We’re hiring a community associate in Melbourne
If you’ve been spending time in the Melbourne startup scene — going to events, meeting founders, getting a feel for how it works — and you’ve quietly wondered how you actually break into the investing part of it, this may be for you.
M8 Ventures is hiring a Venture Community Associate in Victoria. It’s a fractional role, roughly one to three days a week, starting in May 2026.
Why now, why Melbourne
Emily and I have been running M8 as an angel syndicate backing product-led startups from Pre-Seed to Series A across Australia and New Zealand, and we’re growing a strong network of angels who co-invest with us deal by deal. But Victorian founders have been knocking on our door, Victorian angels have been asking about joining the syndicate, and we feel there’s a genuine momentum building in the VIC ecosystem that we think is worth being more a part of.
So although we’re starting lean, we hope to build a real presence here, which means adding another team member on the ground in Melbourne, who’s already part of this community.
The role
This is relationship work. Pipeline building. Community activation. Showing up at the things that matter, knowing who’s in the room, and being the person who helps connect the right founders with the right angels at the right moment.
You’ll recruit new angel investors into the M8 syndicate, help plan and run investor education events across the state, and represent M8 at the meetups, demo days, and community moments that make the ecosystem tick. You’ll also contribute to our planning and reporting, but it’s not an analyst job. There’s no modelling or deck review pipeline to manage.
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The value you bring is being present, being connected, and being genuinely useful to both the angel investors and startup industry we serve.
Who we’re looking for
You’re already active in the Melbourne startup scene — you know people, you go to things, people know you (or are beginning to). You’re curious about how early-stage investing works, and you’d like to understand it from the inside rather than just reading about it. You’re a natural connector, organised enough to manage your own pipeline, and energised by conversations more than spreadsheets.
You don’t need prior VC or angel investing experience. You do need to care about the Victorian startup community and be ready to represent M8 within it.
We’re committed to diversity and inclusion — in our angel network, at our events, and in who we bring onto the team. If you’re from an underrepresented background in tech or investing, and ready to help us add to the diversity of the ecosystem we serve, we’d genuinely like to hear from you.
Why this could be a good fit
A lot of people trying to build a path into early-stage investing spend years in adjacent roles, hoping proximity eventually opens the door. This role is a different way in.
You’ll work directly with Emily and me, you’ll see real deal flow, and you’ll develop a genuine understanding of how an angel syndicate operates — the relationship side, the deal side, and the community that holds it all together. You’ll build connections that matter in this industry that might pay dividends in your future career.
And because it’s fractional and flexible, you can maintain whatever else you’re doing while you work out whether early-stage venture is the direction you want to head.
Interested?
If this sounds like you — or if you know someone it might suit — reach out directly to pitch Emily or me. We’d love to have a conversation.
