Looking for some thoughts on London's Venture Capital scene, as most of what I've seen applies to West Coast USA.
I'd just like to get some idea of the state of the industry, is there a hiring expansion/are more firms opening/etc, as well as the typical routes into VC.
I'm about to enter London Business School's first class of Masters in Analytics, with an end-goal of working in VC, taking whichever route is most likely to result in that. My undergrad was in computer science and finance (passed CFA1), and studied at a target uni in my region, but not well-known internationally. I had a few internships in tech during undergrad, working with product and marketing at a successful startup (250 headcount), and 6-months fulltime as a quantitative analyst at boutique consulting shop in London.
Which is a more clearcut path into VC? IB analyst or MBB? I don't have any internships in banking, so might find it difficult to go IB route. Would love to get a VC analyst role right after my Masters, any success stories of doing so this side of the pond?
Any advice appreciated.
It's all about connections and less about the chosen path, both IB and MBB gives access to venture capital firms. But in my experience, venture capital firms often have far fewer hires than private equity, because their investments are based around hype and traction and less about traditional economics.
To get a foot in the door, you need to connect with the firms, be clear about what you find interesting and how you can leverage your knowledge to find companies that become the next Facebook or Uber or whatever. If you say, "Oh, I want to work with software", that is not good enough. You need to be clear on a vertical, have connections - e.g. show up at a lot of venture events or competitions and speak with the founders. By showing you know founders or have the ability to get in touch with founder and vice versa have them reach out to you, you will be one step ahead.
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