About Clay D2C Club:

Clay D2C Club (clayd2c.club) is India's exclusive capital platform for Direct-to-Consumer founders a joint venture between Clay Capital and The FundingKart. Every quarter, we select 20 early-stage D2C brands and connect them directly with VC funds, family offices, and UHNIs for equity raises of $100K$2M. The D2C Cohort is one of our flagship programmes and we're looking for someone to own it end-to-end.

The Role:

We're looking for a Manager D2C Cohort Program to run the entire lifecycle of our quarterly cohort from sourcing and screening founder applications, to preparing shortlisted brands for investor conversations, to actively managing VC and investor engagement until a funding outcome is reached. This is a high-ownership, founder-facing role. You will be the primary point of contact for every cohort brand from the day they apply to the day they close their round.

What You'll Do:

Sourcing & Applications:

- Build and run outreach campaigns to source early-stage D2C brand applications every quarter via LinkedIn, founder communities, accelerator networks, brand directories, and referrals.

- Develop partnerships with accelerators, incubators, and D2C ecosystems (D2C Insider, Huddle, YourStory, etc.) to create a steady inbound pipeline.

- Manage the application funnel from awareness to submission ensuring each cohort receives 80150+ quality applications.

Screening & Selection:

- Review applications and conduct first-round screening calls with shortlisted founders.

- Assess brands on revenue traction, D2C channel strength, founding team, brand quality, and investor-readiness.

- Coordinate with the founding team to finalise the 20 brands selected per cohort.

- Communicate selection decisions with transparency and feedback to all applicants.

Cohort Preparation:

- Onboard selected founders and guide them through the fundraising preparation process.

- Review and sharpen pitch decks, financial models, and investor narratives ensure every brand is presentation-ready.

- Conduct mock investor Q&A sessions and feedback rounds ahead of Demo Day.

- Help founders articulate their funding ask, use of funds, and growth thesis clearly.

Investor Engagement & Fundraising:

- Maintain and grow Clay D2C Club's active investor network VC funds, family offices, angel networks, and UHNIs with D2C appetite.

- Curate investor-brand matches based on sector, stage, and investment thesis alignment.

- Organise and run the quarterly Demo Day logistics, investor invites, brand presentations, and follow-on 1:1 scheduling.

- Track all investor conversations post-Demo Day and actively facilitate intros, follow-ups, and term sheet discussions.

- Stay in the deal until a funding outcome is reached closed round, active process, or structured pass with feedback.

Programme Operations:

- Maintain a clean CRM tracking every brand, investor interaction, and deal status across cohorts.

- Publish quarterly cohort reports brands selected, sectors represented, capital raised, investor participation.

- Continuously improve the cohort process based on founder and investor feedback.

- Represent Clay D2C Club at startup events, investor forums, and D2C ecosystem gatherings.

What We're Looking For:

- 3 - 5 years of experience in venture capital, startup programme management, investment banking, accelerator operations, or founder-facing roles.

- Strong understanding of early-stage fundraising how VC funds evaluate deals, what makes a pitch land, and what kills it.

- Existing relationships within the Indian VC and angel investor ecosystem a warm investor network is a strong advantage.

- Experience working directly with founders patient, structured, and able to give honest feedback diplomatically.

- Excellent programme management skills you can run a 20-brand cohort across 12 weeks without losing track of a single conversation.

- Strong written and verbal communication you'll be writing to investors, presenting to founders, and publishing programme updates.

- Bonus: you've previously worked at a VC fund, accelerator, or angel network in India.

Why Join:

- Own Clay D2C Club's most visible and high-impact programme entirely.

- Build direct relationships with India's most exciting early-stage D2C founders every quarter.

- Develop a curated investor network that becomes one of your most valuable long-term assets.

- Performance-linked incentives tied to capital raised by cohort brands.

- Early team shape how this programme scales over the next 3 years.