![]() We wanted to discover the parallels and key differences between the French VC industry compared to the rest in Europe. We have also looked at junior VC career paths outside France. Start-up related experiences : Incubators, accelerators, fundraisers also allow you to enter in the ecosystem and form a network of founders, VCs, etc. I would say best options may be the following: either be a top management right hand in a seed / series A start-up or work in key teams in a later stage startup (product management, growth, sales, operations etc.). Ideally, pick a startup backed by a tier 1 VC fund. Not all the startups are created equal in the eyes of VCs. Start-up/Scale-up experiences : Be careful when you pick a startup to work for. Let's not kid ourselves and admit that a six-month internship at McKinsey or Rothschild will open you doors, just like in any other industry. "Analytical-perceived" professional experiences : M&A, Private Equity, consulting, audit and business analyst jobs. Alternatives to a prior experience in VC are mainly of three types: You should have in mind that more than one third of Junior French VCs went through an internship in a fund before their full-time position, either at the end of their study or during their school years. Internship choices should not be taken lightly. To that extent, schools which manage to arrange these opportunities for their students (HEC-X entrepreneurship program, ESSEC-Centrale-Supélec double degree) also give them a real asset while applying in a VC fund. Overview of French Junior VCs' academic background - Disclaimer: there is overlap between some of these schools in case of double degreeĭouble degrees between management and engineering institutions are without doubt a plus for any candidate willing to break into VC - it accounts for 24% of our sample - as it is considered by some VCs as a guarantee of solid business background, deep analytical skills and interest/knowledge in specific tech verticals. ![]() In order to reflect as close as possible current hiring market in the VC landscape, we only analyzed the career profile of VCs who started their investment career before turning 30 years old. Among them are 360 Capital Partners, Alven, Bpifrance, Breega, Caphorn, Daphni, Elaia Partners, Eurazeo Growth, Frst, Gaia Capital Partners, Iris Capital, Idinvest, Kerala Ventures, Kima, Korelya Capital, ISAI, Partech, Newfund, Serena, Ventech, and XAnge. *Disclaimer : This study's sample was made on 24 French investment teams gathering the most renowned funds of Parisian scene, at all investment stages (seed, early stage, growth). Some will jump in the bandwagon later after an MBA in one of those schools or an American University. This leaves very few seats for outsiders, even more so with network effects and school solidarity when a position opens in an investment team. 20% studied at Sciences Po or Paris Dauphine University and 16% at Polytechnique, Centrale-Supélec or Mines ParisTech. When looking at 72 French VCs* who started their investment career before turning 30, almost 50% went through HEC, ESSEC or ESCP Europe - the 3 most renowned and prestigious French business Schools. It turns out that you can increase significantly your chances of entering a major fund with a very specific academic background: Top 5 business/engineering school or Top business master from a Parisian university. ![]() ![]() VC embodies well the French conception of elitism, which is very related to educational establishment. We also gathered concrete advice to help you find a job or an internship in Venture Capital. ![]() We looked at all the different career paths of junior VCs in both France and Europe to find the most common patterns to join the industry. Job offers are not always accessible and recruitment processes are not homogenous.Ĭan you objectively maximize your chances to trust a junior position in a VC fund?The answer is yes, and here is how. Finding a job or even an internship is complicated. From the outside, it seems to be the best job in the world for recent graduates: you are exposed to many different industries and business models, you meet outstanding entrepreneurs and deal with tech-related topics every day, you develop both qualitative and quantitative skills, your workload is lighter than other jobs like consulting and investment banking etc.īut it’s hard to break into this industry. Working in Venture Capital has become trendy. Today, with my friend Maxime, we are digging into the ideal career paths to break into Venture Capital and we try to give you concrete advice to enter this mysterious world. Overlooked is a weekly newsletter about underrated trends in the European tech industry. ![]()
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