Dear fella and friends,
Before starting an internship, you must wonder how the program would be. The reason you are on this page might be because you want to get to know KK Fund’s working culture or looking for an internship. Let’s together find out with Danielle Goh, student from Wharton ’20!
One of the most surprising things about working at KK Fund is that every day is rarely the same: I’ll be assigned to attending tech/startup conferences, hearing the pitches of startups, writing industry reports and everything in between. Unlike a lot of traditional internships in finance, an internship in the VC industry is far more varied in terms of responsibilities. Just in the past month or so, my internship has exposed me to various aspects of Singapore’s startup ecosystem. The diversity of work has enabled the development of both soft skills and hard skills.
My internship at KK Fund has really helped with developing interpersonal and experiential skills through the act of just being present. There are two main categories of events I will attend as an intern, large-scale tech events or more personal meetings with startups or other players in the VC ecosystem. Over the past month and a half, I have been able to attend a string of esteemed tech conferences such as Tech In Asia, Innovex and Echelon. These conferences are a great way to gain a holistic overview of the ecosystem. Many startups and VCs are present…and typically, so are over thousands of other attendees. These large conferences can definitely be a little overwhelming but are a great way to learn a lot in a single day. Likewise, the smaller-scale interactions with founders are also great experiences. I have been able to sit in on a lot of meetings with the KK Fund partners, as well as conduct my own! I find it to be a really rewarding experience to hear startup pitches about different ideas. At the same time, I am able to learn a lot about various industries and to apply my analytical skills in determining whether the startup has investment potential or not.On the other hand, I have been able to really develop my research and critical thinking skills by working on various industry reports, such as those on P2P lending, travel tech and supply chain financing. These are not typically topics I would have sought to learn more about in my own free time, but through my internship, I have learned so much about the different industries which are important in terms of growth and technological disruption. Given that a lot of KK Fund’s business is focused in Southeast Asia, I have been able to gain a more comprehensive understanding of this exciting emerging landscape.
It is surprising how quickly time passes! I’m about half-way done with my internship and am excited to see what is in store for the next month, as well as to take my new-found skills and knowledge back to Penn.
Also found this article at: The VC Internship Experience | Penn Abroad (upenn.edu)
About GRIP:
The Global Research and Internship Program (GRIP) provides outstanding undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to intern or conduct research abroad for 8 to 12 weeks over the summer. Participants gain career-enhancing experience and global exposure that is essential in a global workforce. Placements and funding awards are available.
Find more at: https://global.upenn.edu/