Investment Associate

MAI Agents; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Maincode Ventures is seeking a Founding Investment Associate to help source, diligence, and shape the fund while partnering with frontier AI founders in Australia. You will help design the investment thesis, and work directly with teams at the bleeding edge of AI to accelerate growth and impact.

This position offers high agency, autonomy, and a fast-track path beyond traditional VC hierarchies, targeting frontier technology startups from day one.

Qualifications

• 2–3 years of venture capital experience.
• Understanding of VC fund operations and deal flow.
• Interest in frontier AI technology.

Responsibilities

• Lead sourcing across Australian AI ecosystem.
• Drive due diligence on early-stage AI ventures.
• Help design and deploy Maincode Ventures' internal fund systems.
• Support founders as a core operational partner.

Skills

Venture Experienced

AI Fluent

High Agency

Clear Communicator

Job description

About Maincode Ventures

Frontier AI requires a completely different kind of support. We know this intimately from our experience building Matilda and operating at the edge of the space. That is why we launched Maincode Ventures.

We are backing the next generation of Australian-made frontier AI startups with much more than just a cheque. We have built the launchpad we wish we had, offering visionary founders:

• Founder salaries from Day 1

• Non-dilutive capital

• Unlimited access to Matilda AI products and tokens

• Comprehensive back-office operations support

We know what it takes to succeed at the frontier. Now we are looking for a mission-oriented operator to help us find and fund the people who will build the future.

The Role

We are looking for a Founding Investment Associate. If you are currently working at an established venture fund and want a faster track to real impact, this is your next step.

You already know the mechanics of venture capital. You know how to source, evaluate, and write an investment memo. But you want more autonomy and a faster progression path than a traditional ten-year partner track can offer. Here, you will not just be screening deals for a massive partnership to vote on. You will build the fund alongside us, shape our investment thesis, and work directly with founders at the bleeding edge of AI.

If you are tired of evaluating incremental B2B SaaS and want to focus purely on frontier technology, this role is for you.

What You Will Do

• Lead Sourcing: Actively map the Australian AI ecosystem. You will network with researchers and engineers to identify exceptional future founders before they are on the radar of the broader VC market.

• Drive Diligence: Run deep evaluations on early-stage AI ventures. You will assess the technical viability of their models, the strength of their vision, and their potential to scale.

• Build the Fund: As a founding member of the team, you will design the internal systems of Maincode Ventures. You will build our deal flow tracking, shape our DD processes, and help deploy our back-office support for portfolio companies.

• Direct Founder Support: Act as a core operational partner to the startups we back. You will help them manage early growth and remove roadblocks so they can focus entirely on building.

Who You Are

• Venture Experienced: You have 2 to 3 years of experience in venture capital. You understand how funds operate, but you are looking for a role with higher agency and faster career growth.

• AI Fluent: You deeply understand the current AI landscape. You know the difference between a thin wrapper and true frontier innovation, and the technical mechanics of AI excite you.

• High Agency: You thrive in unstructured environments. You take the initiative to build processes where none exist and you do not wait for a senior partner to tell you what to do next.

• Clear Communicator: You can distil complex technical concepts into sharp investment theses and build rapid rapport with highly technical founders.

Why Join Us?

This is a rare opportunity to step out of a rigid fund hierarchy and get in on the ground floor of a uniquely structured firm. You will be at the absolute forefront of the Australian AI ecosystem, working daily with the smartest minds in the space and accelerating your career by building a fund from day one.