Technical Fellow – AI & Robotics (Paid Fellowship)

Samsung Next is an investment and corporate development group that champions bold and ambitious founders, focusing on transformative innovations in AI, intelligent machines, healthtech, consumer services, and frontier technologies. We provide early-stage capital, expertise, and access to Samsung to accelerate founder success and bring strategic value to Samsung in the form of insights and collaborations.

The Technical Fellowship is a paid, cohort-based pathway for exceptional technical talent to explore venture investing. It is designed for technical students and recent graduates from research-intensive degree programs who want to understand how frontier technology becomes a company—and whether investing is the right long-term path for them.

No prior investing experience is required. What matters is deep, current technical expertise and the judgment to separate strong claims from weak ones.

Fellows are embedded directly with the MD for AI and Robotics and with an experienced member of our investment team. Each Fellow has a dedicated primary manager responsible for setting their goals, meeting weekly, and providing substantive feedback. Fellows work on live and practice deals, build sector theses, and produce publication-ready investment memos.

The commitment is approximately 20 hours per week over 12–16 weeks. Note this is a Spring 2027 Fellowship with the work truly commencing in January 2027, however for administrative purposes Fellows must be hired no later than December 14, 2026. Upon completion of the initial 12–16 week fellowship, outstanding Fellows will be considered for a continued summer residency and, ultimately, an investor role at Samsung Next.

Samsung Next is based in Mountain View, CA (San Francisco Bay Area). Occasional travel to the office as well as conferences and events will be required.

What You'll Do

• Build a focused thesis. Develop a structured sector or forward-looking technology thesis in your area of depth.
• Map markets and source opportunities. Produce a comprehensive ecosystem map covering key market players, academic researchers, and commercial trends—and surface companies worth meeting. Sourcing is a significant part of the investing work and it is expected this will be a large component of your work.
• Run technical diligence. Perform rigorous technical evaluations on live or practice venture opportunities, assessing what is genuinely novel versus well-packaged.
• Write investment memos. Produce one or more concise, publication-ready investment memos and defend your point of view in deal discussions.
• Participate in cohort learning. Join a kickoff intensive on investment evaluation, technical diligence, and memo writing, plus recurring office hours and peer reviews with your cohort.

Required Qualifications

• Currently enrolled or a recent graduate of a graduate degree program in computer science, engineering, or a related technical field, with a strong research background.
• Deep expertise in a frontier technical area—specifically AI, robotics, edge/cloud infrastructure.
• Demonstrated evidence of building, researching, publishing, shipping, or founding.
• Strong analytical writing and communication skills—able to simplify the complex, synthesize information, and provide pointed insights.
• Genuine intellectual curiosity about company building, markets, and customers.
• Professional judgment and discretion; comfortable handling confidential information.
• Ability to work in an unstructured environment and take initiative without close supervision.
• Available for an in-person kickoff in Mountain View and regular hybrid presence during the program.

Nice to Have

• Commercial instincts—an ability to connect a technology to customers and market timing.
• Prior startup, research lab, or founding experience.
• Involvement in technical communities, open source, or published research.