Dupe Ige joined us for a 12-week internship with the Puma Private Equity team. She successfully gained her place with us through the Future VC programme for which we are proud partners. Here, Dupe reflects on her experiences with the team and what the internship meant to her.

As I write this on the first day of my last week, I can’t believe my time at Puma Private Equity (PPE) is almost over. From the first day I joined the team, I felt like a member of the team. I was assigned a buddy, Charlotte Howe, to make my settling in seamless. I found that helpful as it made it easy to ask questions and get timely responses. Also, In the first week, I had a meeting to discuss my expectations from the internship, and I had regular check-ins to ensure the expectations were being met. The professionalism to which the internship has been conducted is very commendable.

I had different highlights from the internship. Some of which are centred around the responsibilities assigned to me, including organizing and leading calls with founders, writing and presenting investment papers to the team, sitting in Investment Committee discussions, amongst many others. These helped me hone my communication and analytical skills. I particularly liked how the Investment Committee and team meeting discussions helped in broadening the lens through which I evaluate potential investments. Another highlight was attending the Sifted summit where I engaged in debates and workshops on the startup scene in Europe.

I joined the Puma team with the goal of gaining deeper insights into venture capital deal flow process, from deal sourcing to due diligence, to deployment of capital. After 12 weeks, I can say that the goal was met and surpassed. Reflecting on my time at Puma, I can’t help the overwhelming feeling of gratitude and appreciation to the entire team for a time well spent. I can say that I learnt something new from every single member of the team from one-on-one conversations to listening to them in meetings. The team epitomizes the Collaboration and Value creation value of the firm. I am leaving Puma Private Equity with a full heart and an even more curious mind.