We sat down with Varad Chaudhari, Investment Intern at Rampersand, to learn more about his early career story!
What has your career journey been like so far?
Varad: I’m in my third year of studying for a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Melbourne. My career trajectory changed last year when I did the Startmate Fellowship for students. It exposed me to a whole ecosystem of startups and people interested in chasing world-changing ideas. I’ve always been interested in investing and finance, but I realised that investing in startups added a new angle to what I wanted to learn about.
So right after the program, I had some free time for about six months, so I went away and worked at an early-stage biotech startup for a few months, beginning in the customer success team before taking responsibility for various commercial functions. I enjoyed how fast-paced it was, the ownership, and the ability to see the direct impact of my work. That was something I hadn’t experienced in previous jobs.
Around the same time, I joined Next Gen Ventures with the vision of wanting to build Australia’s first student-led VC fund to empower the next generation of student founders at the grassroots. I was lucky enough to meet the founders Mitch and Jerry and began working in the startup and VC environment. That’s how I eventually came across
. I met some of the Rampersand team during a training session at the Melbourne office earlier this year.
Serendipitously, I saw an opening for the Investment Intern role at Rampersand on the Hatch website. I applied, went through the process, and was fortunate to land my current position here.
What does your day-to-day look like?
Varad: My role mainly involves working within the investments team. That includes attracting, assessing, and amplifying startups. This means evaluating investment opportunities that revolve around a mixture of incoming deal flow through our strong network and website, reaching out to founders and startups and also attending startup events in Melbourne and Sydney.
I then move interesting opportunities into founder meetings where I work closely with the investment associates, team members, and partners at Rampersand.
While the focus is on investments—evaluating startups and talking to founders—it also overlaps with other aspects of the company, such as helping with marketing, creating content, and reporting tasks.
I enjoy the breadth of completing work in multiple domains as everything is a unique learning experience. It’s interesting to see what it takes to run a VC and understand the organisation as a whole.
What does Rampersand do?
Varad: Rampersand is a VC fund backing early-stage technology founders in Australia and New Zealand. We are sector-agnostic in our approach but love backing founders with big visions and a strong technology backbone with the potential to scale globally. We have invested in over 30 companies such as Hatch, Skedulo and Jigspace.
We invest early - anywhere from an idea on a napkin all the way up to seed rounds with conviction and focus - continuously backing and championing the success of our portfolio companies. We lead the industry in identifying great startup potential, being the first VC in two-thirds of our portfolio. Nearly 40% of those startups have secured follow-on funding, and 25% have achieved 3x+ markups in Series A led by top-tier VCs.
What initially drew you to the investment space?
Varad: My curiosity about how things work and how the world operates initially sparked my interest. In high school, I did economics and accounting in Year 12, and I really enjoyed them. It felt intuitive and came naturally to me. Even before that, from around Year 7 onwards, I was consuming a lot of content through YouTube and books, especially videos about economics, technology and history. That was my starting point.
Having always been hyper-curious about history and change, exploring the interplay between technology and business organically piqued my interest in VC space. I’m also a naturally extroverted person who loves talking to people, and VC allows me to interact with ambitious, intelligent, and supportive individuals. That’s a big reason I enjoy working in this field.
What skills are important for an Investment Intern at Rampersand?
Varad: The key skills for an investor include staying rational and trying to remain as objective as possible. It’s hard to rely on intuition early on because you haven’t seen enough deals. With experience, your intuition strengthens and you can lean further into that.
The second crucial skill, especially in venture investing, is being hyper-curious and leaning into unfamiliar or strange things because that’s often where the best ideas lie. Investing involves absorbing a lot of information and constantly learning.
Lastly, reflecting on what you learn every day is essential. The volume of context-switching and decision-making in this job can be overwhelming and wanting to be “all-systems-go” all the time is a natural response. But, taking time to pause and reflect has helped me digest the lessons and move forward.
How has this experience supported your career growth?
Varad: Rampersand has helped me immensely in this regard. The first thing that struck me is that the team is incredibly supportive. They’ve given me oversight into different functions, included me in various discussions, and valued my opinions.
I also have team members I talk to regularly for mentorship, helping me along the journey. Since it’s a small company, there isn’t much hierarchy, so you’re exposed to everything, which is fantastic for learning.
How was your experience with NextGen Ventures?
Varad: I really enjoy the work, the people involved are fantastic, and the experience has opened doors for me in the broader VC ecosystem.
I got involved with NextGen Ventures about a year and a half ago. It all started quite fortuitously, with a cold Linkedin message. I jumped on a call with both co-founders, Mitch and Jerry, and we had a chat about their ambitious vision. As soon as I heard it, I was super aligned, joining in an investment capacity to empower the next generation of student founders.
It’s been a great experience because it’s rare to find so many ambitious and curious young people in one place, whether they are within the NextGen crew or the student founders I have met and become friends with. The culture is amazing, and you actually learn the skills of a VC by doing. My role evolved from managing the Melbourne Uni team to now being Head of Investment, leading 25 curious students on their learning journey and their search for the next unicorn that’s sitting on campus.
How do you balance your work, studies, and hobbies?
Varad: It’s all about staying organised and setting realistic expectations with strong communication. The only hack I can suggest is being a power-user of your calendar. I’m still figuring it out and wouldn’t say I have it all down perfectly. Balancing everything is definitely a work in progress, and there are trade-offs.
Prioritising what’s important is also key for me. There are times when I prioritise work or uni, and other times where I prioritise spending time with friends and family. I’ve learned that it’s not really about being busy but about choosing how to prioritise your time.
What do you like most about working at Rampersand?
Varad: My favourite thing is how the team gives me exposure and backs me in different scenarios. They’ve consistently brought me into meetings, events, and discussions from day one, which has been incredibly empowering. This exposure has allowed me to meet and learn from amazing people.
There have been memorable moments where I’m talking to really successful individuals, and it feels a bit surreal. But what stands out is how supportive and down-to-earth everyone is.
What are the values and working style of your team at Rampersand?
Varad: Our values are to ramp it up, embrace uncertainty and look for abnormal potential.
Ramping it up is about backing yourself and backing your team at all times
Embracing uncertainty is about making novel mistakes in the pursuit of growth and embracing discomfort
Looking for abnormal potential is all about uncovering brilliance in the abnormal
Our working style is very collaborative. We’re on calls together almost daily, and the team dynamics are very close-knit, with regular meetings between Melbourne and Sydney.
Outside of work, we’re passionate about fostering community and engaging with startup ecosystem events. Our culture is about doing the work well, not just for competition’s sake but out of respect for the people we’re supporting, like founders and other stakeholders. We also genuinely believe in and want to contribute to the startup ecosystem in Australia.
Do you have any advice for other young people looking for a job?
Varad: My advice would be to find what gives you energy. Pay attention to which activities and people energise you, and what topics you’re passionate about. Since a significant portion of your life will be spent on your career, pursuing work that leaves you feeling positive and fulfilled is important. Look for roles and environments that align with what energises you.
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