Job Title: Vice President, Investments (Semiconductor & Advanced Hardware)
Company: Global Venture Capital & Investment Firm
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent
Reporting Lines:
- Dual Reporting: Managing Partner (China) & Managing Partner (Singapore)
Coverage Scope: Southeast Asia deal sourcing & regional portfolio management, with integrated cross-border collaboration across China and global innovation hubs.
POSITION OVERVIEW
We are seeking an exceptional, commercially sharp, and technically grounded Vice President, Investments to anchor our Venture Capital practice in Kuala Lumpur. This role is designed for a hybrid professional who pairs a foundational technical background in Semiconductors / Microelectronics with proven excellence in venture capital / private equity investing, advanced financial modeling, and post-investment value creation.
Reporting directly to our Managing Partners in China and Singapore, the VP will lead end-to-end deal execution—from sourcing high-potential semiconductor, IC design, advanced packaging, and deep tech startups across Southeast Asia, to building institutional-grade valuation models, leading commercial due diligence, and actively partnering with portfolio company founders to drive operational scaling, commercialization, and exit strategies.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Deal Sourcing & Investment Pipeline Execution (~35%)
- Identify, screen, and originate proprietary early-to-growth stage investment opportunities across the semiconductor value chain (including IC design/fabless, EDA, silicon photonics, compound semiconductors, OSAT, advanced packaging, and automated test equipment).
- Build and nurture strong regional networks with startup founders, research institutions, semiconductor foundries/OSAT leaders, corporate venture arms (CVCs), and coinvestment syndicates across SEA, China, and Taiwan.
- Synthesize technical roadmaps, patent/IP viability, and market dynamics to author detailed investment committee (IC) memos, thesis decks, and valuation analyses.
2. Financial Modeling, Valuation & Deal Structuring (~25%)
- Construct robust, institutional-grade financial models—including discounted cash flow (DCF), trading/transaction comparables, returns analysis (IRR, MoIC), dilution tables, and cap table scenario engineering (convertible notes, SAFE, preferred equity tranches).
- Lead the commercial, financial, and technical due diligence processes, coordinating external legal counsels, tax advisors, and technical experts.
- Partner with Managing Partners to structure, negotiate, and execute transaction terms (term sheets, shareholder agreements, investor rights, liquidation preferences, and board seat covenants).
3. Hands-On Portfolio Value Creation & Performance Monitoring (~30%)
- Serve as the active, operational value-creation partner to semiconductor portfolio companies, monitoring monthly/quarterly financial performance, operational KPIs, cash burn rates, and runway management.
- Accelerate portfolio commercialization by facilitating strategic cross-border introductions—connecting SEA portfolio companies with customer pipelines, supply chain vendors, foundries, and testing facilities in China and greater Asia.
- Support founders with key strategic decisions, including pricing architecture, fabless-to-production scaling, product yield metrics, talent recruitment for C-suite roles, and follow-on fundraising rounds.
- Prepare comprehensive quarterly portfolio valuation reports and performance commentary for General Partners (GPs) and Limited Partners (LPs).
4. Ecosystem Presence & Cross-Border Stakeholder Management (~10%)
- Act as the firm’s primary liaison on the ground in Malaysia, representing the fund at key semiconductor conferences, deep tech forums, and venture events.
- Maintain seamless, high-velocity cross-border communication and reporting with the firm’s Managing Partners and investment teams based in Shanghai/Shenzhen and Singapore.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
1. Education & Foundation:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering (EEE), Microelectronics, Semiconductor Physics, Materials Science, or a related deep tech discipline.
- Advanced degrees (Master’s/Ph.D. in Semiconductor fields or an MBA from a top-tier business school) or professional credentials (CFA) are highly advantageous.
2. Professional Track Record:
- 7 to 10+ years of progressive professional experience, comprising:
- Foundational Tech Experience: Prior hands-on industry exposure in semiconductors (e.g., semiconductor manufacturer, fabless IC design house, foundry, OSAT, or tier-1 semiconductor equipment vendor).
- Direct Investment Experience: Minimum 3 to 5+ years in a reputable Venture Capital (VC), Private Equity (PE), or Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) firm, with a demonstrable track record in deal closing and portfolio management.
- Strong command of institutional investment modeling: LBO/growth equity models, valuation, returns sensitivity, cap table waterfalls, and financial statement analysis.
- Demonstrated track record of hands-on value creation, showing measurable revenue, margin, or operational growth delivered to hardware/semiconductor portfolio companies.
CRITICAL COMPETENCIES & ATTRIBUTES
- Bilingual & Cross-Border Agility: Full professional fluency in English and Mandarin (spoken and written) is essential, as the role entails daily interaction, investment memos, and board discussions with Managing Partners, technical founders, and coinvestors in China and Singapore.
- Commercial & Technical Fluency: Ability to quickly dissect complex semiconductor architectures and translate technical engineering viability into practical commercial unit economics and market demand.
- Autonomous Execution: Entrepreneurial drive and self-starter capability to operate independently in Kuala Lumpur while maintaining alignment with regional investment mandates.
- Stakeholder Influence: High emotional intelligence and persuasive communication skills to advise early-stage technical founders and negotiate complex shareholder agreements.
