Why Playground Global: Interviews, Careers, & Portfolio

Playground Global Overview

Playground Global is a venture capital firm based in Palo Alto, CA, that invests in early-stage startups with groundbreaking technologies.

Their focus areas include automation, infrastructure, synthetic biology, and decarbonization. They offer initial investments between $1 million and $20 million, helping visionary entrepreneurs develop their innovative ideas into successful businesses.

Playground Global’s team of technical and operational experts supports founders in achieving their goals.

They have been early, and often first, investors in companies like d-Matrix, Ideon, MosaicML, PsiQuantum, Relativity Space, Strand Therapeutics, Ultima Genomics, and Universal Hydrogen.

The company was founded by Bruce Leak, Peter Barrett, Andy Rubin, and Matt Hershenson in 2015.

Playground Global AUM

In December 2023, Playground Global announced on their official LinkedIn page that they secured $410 million in new funding, increasing their total assets under management to over $1.2 billion.

Playground Global Interview Process & Questions

Investment firms often tailor their interview process for each candidate. However, if you’re interviewing at Playground Global (or a similar firm), you can generally expect the following:

• Around 4-6 interview rounds
• Initial interviews typically conducted by junior investment professionals or the HR team, with senior staff handling the later stages
• The entire process usually spans several weeks, unless it’s during “on-cycle” or “on-campus” recruiting

At Playground Global, interviews will likely include a mix of fit, behavioral, and technical/investing questions.

If you need resources for interview preparation, consider using my Growth Equity Interview Guide.

Why Playground Global

“Why do you want to work for our firm?” is one of the most frequent and crucial interview questions.

If you’ve engaged in networking, mention the people you’ve met at the firm and how they’ve positively influenced your perception of the company.

Listening to interviews with the firm’s founders or investors is also an excellent way to gain insights about the company.

For example, here’s an interview with Bruce Leak, Founding Partner at Playground Global:

More Interviews

• Peter Barrett, General Partner at Playground, shares how he sees the automation and robotics space
• Playground Global’s General Partners talks about the future of investing in deep tech

Playground Global Case Study

Interviewees typically encounter a case study during their interviews, as it helps firms evaluate both technical skills and communication abilities.

At firms like Playground Global, most case studies center on financial modeling and investment recommendations. For junior roles, candidates may also need to complete a cold calling case study.

For assistance in preparing for case studies, consider taking our course. 

Playground Global Salary & Compensation

According to Glassdoor, associates at Playground Global have (median) salaries of $56K per year, while there is no recent data for analyst hires. Salaries may vary depending on experience, skills, and education.

Associate

Playground Global Careers, Jobs, & Internships

To see open roles at Playground Global, check out our job board which features all open roles for them and other similar firms.

Playground Global Portfolio & Investments

According to Crunchbase, Playground Global has made 114 investments across three funds. Some of their notable deals include Boxbot, Phasecraft, and Amber Bio.

Notable Transaction: Element Zero

Element Zero is a green materials platform company focused on achieving zero-carbon production of iron, steel, and other advanced metals.

The company has created a cost-effective and efficient method to transform iron ore and other minerals into pure metal without any carbon emissions.

On January 17, 2024, Element Zero announced it raised $10 million in seed funding, led by Playground Global. Peter Barrett, Co-Founder and General Partner at Playground Global, has joined Element Zero’s board of directors.

Peter Barrett expressed that Element Zero will play a pivotal role in transforming Western Australia from the world’s mine to the world’s foundry, significantly reducing carbon emissions in the process.

Next Steps

If you decide to send your application and build your investing career at Playground Global, I would highly recommend that you check out my Growth Equity Interview Guide first before attending interviews.

Growth Equity Interview Guide helps professionals get a good grasp of topics that are typically covered during interviews such as financial modeling, case studies, and more. Check it out and start learning today!