Sovereign AI - Investment Associate - Principal

Investment Associate - Principal

In January 2025, the Prime Minister launched the AI Opportunities Action Plan, placing artificial intelligence at the centre of the UK’s economic and national security strategy. The Sovereign AI Fund sits at the heart of this mission, with a clear mandate: to identify, back and scale the companies that will define the UK’s position in one of the most consequential technologies of our time. 

Backed by £500 million, the Fund exists to turn ambition into action, supporting high-potential AI startups and scaleups to become national champions and strengthening the UK’s sovereign capability in frontier AI. 

We are hiring an Investment Principal to help deliver this. 

This is a role for an individual who want to develop their judgment at the centre of investment decision-making. You will work closely with the investment team to identify and evaluate the most important opportunities, build a deep understanding of emerging technologies, and contribute to decisions that shape the portfolio. We move quickly in often ambiguous situations, but we have a clear expectation: be intellectually rigorous, curious, and consistently raise the quality of our thinking. 

 

What you’ll do 

• You will run a high-quality pipeline of AI companies by researching the ecosystem, mapping key themes, and helping the team build access to important opportunities. 

• You will work alongside Partners throughout the investment process, from initial research and first engagement through to diligence and execution, contributing analysis and helping build conviction. 

• You will conduct deep dives on companies, technologies, and markets developing clear views on commercial potential and strategic importance and helping distinguish genuine innovation from hype. 

• You will prepare investment materials, presenting complex information into clear insights, and ensure decisions are supported by rigorous evidence and structured thinking. 

• You will work with portfolio companies' post-investment, supporting Partners and founders with research, problem-solving, and connections across government and industry. 

• You will also contribute to how the Fund operates, helping to refine processes, build knowledge systems, and improve how we capture and apply insight as the organisation grows. 

 

Who this is for 

• This role is for individuals at an earlier stage in their investing careers with no more than 5 years' experience who want to build expertise in AI investing and develop strong investment judgment over time. 

• You may have experience in venture capital, consulting, research, startups, or deep tech, and have demonstrated strong analytical ability and intellectual curiosity.  

• You are comfortable engaging with technical concepts and are motivated to build a deeper understanding of AI, emerging technologies, and their real-world applications. 

• You care about building deep relationships across the AI ecosystem spanning founders, operators and investors. You love meeting founders and becoming thought partner with them. 

• You are thoughtful, have strong comms and able to structure ambiguous problems clearly. You ask good questions, learn quickly, and are motivated to improve through exposure to high-quality decision-making. 

• You work well with others, are low ego, and are motivated by contributing to a team effort rather than owning decisions independently. 

• Most importantly, you are driven by the opportunity to learn quickly and apply your skills to helping shape what the UK builds and where it leads in AI. 

 

Why do this 

AI will define the next era of economic growth and national capability. The question is not whether that future arrives, but who shapes it. 

This role is an opportunity to learn at the frontier and working closely with experienced investors while developing the skills, judgment, and perspective needed to back the next generation of important companies. 

You will contribute to ensuring the UK is not simply a participant, but a leader by supporting the companies, technologies, and capabilities that will underpin a more secure, more competitive, and more advantageous future for Britain.