Investment Analyst

Location: Kansas City

Full-time, August 2025 Start Date

(Pre-MBA)

About Five Elms

• Five Elms is a leading private equity firm, investing in world-class B2B software companies.
• We are investing out of our $780 million fifth fund and have over $3 billion in assets under management; we typically invest $10 – 150 million in each company. Post investment, we actively support management teams in accelerating revenue growth, building out the senior leadership team and further cementing their position as industry leaders.
• Founded in 2007, we’ve grown to 70+ employees and invest globally out of our Kansas City headquarters and Lisbon, Portugal office. Portfolio company investments range from Paris to Sydney, Arkansas to Toronto, and Los Angeles to New York.
• Our highest performing investments continue to be those with strong company cultures and products that customers love.

We offer a unique opportunity in private equity

Five Elms offers candidates a unique private equity opportunity, without requiring years of investment banking or management consulting experience. Our Analyst Program focuses on the development of top finance graduates through training, mentorship, direct interaction with entrepreneurs, and exposure to all aspects of private equity investing. We have a reputation for working with analysts to develop skills that will rapidly propel them forward in their careers. Former analysts have been accepted into top MBA programs and have joined portfolio companies. We also have a very strong track record of promoting from within.

Funding growth-stage businesses is rewarding work

In this role, you will dig into the inner workings of hundreds of businesses each year and gain meaningful experience in all aspects of private equity. This role is similar in nature to Investment Banking Analyst programs but with more freedom, creativity, and hands-on investing experience.

Get involved with deals. You will be exposed to the full lifecycle of a deal including the investment evaluation process, negotiation, due diligence, and market/industry research.

Build operating and financial models. Data comes in disparate formats, sources, and currencies – all with some level of ambiguity. You will manage complex data sets and formulate insights that will help the team make investment decisions.

Build relationships. You will represent Five Elms by identifying and connecting with CEO’s of fast-growing B2B software companies.

Develop and present investment memos. All our work comes together in an investment memo, which lays out the full qualitative and quantitative analyses of a deal including opportunities, risks, financials, and merits of a transaction. You will work with the team to create these memos and present findings and recommendations to the Investment Committee.

Provide portfolio support. You will actively add value to portfolio companies post-investment by offering operational and financial lift with board exposure. We work in partnership with each management team to build great businesses.

Execute on mergers & acquisitions. Many of our companies grow through M&A in addition to organic sales and marketing activities. You will learn how to identify targets, structure, and negotiate acquisitions, and support post-acquisition integration.

Is Five Elms right for you?

You are highly motivated. Outstanding academic credentials, high attention to detail, natural talent, emotional intelligence, and interesting experiences are table stakes. You will be a part of a competitive environment so you can learn and evolve your thinking. The bar is high and if you thrive, you will be very well rewarded.

You are a great communicator. You are articulate with strong writing, interpersonal, and Zoom/phone skills. You generate activity, facilitate effective meetings, and communicate findings and recommendations in a succinct and actionable format.

You thrive in an entrepreneurial environment:

• You are highly curious and a natural problem solver; new experiences drive you.
• You have a proven ability to prosper in unstructured situations where there is no clear flight plan to reach the destination.
• You maintain a growth mindset and a bias toward action that will be the cornerstone of your success.

You like to win as a team, lack entitlement, and have fun:

• You have a superior work ethic. Long hours are expected when you are committed to your work and the team we are building.
• You like to win while operating with the highest levels of integrity, ethics, and trust.
• You will quickly appreciate that it is the people that make Five Elms a special place to work.

What steps are included in the interview process?

1. Application
2. One-way SparkHire video interview (link is included in written application)
3. Live video interview
4. A virtual case study exercise where you dig into a potential software investment
5. On-site final interviews
6. References and background checks