Investor, Singapore (Software & AI Focus)

Qode; Singapore; On-site; SGD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

January Capital seeks a technically grounded investor to join and potentially co-lead our software investing team in Singapore. The role supports full lifecycle investing from sourcing to post-investment value creation, with 20–30% focus on building AI-native tooling for data-led investment decisions.

The ideal candidate combines entrepreneurial mindset with strong AI/ML, data, or software background, excellent communication, and founder empathy, ready to operate across sourcing, diligence, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or higher in a technical field (CS, AI/ML, Data Science, Engineering).
• 2–8+ years in technical founder/early employee, software engineering, AI/ML research, or early-stage VC with technical bias.

Responsibilities

• Source and lead investments in early-stage software and AI/ML across SEA and APAC.
• Conduct technical and commercial diligence: product architecture, team, usage metrics, GTM potential.
• Contribute to thesis development in key software segments (dev tooling, SaaS infra, applied AI).
• Develop AI-forward tools/workflows to support decision-making and portfolio management.
• Engage with technical founders and talent across SEA, Australia, US, and China.
• Support portfolio companies post-investment on strategic initiatives.

Education

Bachelor’s or postgraduate degree in Computer Science / AI/ML / Data Science / Engineering

Job description

About the firm

At January Capital, we invest in technology businesses that have a nexus to the Asia-Pacific region. We increasingly invest across a company's lifecycle and capital structure, but it all begins with data and our early stage investment focus. We manage more than $500 million on behalf of our investors, which include leading institutions, corporations, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals. Our portfolio includes Hupo, Akulaku, Shopback, Go1, Cyble, Tazapay, and others.

About the role

We are experiencing a period of growth across the firm. As we begin to deploy from our new venture fund series, we are searching for a driven, technically grounded investor to join (and potentially co-lead) our software investing team. This role will work closely with one of the firm’s Partners, supporting full lifecycle investing activities—from sourcing and diligence through to post-investment value creation.

The role is based in Singapore and will focus on investing in software and AI companies from the pre-seed stage, with a heavy index on evaluating founders, product, tech stacks and early market fit. This investor will also have the opportunity to dedicate 20-30% of their time towards building AI-native tooling and workflows for the firm, driving improvements in data-led investment decision making and portfolio management.

We are particularly interested in candidates who bring an entrepreneurial mindset, a strong technical background (AI/ML, data, infrastructure, software), and the ability to communicate their thinking clearly and insightfully. This hire will play a key role in strengthening the firm’s technical evaluation capabilities and expanding our network across the Asia-Pacific technical ecosystem.

Role responsibilities

• Source and over time lead investments in early-stage software and AI/ML companies across Southeast Asia and other key Asia-Pacific markets.
• Conduct technical and commercial diligence, including deep dives into product architecture, team background, early usage metrics, and go-to-market potential.
• Contribute to thesis development in key software segments (e.g., developer tooling, SaaS infrastructure, applied AI in essential industries).
• Develop internal AI-forward tools and workflows to support team decision-making and portfolio management processes.
• Identify and engage with technical founders and academic/research talent across Southeast Asia, Australia, US and China.
• Support portfolio companies post-investment on strategic initiatives, including product reviews, talent introductions, and customer access.
• Contribute to firm-building activities (e.g., content, events, knowledge infrastructure).

What we’re looking for

• A Bachelor’s or postgraduate degree in a technical field (Computer Science, AI/ML, Data Science, Engineering, etc.) from a top-tier university in the US, Singapore, or equivalent. PhD or technical degrees are more than welcome.
• 2-8+ years of experience in roles such as: (i) technical founder or early employee at a startup, (ii) software engineering or product roles at technology companies, (iii) research in AI/ML or applied data science, (iv) early-stage venture capital or investing roles with a technical bias
• Interest in and ability to work confidently with cutting-edge AI tools and platforms, and serve as the subject matter expert for the investment team.
• Demonstrated founder empathy—ideally through direct experience founding a company (successful or not), or having worked closely with founders.
• You must demonstrate obsession with products and the AI/software ecosystem.
• Proven ability to write, think, and communicate clearly – evidenced through writing samples, blog posts, or contributions to open-source projects.
• A genuine curiosity in emerging technologies, products, and the people building them.
• A willingness to roll up sleeves and work across sourcing, diligence, portfolio support, and internal initiatives.
• Regional exposure (Southeast Asia, US, Australia, or Greater China) and networks are viewed favorably.
• Candidates currently based in Southeast Asia are strongly preferred, but we are open to Sydney, San Francisco or other key markets.
• This is a partner-track opportunity, and no finance/investment experience is necessary.