Why 3i: Interviews, Careers, & Portfolio

3i Overview

3i Group plc (“3i”) is a multinational venture capital and private equity firm headquartered in London, England.

The firm was established way back in 1945 as the Industrial and Commercial Finance Corporation (or ICFC) by the Bank of England along with other major British banks to offer long-term investments for SME.

3i typically invests in growth capital (minority), mid-market buyouts, and infrastructure – all within the consumer, healthcare, industrials and energy, and business and financial sectors.

The stock symbol of 3i on the London Stock Exchange is “III” and it’s also a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

3i AUM

According to the latest regulatory filings, 3i has $2.0 BB in assets under management as of August 25, 2022.

3i Interview Process & Questions

Firms can make modifications in their interview process for each candidate. However, when you interview at 3i (or similar firms), you can expect the following:

• Around 4-6 rounds of interviews
• Junior investment professionals supervise the initial rounds, while the senior staff handle the later phase of the interview.
• The whole process can take multiple weeks – unless it’s an on-cycle or on-campus recruiting

Interviews at 3i will be a mixture of a set of questions: fit, behavioral, and technical / investing.

Need help preparing for interviews? My Growth Equity Interview Guide is right for you.

Why 3i

The most common question you’ll receive during interviews is “Why this firm”.

If you’ve done networking prior to your interviews, this is your chance to mention whoever you’ve met and how they’ve positively influenced your decision to apply at their firm.

Also, I would recommend learning more about the firm. A great way to do this is to listen to interviews with its founders, investors, and employees.

For starters, check out this interview with Pieter de Jong and Peter Wirtz, Co-Heads of Private Equity, as they explain how 3i partners with mid-sized businesses:

More Interview

• 3i’s Phil White and Anna Dellis explain 3i Infrastructure plc’s business model

3i Case Study

Case studies almost always show up during interviews at firms like 3i. The reason is firms use case studies to evaluate each candidate’s technical and communication skills – both crucial to investor’s success.

Most case studies revolve around investment recommendations and financial modeling. But for junior roles, cold calling case study may also be required.

For case study preparation, check out my Growth Equity Interview Guide.

3i Salary & Compensation

According to Glassdoor, 3i offers annual salaries of $106K on average to their associates. Figures may vary depending on various factors such as location, experience, and education. No recent data for analyst hires.

Associate

3i Careers, Jobs, & Internships

To see the most recent open roles at 3i, visit our job board which features promising opportunities for them and other growth / VC firms.

3i Portfolio & Investments

According to Crunchbase, 3i has made 469 investments across seven funds. Some of their notable deals include Digital Barriers, Mepal, and ten23 health

Notable Transaction: VakantieDiscounter

VakantieDiscounter is one of the most well-known online travel agencies in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg (Benelux) as they provide best-value holiday deals.

They offer over 1.3 billion holiday package combinations across 50 countries with 17,000+ accommodation choices.

In July 2022, 3i Group (“3i”) announced that they agreed to provide investment support to VakantieDiscounter.

One of the reasons for the said funding is that VakantieDiscounter is a very scalable, tech-driven business with a strong position in their respective market and also composed of capable team members.

The investment also helps the Company ensure that they have the resources to retain their market leadership and also to successfully go through the current economic environment.

Next Steps

3i is an excellent firm to build your career in finance. If you want to be part of their team, you have to stand out during your interviews.

For that, I would recommend my Growth Equity Interview Guide which is a self-paced online course designed to teach you the critical topics such as case study, financial modeling, and many more.

Check it out and start learning today!