VC Fellowship @ Inspired Capital in Remote

Inspired Capital

Inspired Research Fellowship

<aside> 💡 Each semester, Inspired Capital welcomes a select number of exceptional students to join us as Research Fellows. Our Research Fellows spend the semester developing a detailed, unique investment thesis on a technology or market of their choice and have a front row seat to the world of venture investing. For the Spring 2023 semester, we will be focused on students with an interest in writing a thesis on a sector within AI but open to be pitched on outlier ideas. Feeling inspired to find the next big thing? Apply to the Spring 2023 application here.

Inspired Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in New York City, investing in the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. The firm takes a generalist approach, leading and co-leading Seed and Series A rounds. With $500M+ under management, the firm invests in tech-advantaged businesses, including Rho, Habi, Orum, Dandy, Finix, Chief, Canvas Medical, and Scythe. Inspired Capital was founded by Alexa von Tobel, who previously founded LearnVest, and Penny Pritzker, founder and chairman of PSP Partners who previously served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

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Contents

If you have remaining questions on the Inspired Research Fellowship after reviewing the below sections, please feel free to reach out to Claire at claire@inspiredcapital.com.

Program Overview | Responsibilities & Expectations | Application Process | FAQs

Program Overview

Programming

During the eight-week program, Inspired Research Fellows will dive into an approved research topic of their choice with the goal of ultimately building and validating a unique investment thesis. We expect our fellows to commit at least 10 hours a week to this program so they can develop the true domain expertise needed to produce an exceptional thesis by the end of the semester. Fellows have full flexibility in choosing when they work on their research. At Inspired, we see our Research Fellows as an extension of the team and are deeply invested in their success. We will spend weekly 1:1 time with each student to provide detailed guidance, feedback, and advice on their learnings to date. We will also support fellows in exploring their topic from a variety of perspectives through primary and secondary research. While this is a research-focused fellowship and not an investing internship, fellows will also have the opportunity to learn more about the sourcing, diligence, and investing process.

Outcomes

We expect our Research Fellows to complete this program with the following benefits:

  1. Firsthand experience with thesis-driven venture investing and unique exposure to the investing process
  2. Hands-on mentorship and detailed guidance from the Inspired Capital Investment Team
  3. Subject matter expertise and thought leadership on their research topic with an exceptional research paper that they can continue to leverage in the future
  4. Rigorous training on conducting best-in-class primary and secondary research with a practical application
  5. A deep curiosity for technology and finding the next big thing

Timeline

The Spring 2023 program will officially kick off on Tuesday, February 21 and culminate during the week of April 17. Students are not expected to work during their Spring Break holiday. You can find more details below.

Responsibilities & Expectations

The Inspired Research Fellowship is open to any undergraduate student that will still be enrolled in a U.S. college or postsecondary institution in Fall 2023. No prior investing or venture experience is required. We see incredible value in learning from a diversity of perspectives and welcome all students with a deep curiosity for technology to apply. We are looking for students who are deeply committed to doing exceptional research through this program and will benefit from our time and guidance. For the Spring 2023 cycle, we will prioritize students with previous experience with AI but also welcome students with the demonstrated ability to quickly and enthusiastically learn about AI. We’re also always open to being pitched on outlier ideas that you’re particularly passionate about.

Key Responsibilities

  • [ ] Commit a minimum of 10 hours a week for dedicated research time
  • [ ] Come to weekly meetings prepared with questions and discussion topics
  • [ ] Work diligently to conduct both primary and secondary research for your paper
  • [ ] Develop a detailed and thoughtful investment thesis by the end of the program
  • [ ] Present your unique findings and conclusions to the Inspired team

Our Expectations

  • [ ] Be deeply curious and extremely inquisitive
  • [ ] Be humble and open to learning from a variety of perspectives
  • [ ] Be incredibly scrappy and creative about how you find unique insights
  • [ ] Have a positive attitude throughout the program
  • [ ] Represent Inspired in a professional manner at all times

Application Process

The Inspired Research Fellowship is limited to an extremely select number of students so that we can maximize the amount of time and energy we spend with each Fellow. We have designed our application process to be quick with written responses capped at 300 characters and no step is expected to take longer than 30 minutes. We are predominantly looking for creative ideas and deeply analytical thinking.

1. Application

Applications for our Spring 2023 cohort are here and will close on January 30. In addition to collecting standard demographic information, we will ask for short responses to the below questions:

  1. What do you think is the next big thing?
  2. What’s one thing that you believe is overhyped and will fail?
  3. Pitch us a research topic of your choice!
  4. What is a research project or company current operating in this space that you find most interesting?

2. Written Assessment

Selected candidates will be provided with a list of topics and asked to write a short analysis on one topic of their choosing. Prompts will be sent to candidates on February 3 and are due on February 8.

3. Final Round Interview

Selected candidates will be invited for 30-minute interviews with our team. We would like to better understand your story, motivation, and interests as well as your enthusiasm for the program. Interviews will be held virtually via Zoom on February 14 – February 16.

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