At a Glance
- Tasks: Automate a venture capital fund using AI and build real tools for investment.
- Company: Join Playfair, a top-performing pre-seed VC fund in Europe.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, wellness credits, team socials, and a strong reference.
- Other info: Opportunity for a full-time role in the future; apply quickly!
- Why this job: Make a real impact by creating tools used by professional investors.
- Qualifications: AI-native students or recent graduates with a passion for building.
The predicted salary is between 20000 - 30000 £ per year.
Spend your summer automating a venture capital fund from the inside. Most internships have you shadowing meetings and formatting slide decks. This one hands you a real problem: take a top-performing pre-seed fund and rebuild how it works with AI. You'll join our investment team for 2-3 months this summer and ship agents, automations and internal tools that we actually use, every day, to find and back the best founders in Europe. You'll have direct access to partners, real data, real workflows, and the autonomy to decide what to build next.
About Playfair
We're a VC fund focused exclusively on pre-seed investing: bringing discipline, diligence, dedication and depth of thought to an intentionally low volume of investments. Our pre-seed to Series A graduation rate is 78%, roughly 4× the industry average, and our fund performance sits in the top quartile against US and European benchmarks. Since 2013, our founders have raised over $3bn of follow-on capital from the world's best funds. In Founders Choice anonymous polling, we were voted the 3rd best VC fund in Europe. Our team is a mix of angel investors, operators, founders, engineers, lawyers, bankers, professional poker players and biochemists who share a deep passion for startups. We're now in the fourth year of investing from our $70m third fund.
What You'll Do
- Build and ship the first versions of tools that help us source deals, qualify them faster, and support our portfolio companies at scale.
- Design agentic workflows (n8n, Claude, LLM APIs, whatever gets the job done) that remove the repetitive work from venture investing.
- Sit inside the investment team, see how a fund actually operates, and decide for yourself where AI can move the needle most.
- Demo what you've built to the whole team, get feedback fast, and iterate.
- Finish the summer with a portfolio of deployed, production tools used by professional investors, not a toy project.
Requirements
- A student or recent graduate who is AI-native: you're obsessed with the latest models, agents and tools, and you've been building with them for fun.
- You ship. You can point us to projects, automations or products you've built, ideally with users beyond yourself. A GitHub, a demo video or a live link beats a CV.
- You think like a founder: high ownership, high energy, low ego. You would rather build a scrappy v1 this week than a perfect spec next month.
- You're curious about venture. You don't need VC experience, but you should be excited to learn how funds find, pick and support startups.
- You're available for 2-3 months over summer 2026, full-time preferred and minimum 3 days a week, and can work from our Farringdon office in London regularly.
- You have the right to work in the UK. Current students and recent graduates are both welcome to apply.
Benefits
- A competitive salary, in line with market standards for the programme.
- Real ownership: your tools go into production and your name goes on them.
- Direct access to the investment team and the chance to learn the venture business from the inside, including sitting in on pitches and investment discussions.
- £50 per month wellness credits through Heka, plus team socials and a front-row seat to the European startup ecosystem.
- A strong reference and a network of founders and investors, whatever you do next.
- A genuine path forward: we're looking to shape a full-time engineering role that will be core to our fourth fund, launching in 2027. Top performers from this programme will be considered as part of that role.
How To Apply
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and we'll move quickly. The application takes minutes, not hours. We'll ask you for:
- Your ambition: What would you want to have built by the end of the summer? (150 words max)
- Your proof: Show us the coolest thing you've built. A link is all we need: GitHub, demo video, live product, n8n workflow, X thread, anything. It doesn't need to be polished and it doesn't need to be venture-related, we just want to see that you build.
- Social profiles: Ideally your LinkedIn, plus anything else you'd like to share (GitHub, personal site, X).
No CV needed, no cover letters. Show us what you've shipped.
AI Engineer in Residence, Summer 2026 employer: Playfair
At Playfair, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that empowers our interns to make a real impact in the venture capital space. As an AI Engineer in Residence, you'll enjoy a collaborative work culture, direct access to seasoned investors, and the opportunity to develop tools that are integral to our operations. With competitive compensation, wellness benefits, and a clear pathway to future employment, this role offers a unique chance to grow within a top-performing VC fund in the heart of London.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land AI Engineer in Residence, Summer 2026
✨Join Data-Science Meetups
Get yourself along to local data-science meetups or workshops. They're goldmines for networking, and you'll learn from industry pros who might just point you in the direction of internships. Plus, discussing the latest trends with like-minded individuals can really amp up your game.
✨Utilise University Career Services
Check in with your uni's career services since they often have connections with companies looking for interns. They might even organise information sessions with firms, which can be a great chance for you to learn more about potential internships and make some key contacts.
✨Show Off Your Stuff on GitHub
If you're into data science, having a GitHub profile with your projects is essential. Make sure your portfolio is public and showcases your best work! Recruiters love to see your coding skills and problem-solving approach, and it’s a brilliant way to stand out.
✨Apply Directly on Our Website
Don’t forget to check out the internships listed on our site! It's always a good idea to apply directly through our website because it makes your application easier for our team to find, and you might just catch the hiring manager’s eye by showcasing exactly what you're passionate about in data science.
We think you need these skills to ace AI Engineer in Residence, Summer 2026
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Technical Skills:For a data science internship, we want to see those analytical skills shine! List your programming languages, like Python or R, and make sure to highlight any relevant projects or courses you've completed. If you've dabbled with tools like Pandas, NumPy, or machine learning algorithms, don’t hold back – include those in your CV!
Share Your Curiosity in Your Cover Letter:As an intern, your motivation and eagerness to learn are key! In your cover letter, talk about specific data science concepts that excite you and how this internship at Playfair will help you grow. Share what you hope to achieve and how you plan to tackle real-world data problems - we love enthusiasm!
Include Any Relevant Certifications:If you've earned any certifications, such as from Coursera or DataCamp, make sure to include these in your application. They show us that you're proactive and committed to expanding your data science skillset. This could make a real difference in how we assess your application!
Keep It Relevant and Concise:Remember, as an intern, you don’t need to have decades of experience. Focus on showcasing relevant coursework, personal projects, or even related volunteer work in data science. Keep your CV and cover letter concise but impactful – we appreciate clear and straightforward communication!
How to prepare for a job interview at Playfair
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
As a data science intern, you might get grilled on your programming skills. Expect to tackle some coding challenges using languages like Python or R. We recommend practising basic algorithms or data manipulation tasks so you can show off your tech skills with confidence.
✨Show Off Your Projects
Prepare to discuss any projects you’ve done, whether in your studies or on your own time. Having a strong portfolio of data analyses or machine learning models will really set you apart. We can use platforms like GitHub to showcase your work to impress Playfair.
✨Know Your Stats and ML Basics
Brush up on your statistics and machine learning concepts because interviewers love to dig into this! Be ready to explain your understanding of algorithms or how you would approach a given data problem. This will highlight your theoretical background alongside your practical skills.
✨Be Eager to Learn and Adapt
Internships are all about potential and growth. Make sure you convey your eagerness to learn and adapt to new tools or methodologies. Show Playfair that you’re not just looking for experience, but that you're keen to contribute and grow within the team.
