Managing Partner

Astera is building a venture capital team to manage $250M of our endowment. We’re looking for a Managing Partner to design our investing strategy, identify new investments and execute those deals.

Astera is dedicated to finding and developing high leverage technologies that can lead to massive returns for humanity. The Managing Partner will use this part of our endowment to invest in companies doing a similar thing. This is an opportunity to fund cutting edge science and exciting engineering companies with the potential for large impact.

You will

  • Make investments. In partnership with other members of our venture capital team, invest in deep tech companies that represent our values – drive high returns for Astera and for humanity.
  • Find the best leads. Spend time turning over stones, talking to grad students, hanging out on Twitter. Source the best possible ideas and operators.
  • Evaluate and manage potential investments. Talk to teams, research, complete due diligence, and decide what is a good investment. From there, lead the investment process from our side from term sheet to closing.
  • Ask for advice. We hope to invest in a wide array of scientific and technical areas –  big gains for Astera and humanity might be in energy, robotics, biotech, materials and many other areas. Develop a network of advisors who can provide technical expertise while evaluating potential investments.
  • Help out. Work with portfolio companies, make connections, steer them towards product market fit and future fundraising rounds, serve on company boards, if needed.
  • Build our network. Develop and maintain relationships with others in the ecosystem including VCs, scientists, startup-founders and potential talent for startups.

You are

  • Excited about how science and technology contribute to human potential. Your positive attitude drives your motivation to work with your teammates, the larger organization and our portfolio companies. You use your good instincts and curiosity to make good investing decisions and offer good advice.
  • An experienced investor. You’ve made good entrepreneurial investments and they’ve paid off.
  • A scientist or engineer. We plan to invest in research and development in a variety of fields. Your technical knowledge and familiarity with the space will pay dividends.
  • A team player. You have strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work cross-functionally across a diverse group of partners and operations team members. Be able to quickly build trust with other team members as well as entrepreneurs and broader strategic networks.

Compensation

Base salary plus carry.

About Astera Ventures

Astera Ventures has been allocated part of the Astera endowment to invest in early stage breakthrough technology that aligns with the mission and purpose of the organization. The fund is taking a bet on a radical future.

About Astera

Astera Institute was established by Jed McCaleb. It is a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to developing high leverage technologies that can lead to massive returns for humanity. Astera’s high-impact potential derives from housing moonshots and novel scientific research that have no other natural home in today’s research and development landscape. Astera focuses on longevity, AGI, metascience, and frontier technology.

If interested please send your resume to: jobs@astera.org