From Goldman Sachs Intern to AI Founder: Oxford Grad’s Startup Journey with Y Combinator

Banking Dream Dashed by Internship Experience

What began as a prestigious finance career aspiration ended in a complete professional pivot for one Oxford University graduate, according to his account. Raymond Zhao, 23, reportedly dreamed of working at Goldman Sachs until his 2024 summer internship revealed the reality of investment banking wasn’t aligned with his passions.

Banking Dream Dashed by Internship Experience
The AI Awakening
Building Structured AI
Y Combinator Acceleration
Funding and Future Prospects

The report states that Zhao moved from Australia to the UK in 2021 to study mathematics and statistics at Oxford, where he initially viewed finance as “the most prestigious route” for someone with his background. Sources indicate he admired the “good pay, respect, and smart, hardworking colleagues” associated with banking careers, particularly at Goldman Sachs where many people he looked up to worked.

The AI Awakening

After completing his Goldman Sachs internship, analysts suggest Zhao underwent significant career reconsideration during backpacking travels in Southeast Asia. When he returned to Oxford for his Master’s degree in 2024, he reportedly became involved with the university’s venture capital and AI societies, where he met his future cofounders and discovered his entrepreneurial calling.

“AI, on the other hand, feels exciting,” Zhao stated in his account. “Many of the great AI companies of the next decade are being built right now, and I want to be a part of that.” This realization reportedly coincided with his observation that among his peers, “in some cases, it was easier to raise money for a startup than land an entry-level job in AI.”

Building Structured AI

Zhao cofounded Structured AI with Isabel Greenslade and Brandon Smith, developing what sources describe as “a copilot for the preconstruction engineering world.” The startup reportedly addresses repetitive manual workflows engineers face, particularly text-based tasks like paperwork and building forms, by creating AI agents to assist them., according to market analysis

The entrepreneurial journey faced early setbacks, according to reports. The team’s first application to Y Combinator for the summer 2025 cohort was rejected. However, during his final week at Oxford in June, Zhao reportedly traveled to San Francisco for an AI conference and unexpectedly raised approximately $500,000 from investors.

Y Combinator Acceleration

Structured AI eventually gained acceptance into Y Combinator’s Fall 2025 Batch, with the program reportedly providing intense immersion into startup culture. “People warned us YC would be intense, and it is,” Zhao stated. “It’s a real sprint, and everyone works around the clock.”, according to industry news

The report indicates the team has converted their San Francisco Airbnb living room into an office space with multiple monitors and extending desks. Their days allegedly begin between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. and extend through evening conferences, calls, and events, with Zhao reportedly operating on approximately six hours of sleep nightly.

Funding and Future Prospects

Including the $500,000 from Y Combinator, Structured AI has reportedly raised about $1 million in pre-seed funding. The startup’s verification by Business Insider confirms both Zhao’s internship, funding, and Y Combinator acceptance, while Goldman Sachs declined to comment when contacted.

The cohort concludes in early December with Demo Day, where founders will reportedly pitch their progress to investors. For Zhao, the calculation between corporate employment and entrepreneurship was clear: “building something in AI and the returns going directly to me, versus taking a corporate job, where you can wait years for a promotion.”

His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? “If you have an idea for a startup that’s keeping you up at night, I recommend trying to launch it. If you can make it work and have the appetite for risk, startup life can be very rewarding.”

From finance aspirant to AI founder, Zhao’s journey demonstrates how internship experiences can dramatically redirect career paths toward unexpected but potentially more fulfilling destinations.