*FUTURE VC 2020 COVID 19 UPDATE*

Future VC 2020 will look very different from last year’s programme, but we are optimistic that it will have a positive impact on the future of the industry. Due to Covid-19, there will be no ‘in-person’ internship placements this year. However, we are on a mission to ensure that coronavirus does not negatively impact diversity and inclusion in venture. 

Therefore, Future VC 2020 will deliver a curriculum of webinars and mentoring sessions, delivered by industry-leading venture capitalists. Also, as the programme is online, we are able to expand the cohort. Last year, we worked with 40 interns. This year, we will welcome over 300 remote participants.

Every individual that participates is from a background that is currently underrepresented in venture capital. The Future VC 2020 cohort will comprise of those who applied for internships this summer, and we will also put out a call to others who want to participate. The webinars will be open to anyone from this group. We will also record the sessions, and bite-size sessions will be available online. We’d love to get you involved in these sessions, and have drawn up a timetable of speakers and topics we’d like to cover. Some speakers have confirmed to present a topic, some have volunteered to present (where we have suggested a topic) but there are other members of our community that we would love to get involved. 

Whatever the topic, we are an organisation committed to creating a fairer and more representative industry and so ask that any sessions led on this programme reflect that. We’ll work with all our final speakers to make sure D&I, and it’s importance, are reflected throughout. 

FOR FUNDS: If you are still interested in hiring interns this year we have a great pool of candidates who applied to our original programme and are still looking for work experience. Email us to learn more.

Apply Now

Funds that were involved last year

The programme

N

Industry talks and training

N

Two-month paid internship

N

Be part of supportive peer group

N

Coaching for recruitment processes

N

Present to an investment panel

N

Visit start-up hubs across the UK

N

Personal development opportunities and support

N

Build your network within VC and the start-up ecosystem

Impact in 2019

To measure our impact in year one we surveyed our participants skills and knowledge at the start and end of the 5 weeks and ask them to rate their current understanding and skill level out of 10. Scores improved accross 24 areas of development but highlights include: 

Confidence to work in VC

Start 6.3

  • 63%
End 8.8
  • 88%

Understanding VC as a career

Start 5.7

  • 57%
End 9.2
  • 92%

Fund Mechanics

Start 4.7

  • 47%
End 8.4
  • 84%

Transaction Economics

Start 4.2

  • 42%
End 8.1
  • 81%

Masterclasses from 2019

As well as paid internships and our investment panel project Future VC delivered learning and development opportunities through our masterclasses:

  1. History of VC – Michael Tefula @michaeltefula
  2. Assessing Founders – Harry Briggs @H4ryB
  3. Fund Mechanics – Suranga Chandratillake @surangac
  4. Transaction Economics – Itxaso Del Palacio @ItxasoLondon
  5. Financial Modelling – Tara Reeves @tarareeves
  6. Due Diligence – Lillian Li @lillianmli
  7. Deep Dives Into New Sectors – Zoe Chambers @ZoeACastro
  8. My Journey Into Vc – Andy Ayim @AndysHVC & Leila Zegna @lrastegar
  9. How We Pick Teams – Akriti Dokania @akritidokania
  10. What’s Next – Aaron Archer @aaron_f_archer
  11. Building A Great Board – Fred Destin @fdestin
  12. Networking & Soft-Skills – Ulrika Werdelin, Holly Bennett, Noa Maxwell, Seth Pierrepont @slpierre 

Testimonials

What attracted you to Future VC?

“Before I joined Seraphim Capital, I was told that “it is impossible to break into VC, especially for someone with your background”. This is a common misconception that hundreds of ambitious young professionals hold, especially if they come from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds. For this reason, Diversity VC was launched. The interns take part in a side project where they work with an early stage company to mirror the reality of the investor-founder relationships. Furthermore, the interns get to participate in 8 masterclasses offered by partners at London’s leading venture capital firms. As you can imagine, I was ecstatic to hear that I was selected to participate in the first cohort of the Future VC programme.”

– Hassan Sukkar, Seraphim Capital

What’s the most interesting thing you have learnt so far?

“I’ve found the financials interesting (fund mechanics, transaction economics, valuation, market sizing etc.), both from a purely intellectual angle and also on a practical level. However, at the Seed and Series A stage, you’re making decisions based on limited information, and I’ve enjoyed observing how my team members navigate that and find a balance between objective and subjective evaluation.”

– Rumbi Makanga, Episode 1

What advice would you give to anyone looking to participate in the program next year?

The program is competitive, and I imagine it will be even more competitive in the following years. Many people I’ve spoken to can’t believe they got on. My advice would be: apply so you can be one of those people too. And once you’re on the programme make the most of it – it’s a brilliant opportunity.

– Rumbi Makanga, Episode 1

“For aspiring VCs or anyone curious about the industry, Future VC is a truly unique opportunity that enriches you more in 5 weeks than any other internship would. The biggest value is the lasting relationships you build and the network you develop, as VC is a relationship business. The programme itself equips you with deep technical knowledge, hands-on experience as an associate, and skills that maximise your chances of a career in the industry. I couldn’t recommend it any more highly.”

– Akash Bajwa

“We had a brilliant experience working with Charlotte – her enthusiasm, engagement and attention to detail was brilliant. She developed a great relationship with the companies on our program, and is still connected to many of them. She also made some great connections to strong entrepreneurs that weren’t on my radar – which shows the power of the Future VC program.”

Eamonn Carey, TechStars

“We really enjoyed having Rumbi working with us over the summer. She was a keen very capable and enthusiastic member of the team who got stuck in with all the projects we gave her. She was really useful to have with us and we would certainly take another intern
next year.”

– Leah Martin, Episode 1

“A well-structured internship programme that provided a great deal of education and training about VCs to the interns beyond the day-to-day of working with our small VC team.“

– Megumi Ikeda, Connect Ventures

“We are committed to building the best team that we can and diversity is a key part of that as we believe it has a proven impact on creating better outcomes. Our [Future VC] intern provided real value for the duration of the programme; we’re delighted that we could support Diversity VC who work relentlessly to help the industry broaden its reach.”

– Rebecca Nordstrom-Manna, Highland Europe

“We are pleased to have been a participant of the Future VC programme and provide insight into the media industry as well as the world of investments. Our intern quickly become a member of the Sky Startup Investments & Partnerships team and his contribution was very valuable to us.”

– Eva Rez, Sky Startup Investments & Partnerships

Have a question?

If anyone has any questions about applying, being involved in delivering the programme, hiring an intern or sponsorship then you are welcome to contact us via:
EmailTweet Seb

Sign up to our Newsletter

Stay informed about diversity within Venture Capital and how you can make a difference.

* indicates required
Do you work in Venture Capital?
Are you interested in a career in VC?