About Degas

Degas' mission is "Changing people's lives, dramatically." We are an innovative AI technology company focused on developing scalable, AI-driven global products that address the world's greatest challenges. Alongside our most advanced tech products, we also have dedicated operations that increase the income of smallholder farmers in Africa and beyond, leveraging our expertise in data aggregation, AI credit scoring, satellite observations, financing, and carbon markets. This dual approach enables us to make a global impact while delivering tangible benefits to developing countries.

About the Role

The Corporate Finance Director is a key leadership role responsible for advancing Degas' mission to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers across Africa through innovative financial strategies. This position requires a proven ability to raise capital for startups operating in emerging markets, particularly those focused on agriculture and technology.

As our Corporate Finance Director, you will spearhead equity and debt fundraising initiatives, targeting investors with expertise in impact investing and emerging market opportunities. We're looking for someone with a deep passion for improving the lives of smallholder farmers, along with the knowledge, network, and grit to raise capital for Africa-based startups.

This role involves comprehensive fundraising leadership, including investor engagement, financial modeling, due diligence, term negotiations, and closing. You'll work closely with our CEO, CFO, and teams across our Japan headquarters and Ghana subsidiary to drive financial strategy and operations.

Key Responsibilities – What You'll Do

• Lead all aspects of equity and debt fundraising — from crafting the equity story and building pitch materials to financial modeling, investor engagement, due diligence, term negotiations, closing, and reporting — with a focus on investors active in African agriculture, impact investing, and emerging markets.
• Build, maintain, and strengthen relationships with impact funds, development finance institutions, and investors, especially those with proven track records in African investments.
• Lead grant applications to development organizations and impact-focused funding bodies supporting agriculture and technology in Africa.
• Develop comprehensive business and financial strategies aligned with Degas' long-term goals and guide decision-making on prioritization and resource allocation.
• Collaborate with the executive leadership team to implement long-term strategies, ensuring alignment with financial goals and performance forecasts.
• Create compelling investment materials and pitch decks that highlight both financial returns and impact on smallholder farmers.
• Prepare and present detailed financial models, investor materials, and strategic reports to internal and external stakeholders.
• Oversee budget planning, financial analysis, and cash flow management to ensure financial stability and appropriate capital allocation to support growth.
• Identify financial risks and opportunities and implement strategies to mitigate risks while maximizing global growth potential.
• Assess and implement optimal legal and financial structuring options for Degas Group's global entities.
• Strengthen corporate governance practices with a particular focus on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) standards, ensuring alignment with global best practices and investor expectations.

You Could Be a Great Fit for This Role If You Have

• 15+ years of finance experience, with demonstrated success raising capital for or investing in startups — particularly those in Africa or other emerging markets.
• Proven relationships with development finance institutions, impact investors, and funds focused on African investments.
• Deep understanding of financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.
• Genuine passion for improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in emerging markets and transforming agriculture through technology.
• Grit and perseverance to lead through uncertainty, with strong ownership and accountability.
• Empathy — the ability to understand others' emotions and perspectives, and turn that understanding into action.
• Intellectual agility — the ability to think, learn, and act flexibly without being constrained by convention.
• A “disagree but commit” mindset — willing to align and execute once a decision is made, even when not in full agreement.
• Demonstrated resilience through experience in both growth phases and navigating crises.
• Ability to thrive in startup environments and work effectively within multicultural, diverse teams.
• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting, Business, or a related field. An advanced degree (e.g., MBA) or certifications (e.g., CFA, CPA) are a plus but not required.
• Native-level proficiency in English; Japanese proficiency is a plus, but not required.

Encouragement to Apply

Even if some of the qualifications mentioned above don't align perfectly with your experience, we still want to hear from you! We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every single qualification listed.

Location

This role is REMOTE, with travel required to potential investor offices worldwide, Degas' HQ in Tokyo, Degas' regional offices and partner sites as needed.

Compensation

Competitive salary, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Comprehensive benefits package.

How We're Different

• Degas is committed to the mission of "Changing people's lives, dramatically" as an impact-oriented, for-profit startup. Degas has achieved 2x year-over-year revenue growth for the past three years and has established a profitable farmer financing business. In 2023 alone, we doubled the incomes of over 26,000 smallholder farmers in Africa, as verified by a third-party assessment.
• We leverage both advanced and 'primitive' technologies, from GPUs for state-of-the-art foundation models to offline-enabled mobile apps for data aggregation in rural areas of developing countries.
• We prioritize long-term thinking, investing in technology, operations, and people to change the world in ways no one has ever done before.

Support

If you have a condition or require an adjustment to our interview process - please let us know so we can make adjustments to support you. Degas is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, mental or physical disability, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, protected veteran status, or any other category protected by law.