pathways and valuation scenarios.
• Perform industry research and competitive analysis to contextualize investment opportunities.
• Build and refine financial models in Excel, including sensitivity and scenario analyses.
• Develop and maintain presentations in Keynote/Google Slides for internal discussions with the Investment Committee
• Managing deal flow CRM, and then portfolio tracking of KPI’s post-investment 
• Collaborate with the Investment Team on diligence workstreams, while also executing assigned projects independently.
• Engage with the start-up ecosystem as a participant in industry events and networking opportunities 

Qualifications

• MBA or advanced degree preferred 
• Strong analytical and financial modeling skills; demonstrable proficiency in Excel.
• Proficiency in Keynote/Google Slides and the ability to structure and communicate findings clearly.
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to prepare concise and insightful investment memos.
• Ability to work independently, as well as within a collaborative team environment.
• Strong intellectual curiosity and interest in startups, venture capital, innovation, and the journey of a startup founder.
• 2-3 years of prior experience in finance, consulting, or startup environments (preferred but not required).

Opportunity

• Mentorship: Guidance from experienced investment professionals, including associates and partners.
• Networking: Opportunities to build a strong professional network within the VC and startup communities.

Commitment

• Full-time role: 40 hours per week, with a minimum of 2 days per week in the office (Newlab Detroit).

Compensation/Benefits

• $130k/year salary + year end bonus
• Company pays 50% of medical, dental, vision plan
• 401(k) match of employee contribution up to 2% of salary