Head of Business Development (Capital Raising)

Index Industries; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Index Industries, a stealth fintech startup in Chicago, seeks a Head of Business Development (Capital Raising) to open doors, close strategic partnerships, and drive fundraising as the company scales its innovative USHP project. You will coordinate with the CEO and cross‑functional teams to execute growth initiatives and investor outreach.

You will lead deal‑based negotiations, manage relationships with banks, fintechs, and venture investors, and represent the company at key industry events

Qualifications

• 7+ years in BD or corporate development, investment banking, or venture capital.
• Deep network in fintech, blockchain, or digital assets with real relationships.
• Experience supporting or leading capital raises (Series A and beyond).
• Strong deal‑structuring skills; comfortable reading term sheets and LOIs.
• Exceptional communication and executive presence; credible in boardrooms and conferences.

Responsibilities

• Own the end‑to‑end partnership pipeline: sourcing, negotiating, and closing strategic deals with fintechs, banks, protocols, and enterprise clients.
• Lead capital‑raising efforts alongside the CEO—managing VC/LP relationships, preparing materials, and due diligence processes.
• Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and investor forums.
• Develop go‑to‑market strategies for new verticals and distribution channels.
• Build and manage a network of advisors, angels, and institutional investors in fintech and blockchain.
• Work cross‑functionally with product and legal to structure and execute partnership agreements.

Skills

Business development

Capital raising

Deal structuring

Executive presence

Networking

Investor relations

Job description

Head of Business Development (Capital Raising)

Chicago, IL

Index Industries is a venture‑backed startup, focused on building foundational infrastructure at the intersection of fintech and blockchain. We are currently in stealth mode, developing USHP—a next‑generation product designed to address critical gaps in financial systems.

We are a small, deliberate team at an early stage. The people joining now will shape not just what we build, but how we build it, our culture, our standards, and our long‑term trajectory. We are not looking for passengers; we are looking for builders who take ownership and thrive in environments where the path is still being defined.

Due to the nature of our work, specific product details are shared during the interview process under NDA.

USHP is building two related products: a proprietary daily predictive index of U.S. home prices, and an on‑chain token whose value tracks that index. The token is collateralized by real U.S. residential properties and pays staking yield from the net income generated by the underlying portfolio. The protocol includes a full DeFi integration suite: Pendle yield tokenization, Aave/Morpho collateral, and Uniswap/Curve liquidity.

Head of Business Development / Capital Raising

About the Role We’re at the stage where the product vision is clear and we need someone to open doors, close partnerships, and help fuel the next phase of growth. This role sits at the intersection of BD and capital markets—you’ll build strategic relationships while actively supporting our fundraising strategy.

Responsibilities

• Own the end‑to‑end partnership pipeline: sourcing, negotiating, and closing strategic deals with fintechs, banks, protocols, and enterprise clients
• Lead capital‑raising efforts alongside the CEO—managing VC/LP relationships, preparing materials, and running diligence processes
• Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and investor forums
• Develop go‑to‑market strategies for new verticals and distribution channels
• Build and manage a network of advisors, angels, and institutional investors in fintech and blockchain
• Work cross‑functionally with product and legal to structure and execute partnership agreements

Requirements

• 7+ years in BD, corporate development, investment banking, or venture capital
• Deep network in fintech, blockchain, or digital asset ecosystems—you have relationships, not just contacts
• Experience supporting or leading capital raises (Series A and beyond)
• Strong deal‑structuring skills and comfort reading term sheets, LOIs, and partnership agreements
• Exceptional communication and executive presence—you’re credible in a boardroom and at a crypto conference
• Bonus: prior experience at a startup in a BD or capital markets role; relationships with tier‑1 crypto/fintech VCs

Compensation: $160K–$200K base + carry/equity + performance bonus