Venture Associate (Industrial Tech)
Hybrid (Düsseldorf | Cologne | Aachen | Munich or Berlin selectively possible)
Full-time
Application checklist
- Do you have the technical and industrial edge required for this role?
- Do you operate with a high level of ownership for your tasks?
- Are you fluent in both German and English?
- Are you located close to Düsseldorf and willing to co-locate 2-3 days/week? We are open to discuss alternative approaches for candidates located in München or Berlin.
In case of a resounding yes, we are looking forward to getting to know you!
THE ROLE
DnA Ventures backs early-stage founders, combining strategic capital with non-dilutive R&D funding support. We help build tomorrow’s industrial leaders, and we’re looking for someone who wants to join us on the mission.
In this role, you will scout and evaluate investment opportunities, provide active support to our portfolio startups, as well as guide startups through public funding applications. Additionally, selective hands-on work with manufacturers gives you direct exposure to the realities of industrial adoption. We are looking for a person with a strong passion for tech, industry, and innovation.
RESPONSIBILITIES
As a Venture Associate at DnA Ventures, you sit at the intersection of investment, founder support, and hands-on industry work.
On the investment side, you identify and evaluate opportunities in industrial tech: scouting startups, building relationships with founders, and leading due diligence across commercial, technical, and competitive dimensions.
You work closely with our portfolio companies and selected clients to help them secure non-dilutive public funding, primarily through the German funding program Forschungszulage. You help them navigate the process from initial application to claiming the funds. You also help building the internal processes, from sales to process automation.
In parallel, you work selectively alongside manufacturers implementing our portfolio companies’ technologies, giving you firsthand experience with industrial adoption.
Internally, you take on ownership and responsibility in improving and building on existing processes, helping to create repeatable processes, and optimizing the existing ones.
QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS
We are looking for a person that is comfortable at the intersection of technology, industry, and business:
- Master’s degree in business administration and engineering (Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen), engineering, business, or a related field.
- A technical edge, with a genuine curiosity for more: You are passionate about new technologies and can hold a conversation with technical founders or work yourself into a technical topic hands-on.
- 0-3 years of work experience in a startup, consultancy, or in an industrial context.
- Fluent in German and English, written and spoken. German skills are a must for this role.
- Strong analytical skills: You approach problems in a structured manner, can reflect critically, feel comfortable with ambiguity, and can formulate a clear view from incomplete information.
HOW YOU WORK
- Ownership. You drive your own tasks and workstreams, actively identifying tasks, executing them, and asking for support where it is needed.
- Curiosity. You are passionate about technology and innovation in industrial operations and are excited to dive into new topics and understand them in depth.
- Excellence. You hold yourself to a high standard and genuinely care about delivering real value.
- Adaptability. You are comfortable with swift changes in priorities, continuous adaptations in plans, and switching contexts.
- Results. You care about the outcome, not just completing tasks but actively contributing to the success of your team and clients.
WHAT YOU’LL GET
This role is a truly unique opportunity to get exposure to early-stage investment, industrial tech, and the start-up ecosystem.
- We will give you real ownership from day one. You will run your own workstreams and learn how to deliver and prioritize, day-to-day, month-to-month. You will not be working for us, but with us to shape the future of industrial operations.
- You will get an unmatched breadth of exposure. The combination of early-stage investment, public funding advisory, and hands-on project work helps you grow your skillset and experience exponentially.
- Direct access to a wide network of founders, investors, and industry experts: You work actively with founders and coordinate with our industry experts, tackling real, meaningful challenges.
- A high-trust environment with direct feedback, steep learning, and room to shape how the firm operates.
We offer a competitive compensation package, with benefits including sports allowances and transportation support.
MODE
HYBRID – We prioritize candidates around Düsseldorf, Cologne, and Aachen with the ability for colocation in Düsseldorf 2-3 days/ week. We are also happy to consider applicants based in the two startup hubs in Munich and Berlin.
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