Investment Director

Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH (RBVC) is the corporate venture organization for Robert Bosch GmbH.

RBVCs goal is to identify and fund emerging and innovative start-ups with technologies and business models that could enhance the core business scope of BOSCH, particularly in the focus areas of long-term growth markets such as Automation & Electrification, Enabling Technologies, Energy Efficiency and Healthcare Systems.

With its analyses, market observations and investments in start-up companies, RBVC contributes to BOSCH’s endeavor to maintain its position at the cutting edge of innovation development.

RBVC is located in Germany (Frankfurt/Stuttgart), and has (affiliated) offices in North America, Israel and China.

RBVC will be investing out of its recently raised 5th fund with total AUM amounting to ~870 million euros, managed by its investment professionals.

Job Description

Business model

• RBVC’s setup is designed and modeled as closely as possible to traditional Venture Capital funds, including staffing profiles (innovation-savvy organization and strategy advisors with transaction experience).
• A standardized and lean deal selection process is critical to get enough good deal flow and pick the right targets.

  “Non-core” activities (legal, accounting, etc.) are outsourced to external experts and/or managed by shared services from the corporate organization while ensuring the quick response times necessary within the deal making process.

Investment focus

• Over 20 search areas within four investment clusters have been identified by RBVC, covering existing, new and potential business: Automation & Electrification, Energy Efficiency, Enabling Technologies, and Healthcare Systems.
• RBVC targets startups which have developed unique proprietary technology or unique business models.

  RBVC focuses on companies starting at an early stage but also invests in late-stage more mature companies.

Team

• To achieve its ambition, RBVC has created a strong team who are able to source and invest in attractive opportunities and build world class companies.

To be successful the team has:

• a strong network within the technology community and the global VC community;
• a strong network within BOSCH’s innovation clusters (corporate research, divisional development, marketing and strategy groups, corporate strategy);
• experience in building companies and creating shareholder value;
• a true understanding of typical challenges in R&D and go-to-market processes;
• the ability to be a sparring partner for engineers on a technical level as well as market-side units on a commercial level.

Job profile: Investment Director (with strong BOSCH-internal network)

RBVC is looking to expand the US team with an internally recruited professional at the Investment Director level.

In the future, as RBVC’s scope expands, Investment Directors are given the tools and opportunities to grow within the RBVC organization.

Investment Directors are responsible for generating deal flow, supporting the execution of investments (e.

g., structuring and negotiating), supporting in-depth due diligence and adding value to the portfolio companies at a management/strategic level.

It is expected that he/she plays an active role in shaping the organization of RBVC, manage the internal/external contact network and RBVC’s future strategy.

Investment Directors are expected to bring/create a valuable professional network which helps the team to generate deal flow as well as finding internal and external experts in the specific RBVC search areas.

Qualifications

Background and experience:

• A candidate at this level must have a minimum of 2
  – 4 years relevant professional experience.

  Ideal candidates are expected to have both technical and strategic/commercial experience and are able to manage transactions from deal sourcing to closing, under supervision of an investment partner.

  The ideal candidate must have the followingcharacteristics:

• Entrepreneurial thinking, market know-how in relevant search clusters
• Solid Technical background and experience and with strong relevant internal network
• Valuation and transaction experience, ideally in a start-up environment
• High integrity and a team player
• In order to close knowledge gaps with regard to VC standard practices, all new investment professionals will get, if necessary, appropriate training with external bodies.

Preferred competences:

• Ability to comprehend a technology and understand the technical and commercial challenges in a development process, in at least one of RBVC’s search clusters
• Significant strategy & business development know-how
• Ability to grasp a business model and understand the challenges in building the business.

  Experience in:

• analyzing a variety of business models
• analyzing markets and strategies
• assessing investment opportunities & managing transactions
• working with or identifying “winning teams”
• Negotiating skills
• Ability to add value to portfolio companies and the management team in coaching or advisory role
• Financial knowledge
• Accounting knowledge
• Financial modelling knowledge
• Ability to present to the RBVC team in a professional manner
• Networking skills (entrepreneurs, research institutes, corporations, government, and academia)
• Strong English language skills (spoken and written).

  German language knowledge is a plus

• Persuasiveness
• Credibility
• Ability to act at senior management level

Additional Information

BOSCH is a proud supporter of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) Initiatives

• FIRST Robotics (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology)
• AWIM (A World In Motion)

By choice, we are committed to a diverse workforce – EOE/Protected Veteran/Disabled.