Investor - Forward Partners
Forward Partners, United Kingdom

Forward Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm, meets startup studio.

We invest from day zero through to Series A, focusing primarily on applied AI, marketplaces and e-commerce. Out of our early-stage funds, we’ve invested in 55+ companies including Patch, Apexx, Fy!, Ably, Makers and Koru Kids.

In keeping with our core belief that the real work begins after founders raise money, our purpose-built startup studio of in-house engineers, designers, marketers, and talent specialists is on-hand to support our companies to design, build and grow. Because no other investor is as committed as Forward Partners in providing value to their portfolio, the exposure that you’ll get to early stage businesses, their people, and their journeys is unparalleled.

We also fund growth of all stages through our equity-free revenue-based finance product, Forward Advances.

Forward is looking for someone to join our investment team. Investors at Forward Partners do it all. You’ll be expected to source deals, evaluate opportunities, lead opportunities through the pipeline to investment, manage financial and legal due diligence, provide information to our investors, and take board seats / help in portfolio management.

We’re also building our own business here at Forward. You’ll be encouraged to and expected to contribute to innovation across the business and the portfolio, something we take immense pride in.

You’ll be part of a small but growing team of 6, meaning you’ll be supported, along with having space and independence to grow your role within the industry and business.

• Analysing opportunities at the top of the funnel. We see thousands of opportunities to invest in every year. Moving prospective investments from the top of the funnel to the first meeting stage is a crucial part of the well oiled machine. Many leads come in through channels which we’ve taken care and pride in developing such as Office Hours and The Founders Programme. You’ll be a part of that and leading some of these sessions too.
• Originating opportunities. There are lots of ways to ensure that you’re a nexus for great investment opportunities: publishing research and content, networking, taking part in and running your own events, etc. You’re someone who has the passion and energy to open up new channels for the Fund, building your profile as an investor, and contributing to the research and thinking of the investment team.
• Due diligence of prospects in the pipeline. You’ll lead opportunities through the pipeline to investment. You’ll be an intellectually curious person who’s keen to get into the weeds of the opportunities that you’re leading on to build your own and the wider team’s conviction. This will include going deep on the attractiveness of the markets, products and teams that we’re looking to invest in.
• Working as a team. We’re a small team in a fast-moving ecosystem, meaning we need to work hard and we need to work fast. However that’s a whole lot easier when you know you’ve got back up and we’re a team first. You’ll help the other members of the investment team with their due diligence if needed, and you’ll actively contribute to conversations in weekly deal-team meetings and beyond. This is hugely important for our collective success and team happiness.
• Closing deals. You have to fight hard to get into the best deals. Having money to invest and having great entrepreneurs keen to take it are two totally different things. You’ll have this fight in you and keenness to develop your craft in this regard. Forward Partners offers a lot as a fund but ultimately you’ll want founders to be wanting to work with you and seeking you out in the market.
• Once terms are signed, you’ll work alongside our counsel to get to agreed sets of long-form legal documents. You’ll also do financial due diligence on companies where that is required.
• Quarterly reporting. The investors in Forward need to be kept up to date. We’re in touch with all of the portfolio on a quarterly basis, which helps to produce reports for our investors.
• Working across Forward Partners. Forward is growing and diversifying, and we want to build a business that is bigger than ourselves and shaping the venture ecosystem. You’ll be encouraged and expected to contribute to those efforts. In this way, you’ll have an operator and entrepreneurial mindset too.
• Portfolio management and working with founders. We often lead investment rounds and take board seats, which is hugely rewarding. You’ll be a part of that portfolio management. Being a great board member is a crucial part of success in VC and you’ll have lots of opportunities to increase your experience as a NED.

You can see from What will I be doing? that the answer is a lot. You’ll have to have great energy and to be comfortable switching between co

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