FreeS Fellow Program — North America Cohort 1 | Welcome to a VC World Driven by Curiosity and Value Creation
Seek out the young people who are thinking, who are creating.
"The greatest joy of early-stage investing comes from doing everything you can to bring together everything you've learned across industries, every phenomenon you've observed, and every directional insight you've grasped — all to speculate and think. Within this ever-expanding framework, you have to ask: what happens next?" At FreeS Fund's biotech-focused Open Day this September, founding partner Li Feng ("Uncle Feng") shared his perspective on what early-stage investing means to him.
And it's true — in the process of thinking through and deciding on early-stage investments, you need judgment: listening to founders' business thinking, understanding them with acuity. You also need composure: doing the hard desk work, mapping out the deeper industry dynamics behind each individual case.
This world of venture capital, driven by curiosity and value creation, always welcomes young people.
At FreeS, you'll see Gen Z interns presenting industry research at weekly meetings, post-95 founders closing multi-million-dollar rounds, and a '93-born entrepreneur-in-residence evaluating hard tech deals. Through each conversation, observation, and research project, they're working to reach a broader commercial world.
When it comes to protecting that "youthful spirit," we want to do even more.
We're inviting more students still studying in North America to join FreeS Fund's "North America FreeS Fellow" program — to experience this "dry" yet utterly captivating process of investing and research together.
If selected for the North America FreeS Fellow program, over the next six months you'll be part of the team:
- Working alongside founding partner Li Feng and seasoned investors with top overseas academic backgrounds;
- With a FreeS partner as your mentor — someone who grows intellectually alongside you;
- Learning methods for observing business, conducting deep research into sub-sectors with frontline investors, and writing industry research reports;
- Participating in FreeS's closed-door monthly meetings, learning from the investment team's research presentations;
- Organizing campus events to help more students learn about FreeS;
- Identifying promising investment projects from school communities and writing due diligence reports;
- Helping FreeS portfolio companies find the right talent...
We hope this program gives you structured growth, and we won't be stingy with encouragement and recognition. Let FreeS work with you to think through the development logic behind commercial changes, and let unexpected insights from every direction spark something new.
Scan the QR code in the poster to apply for the first cohort of the "North America FreeS Fellow" program
FreeS Fellow Application Guide
- Each FreeS Fellow program runs for six months and can be completed remotely online.
- We'd like to understand your thinking about industries — please attach a recent research proposal or your best paper or research report. You may refer to FreeS Report 19 | The Tipsy Era: Where Are the Opportunities in Low-Alcohol Entrepreneurship? and FreeS Report 18: Reflections Amid Market Euphoria — Where Are the Opportunities in Fintech? | FreeS Research Institute.
- P.S. You can submit your report and resume directly by scanning the QR code.
- This program admits on a rolling basis and will close once filled.
FreeS Fellow Recruitment Details
Responsibilities:
- Identify promising investment projects and participate in project evaluation
- Produce industry research and formulate investment strategies
- Organize campus branding events and help plan partners' public speaking engagements
Requirements:
- Currently enrolled or recent graduate of a top university
- Strong interest in venture capital with relevant industry or investment experience
- Intense curiosity and drive to learn about new things
- High sense of responsibility and self-motivation
What Past Interns Have to Say
Pan Zhengyuan, CMU, Winter 2017
It's no exaggeration to say that my internship at FreeS was a major turning point in how I think and see the world. As an engineering student, I used to see nothing but formulas and calculations, focus on foreign technology, and follow homogenized patterns of thought — because at school, there were few chances to truly step outside the idealized ivory tower and observe the world from a completely different angle. FreeS gave me that different angle. I witnessed the diversity and speed of domestic innovation and entrepreneurship, felt the passion venture capitalists have for innovative ventures and their commitment to their convictions, and connected with people smarter and more impressive than myself.
Why choose to do this at FreeS? Because FreeS is distinctive. As a firm that has backed multiple high-return projects, raised multiple funds, and consistently appears on top VC rankings with broad recognition — these achievements come from FreeS's deep thinking and understanding of industries and macro society, evident in internal discussions, publicly published articles, and substance-rich sharing events. One interesting thing: FreeS publishes far more industry research articles than average, which I attribute to its culture of transparency and intellectual diligence. FreeS members are eager to share and exchange, hiding neither their views nor intentions. Even as an intern, every day at FreeS brings new understanding and insight.
Whether you go on to pursue academia, join a large company, or start your own business, choosing to experience China's venture capital and tech development at FreeS during this special period will be a unique experience.
Chang Liang, Harvard University, Summer 2017
The summer before starting my PhD, I was fortunate to spend time at FreeS Fund, which gave me an entirely new understanding of biotech venture capital. The deep analysis of industry frontiers, the judgment of early-stage projects — skills I learned at FreeS Fund have benefited me enormously throughout my doctoral studies in Boston, and the friends I made during the internship have become like-minded companions. A truly rewarding experience!
Shili, Yale, Summer 2020
At FreeS, you can experience both high-level business trend judgment and deep dives into industry frontiers through projects. Whether researching the evolution of internet platforms, getting close to founders during DD, or observing dozens of projects with senior colleagues in short order — here I felt the energy of VC and the appeal of entrepreneurship.
Cao Jiarui, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Summer 2020
FreeS is like a home, with all kinds of warm and caring older brothers, sisters, aunts, and uncles — I discovered that an internship could be this joyful and wonderful. FreeS is also like a school: under the guidance of my mentor and elders, I grew rapidly, broke out of my comfort zone, and learned the principles of dealing with people and the rational thinking of investors. I'm about to leave, and I really can't bear to say goodbye. I wish FreeS continued thriving growth, better every day!
Want to Know More About Us? Check Out Our Album Links to Read Industry Reports and Article Series:
- Li Feng Column Collection
- Learning Investing Through Investing Collection
- Consumer Research Collection
- Biotech Research Collection
- Fintech Research Collection
- COVID-19's Impact on the Business World
Scan the QR code below 👇 or click the "Read More" link at the end of this article to apply for the first cohort of the "North America FreeS Fellow" program
A great workplace is one with a group of amazing colleagues.
A group of smart, principled, driven, and curious people looks forward to working with you.
