VC Principal @ Distributed Ventures in Chicago, IL

About Us At Distributed Ventures, we understand the confines of risk and the opportunities it provides for innovation within Employer Solutions, Insurtech, and Fintech. Our unparalleled experience and expertise in the risk ecosystem allow us to connect early‑stage companies with the guidance, access, and customers they need to accelerate revenue and rapidly achieve product‑market fit. We back founders with precision capital, partnering with them to manage and mitigate risk, helping them build technologies and solutions that provide stability in an uncertain world. About You 5‑7 years of direct experience in venture capital in the investing seat, with prior investment banking or consulting experience in our verticals preferred. Proven track record of sourcing, evaluating, driving and leading successful investments. Obsession with identifying “next big thing” market opportunities in contexts with imperfect information. Often this takes the form of anti‑consensus, high‑conviction investment thesis creation. You are passionate about entrepreneurship and technology. You always find yourself thinking about ideas that are changing the world, and you love supporting founders in achieving their visions. You are intellectually curious and don’t just check things off a list. You ask questions and aren’t afraid to think through all pathways to get to an answer. You love driving to the “so what” when dealing with complex data or ambiguity, but you’re also comfortable navigating unknowns. You can work independently and will proactively prioritize your time towards the most value‑added tasks. You are detail‑oriented and often catch the things that other people miss. You are humble, honest, perceptive and thoughtful. You care about building culture, have a balanced sense of ego, a high output to wordcount balance, and share our “no asshole” policy. Position Summary As a Principal, you’ll guide investment in bleeding edge innovations across our focus verticals by supporting all parts of the deal process, including: leading team members in shaping investment theses, guiding market research and subject‑matter interviews, overseeing due diligence on potential opportunities, and supporting portfolio companies after investment. Further, you will play a key role in creating a dynamic culture across the team by investing in others’ development, sharing best practices, and amplifying the impact of all team members in investment contexts. Location preference will be for Chicago. What You’ll Do Deal Sourcing: Source and evaluate new investment opportunities through research, networking, and relationship building. Investment: Lead due diligence processes, including market analysis, financial modeling, and risk assessment. Develop and present investment recommendations to the Investment Committee. Drive structure and execute investment transactions as the primary point person, in collaboration with the managing partner and other team members. Portfolio Support: Act as a key advisor to portfolio companies, supporting strategic initiatives, fundraising, and scaling efforts. Ecosystem Building: Build and maintain relationships with entrepreneurs, co‑investors, and industry stakeholders. Develop and maintain relationships with current and future potential limited partners. Build and maintain relations with ecosystem partners – payers, brokers/consultants, health systems, providers, etc. Platform: Mentor team members and contribute to internal knowledge sharing and team development. Own and/or build on existing fund processes and knowledge base, especially with regards to investment theses. What We Offer Competitive salary and bonus to be shared during the process. Full benefits, including medical, dental, vision and 401k match. Flexible time off policy. Note: unfortunately, we cannot sponsor visas at this time. #J-18808-Ljbffr