Scouting/Investment Manager
full-time•Tokyo
About this role
About Antler
Antler backs the world’s most ambitious founders from the very start. Founded on the belief that innovation is the key to building a better future, we partner with people across six continents to launch and scale high-potential startups that address meaningful opportunities and challenges. Knowing that exceptional founders can come from anywhere with any background, we have offices in 30 cities, including Tokyo, New York, London, Berlin, Stockholm, Bangalore, Singapore, Seoul, and Sydney.
Our global community supports founders on deep business model validation, initial capital, expansion support, and follow-on funding. Fueled by a personal passion that goes beyond traditional investing, we have helped create and invested in more than 1,600 startups across a wide range of industries and technologies.
A better future won’t happen automatically—the world needs talented, determined, and resilient people to build it. Antler team members are part of an ambitious global community dedicated to helping the most driven founders move the world forward.
About the role
As the Scouting/Investment Manager based in Tokyo, you will drive Scouting of great founders and early-stage startups in Japan with the goal of investing in them. This role involves executing founder outreach and outbound marketing campaigns, managing inbound applications, and building community engagement through partnerships and events. The ideal candidate will be responsible for identifying the right channels to reach, engage, acquire, and assess founders to be invested. This role requires a go-getter who can independently execute with a keen eye for scouting potential in the startup ecosystem and can proactively identify strong founders. The Scouting/Investment Manager will work together with senior leadership and an additional Scouting Manager to substantially strengthen Antler's scouting capabilities in Japan.
Key responsibilities
- Acquisition: Strategize and execute the end-to-end sourcing and scouting of founders and startups, including identifying potential founders and conduct manual outreaches via email, LinkedIn, events, and more
- Outreach & Funnel: Design and manage structured outbound campaigns via various acquisition tools to engage potential founders, optimize workflows to improve funnel conversion and optimize lead acquisition
- Scouting Operations: Manage inbound applications by conducting screening calls and qualifying founders to be further interviewed and accepted into Antler
- Community: Drive awareness via community engagement and developing key partnerships with existing founders, aspiring founders, and experienced operators of leading tech startups
- Events: Organize events, ranging from partnered events to in-house initiatives e.g. founders meetups, hackathons, investor dinners, and participation in major industry conferences
Key requirements
- Minimum 4 years of working experience in a related field
- Currently residing in Japan with a status of residency allowing full time work, or the ability to acquire such status and relocate to Japan in the short term
- Proven experience in managing acquisition funnels, with a proven track record in acquiring, qualifying, and managing leads
- Experience in organizing events, with a knack for creating engaging and impactful communities
- Fluency in either English or Japanese, with conversational level in the other language
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, capable of building and maintaining strong relationships
- Strong analytical abilities, with skills in optimizing operations and strategies for better performance
- Prior exposure to and network within the venture capital and startup ecosystem is highly desirable
- A proactive and innovative mindset, with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
- Previous experience in a tech startup is preferred
Opportunities that we offer
- Direct exposure to cutting-edge startups and technologies
- A unique opportunity to learn and grow in the world of entrepreneurship
- A global, respectful, and inclusive team culture that values personal development
- The chance to contribute to building the next generation of category-defining companies
- Opportunities to work with exceptional, fun, and mission-driven teammates
- A front-row seat to shaping the future of innovation in Tokyo
What you'll do
- The manager will drive the scouting and investment process for early-stage startups in Japan by executing founder outreach, managing inbound applications, and building community engagement through partnerships and events. Key duties include strategizing end-to-end sourcing, managing structured outbound campaigns, and organizing various community and industry events.
About Antler
Antler is one of the most active early-stage investors globally. The firm leads in ‘Day Zero’ investing, an approach to venture capital focused on partnering with founders pre-launch. Antler systematically removes capital and network constraints for early-stage technology entrepreneurs by providing co-founder matching, deep business model validation, initial capital, expansion support, and follow-on funding. The firm is present in 27 cities across most leading technology ecosystems globally and has made over 1,300 investments into early-stage startups. Antler has been repeatedly recognized by Pitchbook as the world’s most active angel and seed-stage investor.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Scouting/Investment Manager do at Antler?
As a Scouting/Investment Manager at Antler, you will: the manager will drive the scouting and investment process for early-stage startups in Japan by executing founder outreach, managing inbound applications, and building community engagement through partnerships and events. Key duties include strategizing end-to-end sourcing, managing structured outbound campaigns, and organizing various community and industry events..
Is the Scouting/Investment Manager position at Antler remote?
The Scouting/Investment Manager position at Antler is based in Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. Contact the company through Clera for specific work arrangement details.
How do I apply for the Scouting/Investment Manager position at Antler?
You can apply for the Scouting/Investment Manager position at Antlerdirectly through Clera. Click the "Apply Now" button above to start your application. Clera's AI-powered platform will help match your profile with this opportunity and guide you through the application process.