Venture Capital & Private Equity Lab
The Venture Capital & Private Equity Lab is a hands-on investment program designed for students interested in building careers in private equity, venture capital, mergers & acquisitions, real estate investing, and broader alternative assets.
Throughout the lab, participants will gain direct exposure to how investment decisions are made in real-world settings through practitioner-led workshops, mentorship from industry professionals, and an 8-week fund shadowing experience with leading investment firms.
Students will work in teams and develop a practical understanding of how investors evaluate opportunities, structure deals, assess risk, and create value.
The program concludes with final presentations where teams will present:
- Key learnings from their fund shadowing experience
- The work completed alongside their assigned fund
- Strategic insights gained throughout the program
- Program Learning Objectives
By the end of the lab, students will be able to:
- Understand how private equity, venture capital, real estate, and M&A firms operate
- Evaluate investment opportunities across multiple asset classes
- Understand valuation fundamentals and investment decision-making frameworks
- Gain exposure to real investment workflows through fund shadowing
- Develop professional communication skills when working with investment professionals
- Present investment insights in a clear and structured way
Program Structure
The lab consists of:
- Opening session
- Four industry-led workshops
- 8-week fund shadowing experience
- Final presentations
Opening Session
April 28, 2026 | 17:00 – 18:00
Led by: Paris de L’Etraz, Cristina Bejarano & Ignacio Larrú
Location: Area 31
This opening session will introduce students to the structure of the lab, expectations, deliverables, and the fund shadowing component.
Topics include:
- Overview of investment careers across private equity, venture capital, real estate, and M&A
- Introduction to participating funds
- Program expectations and timelines
- Team assignments
- Final presentation expectations
Private Equity in Practice: Investing in the Spanish Mid-Market
May 12, 2026 | 17:00 – 20:00
Led by: Lorenzo Thams, Partner at Espiga Capital
Location: MM 301
With a strong foundation in corporate finance and M&A, and an MBA from IESE Business School, Lorenzo brings a hands-on practitioner’s perspective that bridges the gap between academic finance and real-world investing.
This workshop is designed specifically for students eager to understand how private equity works beyond theory, with insights drawn directly from Espiga Capital’s track record investing in Spanish and Portuguese companies across manufacturing, consumer, and services sectors.
Topics covered include:
- How private equity funds work: fund structure, capital raising, LP/GP dynamics, and investment lifecycle
- Deal sourcing and due diligence
- Identifying mid-market opportunities in Spain and Portugal
- Valuation methodologies used by PE professionals
- Operational value creation
- Governance and management alignment
- Exit strategies and return generation
- Career opportunities in private equity
Venture Capital: How Investors Back High-Growth Startups
May 19, 2026 | 17:00 – 20:00
Led by: Ignacio Larrú, Academic Director
Location: MM 301
This session explores how venture capital firms identify, evaluate, and invest in high-growth startups.
Students will gain practical exposure to the venture capital ecosystem and understand how investors assess early-stage companies.
Topics covered include:
- How venture capital funds operate
- Fund economics and portfolio construction
- Startup sourcing and pipeline generation
- Evaluating founders and market opportunities
- Due diligence in early-stage investing
- Term sheets and deal structures
- Portfolio support and post-investment strategy
- Career pathways in venture capital
Real Estate Investing: Back to Basics
May 26, 2026 | 17:00 – 20:00
Led by: Tania La Menza, Executive Director at Tristan Capital Partners
Location: MM 301
With experience at Goldman Sachs and Tristan Capital Partners, and a Master in Finance from London Business School, Tania offers students a practical introduction to one of the world’s most important asset classes.
This workshop builds a strong foundation in real estate investing.
Topics covered include:
- Real estate as an asset class
- Residential, office, retail, logistics, and alternative sectors
- Income yield and capital appreciation
- Role of leverage
- Risk and valuation fundamentals
- Real estate market cyclesInstitutional investing structures
- Direct ownership, funds, REITs, and debt strategies
M&A Fundamentals: How Deals Get Done
June 2, 2026 | 17:00 – 20:00
Led by: Paris de L’Etraz
Location: MM 301
With over two decades of experience in investment banking and M&A at UBS and ABN AMRO, Paris brings practical insight into how transactions are executed.
This workshop gives students a realistic understanding of how deals are structured and completed.
Topics covered include:
- Why companies pursue M&A transactions
- Strategic rationale and synergies End-to-end
- M&A process
- Due diligence Negotiation Closing transactions
- Valuation fundamentals
- Deal structures Role of advisors
- Why deals fail
Fund Shadowing Experience (8 Weeks)
One of the most practical components of this lab is the 8-week fund shadowing experience, where student teams will be paired with investment funds and gain exposure to real workflows.
During this period, teams may support funds on projects based on the firm’s current needs. This may include:
- Market research
- Deal sourcing support
- Industry mapping
- Competitive analysis
- Investment memos
- Due diligence research
- Portfolio analysis
- Other live projects depending on fund requirements
Because students will be working directly with professionals, teams are expected to:
- Be highly responsive
- Reply promptly to communications from their assigned fund
- Maintain professionalism at all times
- Respect deadlines established by their assigned fund
- Deliver high-quality work
- This experience is designed to mirror the pace and expectations of real investment teams.
Final Presentations
June 10, 2026 | 17:30 – 20:50
Location: MM 301
At the end of the program, teams will present:
- The work completed during their fund shadowing experience
- Key investment insights developed throughout the program
- Challenges faced while working with their assigned fund
- Strategic recommendations or lessons learned
Presentations will be evaluated by Paris de L’Etraz, Ignacio Larrú, and guest jury members.