My name is Hasan Sukkar and I am a recent graduate with a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Exeter. I am thrilled to share my experiences working as an intern at Seraphim Capital, the world’s largest venture capital fund dedicated to investing in space and drone start-ups, and to potentially inspire and help someone on his or her journey into this fantastic industry.
I have always been intrigued by the world of technology, startups and venture capital. Therefore, I decided to spend this summer working across the value chain of the technology ecosystem; starting with working at a property-tech startup in the prelaunch stage, to doing an internship with Seraphim Capital through the Diversity VC scheme, and ending with the Seeds for the Future programme offered by Huawei in Shenzhen.
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. Diversity VC is a non-profit organisation which aims to change the future of Venture Capital through its Future VC scheme. In the first cohort of Future VC, 20 interns were selected from over 850 applicants to take part in a 5-week internship at 20 of the most prestigious venture capital firms in London. The interns also 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.
I am now approaching the end of my 3rd week at Seraphim Capital and it has been an enriching and eye-opening experience to be at the heart of the space-tech ecosystem and comprehend the workings of a venture capital firm whilst being surrounded by a driven and encouraging team. Because of all that I’m learning, I’m the happiest intern ever!
My tasks are varied and revolve around the deal flow process, from sourcing and evaluating investment opportunities, to conducting due diligence on potential investments, attending board meetings and supporting companies that are in our portfolio. What I have mentioned is just a taste of what I’ve experienced, and I certainly look forward to the next couple of weeks of my internship. I’m more than happy to talk to anyone interested in learning more about the world of venture capital or becoming an intern.
Finally, a big thank you to the entire team at Seraphim for this wonderful opportunity, and to Diversity VC for facilitating the Future VC programme. If you want to know more about my internship or experiences, please reach out via LinkedIn.
Conor O’Sullivan, Seraphim’s Investment Manager, commented:
We’re delighted to be supporting Diversity VC’s Future VC Internship Programme, and very pleased to have Hasan join us contributing to all the crucial aspects of what a venture investor does on a daily basis. At Seraphim we believe diversity of thought is extremely important to the investment decision making process, and building a diverse team is a big part of this.
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