Gaining VC insights through secondment

1 October 2025

Krishna Patel

When Krishna Patel took on a three-month secondment at Bridgewest Ventures, she was hoping to get a better grasp of how others in the commercialisation ecosystem operate. What she didn’t expect was just how much the experience would broaden her perspective.

I went in with a whole bunch of questions and came out with even more,” laughs Krishna, a Commercialisation Analyst at Scion, a group of the Bioeconomy Science Institute.

“The venture capital environment was so much more involved than I thought. The stakes are higher, and the level of commitment from both the investment team and founders really struck me.”

Supported by KiwiNet, Krishna’s secondment involved spending time with the Bridgewest team part-time from May to July 2025. She joined weekly pipeline meetings and collaborated with an investment manager on early-stage opportunity assessments—diving into market data, due diligence, and competitor comparisons.

The biggest takeaway? “Understanding how VCs approach their due diligence and use data to make decisions—what kind of information they’re looking for and how they prioritise what matters.”

Krishna says she is now starting to apply that thinking in her role at Scion.

Another highlight was the culture of openness and generosity she encountered at Bridgewest.

“I was struck by how much support they offer, not just to the teams they invest in, but even those they don't. They offered genuinely constructive feedback. It really shifted my view of how VCs operate and the various ways in which they offer value,” she says.

“The networking was also really valuable; getting to know the team and making connections. The senior members were very generous with their advice and mentorship.”

Krishna says the experience also provided a better perspective on her place in the commercialisation ecosystem. “Commercialisation isn’t well known or understood as a profession. Sometimes the career pathways aren’t that clear—so opportunities like this are key to understanding what types of roles are out there and where you fit in.”

Her advice to others considering a secondment? “Go in knowing what you want to get out of it and share that with your host. It helps everyone get the most value from the experience.”

As for Bridgewest, Krishna says the organisation’s culture of supporting emerging talent stood out. “They’ve fostered a real teaching-by-internship environment. It’s a great place for people in the ecosystem to learn—and those opportunities are there for the taking.”