COMPANY
Toyota Research Institute – Advanced Development (TRI-AD) was established in March 2018 as a $2.8 billion joint venture between Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd. (Aisin), and Denso Corporation (Denso) to develop fully integrated, production-quality software and automated driving technology. On July 28, 2020, TRI-AD announced that, effective January 2021, it will expand and improve its operations into a holding company with two operating companies. The holding company will be Woven Planet Holdings, Inc. (“Woven Planet”), and the two operating companies under it will be Woven CORE, Inc. (“Woven CORE”), which will develop, implement and scale automated driving technologies at its core, and Woven Alpha, Inc. (“Woven Alpha”), which will explore new business opportunities and incubate innovative projects that go beyond today’s Toyota, such as Woven City, Arene, and the Automated Mapping Platform.
On September 10, 2020, TRI-AD further announced that it will be forming Woven Capital, L.P., (Woven Capital), an $800 Million global investment fund that will serve as the strategic venture capital arm of Woven Planet.
TEAM
The Woven Capital team will be responsible for making financially attractive investments in growth-stage companies that are developing innovative technologies and business models in areas that support Woven Planet’s existing and future strategic initiatives. Current areas of interest include autonomous mobility, automation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data and analytics, connectivity, and smart cities. Woven Capital also intends to invest in other venture capital funds in order to expand and accelerate its global reach.
WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
Woven Capital is seeking a Principal-level individual to further grow the investment portfolio by collaborating with and supporting teammates and colleagues in thesis formation, investment execution and investment management activities. Reporting to one of Woven Capital’s Partners, the successful candidate will not only be able to lead investments end-to-end, but will also be ready and comfortable to “roll up their sleeves” to develop business cases and financial models, conduct due diligence, and partner with business units on collaboration projects.
RESPONSIBILITIES
– Identify and source investment opportunities by establishing referral networks and relationships to drive high quality deal flow and manage relationships with entrepreneurs, investors, academics, and industry leaders in our areas of interest.
– Lead the due diligence process for prospective investments and conduct research through interviews with company management, industry participants, competitors, and the company’s customers/clients.
– Create detailed financial models, including optimal capital structures, valuations, investment prices, and exit scenarios.
– Draft or review term sheets, expressions of interest, or letters of intent and negotiate with prospective portfolio company management or other venture capital investors, as well as other third parties to discuss and finalize deal terms and transaction documents.
– Draft investment memos and submit investment recommendations to the Woven Capital Investment Committee for its review and approval.
– Support Woven Capital’s portfolio investments to grow by monitoring investments, actively participating in board meetings as an observer or director, helping portfolio companies with their strategic and growth prospects, and establishing a stronger link between portfolio companies and the Woven Planet group.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
– 5+ years of professional investment experience at the level of associate or higher in corporate venture capital, venture capital or private equity.
– Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, Math or other quantitative discipline.
– Demonstrated ability to positively influence people at all levels of an organization, both internally and externally.
– A natural collaborator with a strong win-win drive who can facilitate productive conflict and produce outcomes where 1+1 is >2 for all parties involved.
– Communicate clearly and effectively and display strong verbal and written presentation skills including the ability to communicate complex ideas in a simple way and to tailor key messages and presentation styles to multiple audiences.
– Patience in dealing with different cultures/languages and different decision-making mechanisms and logic.
– Excited to devote oneself to transforming a large traditional hardware manufacturer into a digital-ready software first company.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
– MBA, JD, or advanced graduate degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, Math or other quantitative discipline highly desired.
– Knowledge of the autonomous mobility, automation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data and analytics, connectivity, and smart cities industries is highly preferred.
– Japanese language ability is a plus but not required.
– Experience working, studying, or living in different cultures and geographies is a plus but not required.
If you are currently located at outside of Japan, don’t worry, we’ll set an interview over Google Hangout Meet or Skype.
https://jobs.lever.co/tri-ad/da1d94db-3fb8-4ef6-8f1e-ac3ab038c5ce
For more information, contact: George Kellerman george.kellerman@tri-ad.global
