A day in life of CF Analyst

How did you come to join Creator Fund?

Eve: I spent the final few months of my undergraduate Physics degree working towards commercialising my research project, developing a sensor for detecting pollutants in drinking water. I was stunned at the lack of support and infrastructure to help students through this process which drove me to consider working in a career aimed at addressing this. I was excited by the idea that scientists and innovators could pursue an alternative career path whilst still creating value from research. After speaking to a previous analyst at CF, I was immediately drawn to their unique focus on students.

Leon: I came to join CF in reverse… I pitched and won the CF entrepreneurial challenge in Northern Ireland then a few months later they flagged that they were hiring Student Analysts.

I was also coming from somewhat of a founder mindset and wasn’t sure how that would translate to being on the other side of the table but I found it to be a real asset as I grew into things. I should add I’ve been able to keep this up alongside working at CF and studying.

What has surprised you about joining Creator Fund?

Eve: I remember feeling excited, and also a little nervous when I joined Creator Fund and took my first call with a founder. Similarly, getting involved with my first due diligence process and diving into the technical and business details was also a big learning experience. Since then, I’ve really loved the level of agency you have over sourcing and navigating a deal through to the point of investment committee. I think this is one of the most valuable experiences and the team have always been willing to share their wealth of knowledge to support me through the process.

If you want to know all about the behind-the-scenes operations of how a start-up and venture capital fund runs, then Creator Fund is the best environment for this. I was totally surprised by the level of transparency shown at all levels at Creator Fund. There is a constant open dialogue between members of the student and central team about the strategy of the fund and how deals are made.

Leon: You’re constantly faced with deals from Web3 and AI to Life Sciences and Fintech, every opportunity is different and you take something away from each. I was also surprised how much autonomy or responsibility you have so quickly, within a few weeks you’re taking intros with founders and making calls on whether the deal is something the fund would be interested in.

Why should someone join CF?

Leon: The team around you is awesome. Genuinely some of the brightest and best from across the UK. You find yourself going from a conversation about life sciences with a PHD in Aberdeen to attempting to understand Quantum Computing at a high level with guidance from the very humble Alex Beasley within the space of a few hours.

You have a real impact on funding early-stage companies. The responsibility of sourcing kicks in pretty quick and the confidence and trust you’re given from the get-go is brilliant.

Eve: Honestly the team has to be my top reason for joining Creator Fund (especially the Imperial team). Everyone is multidimensional in the way they collaborate and combine their deep technical expertise with business knowledge. If you want to know about Neuroscience, chat with Kat. If you’re excited by graph theory and optimisation, grab a coffee with Elizabeth. Being surrounded by a diverse group of PhD students and other types of founders gives you a real perspective and enhances your understanding of a space. It’s great to work closely with such a talented and hardworking group of individuals, and while there is always a bit of healthy conflict with decisions it’s ultimately incredibly fun!