Are you a student looking to grow your professional skills in an exciting startup environment?

The new McMaster Startup Internships (MSI) offer students real-world entrepreneurial experience that can kick-start their careers.

The program has been established by the McMaster Entrepreneurship Academy, with support from the office of the President and the Marnix E. Heersink School of Biomedical Innovation and Entrepreneurship in collaboration with the Forge incubator and the Clinic innovation hub.

MSI offers paid full-time and part-time internships to graduate and undergraduate students from all faculties and programs. They will have the chance to work for startup companies and venture capital teams within McMaster’s local innovation ecosystem.

The program will help students build their professional skills and networks, and give leading companies access to top student talent, says Leyla Soleymani, associate vice-president, Research (Commercialization & Entrepreneurship).

“We’re thrilled to launch the McMaster Startup Internship program in collaboration with The Forge, The Clinic, and the Marnix E. Heersink School of Biomedical Innovation and Entrepreneurship,” Soleymani says.

“McMaster is truly a training ground for entrepreneurial talent, and we’re excited to offer more opportunities for students to make an impact in this space and play a part in Hamilton’s dynamic innovation ecosystem.”

“By mobilizing McMaster student talent, we can accelerate health innovations and support McMaster companies to commercialize their health research and have real-world impact,” says John Kelton, executive director of the Marnix E. Heersink School of Biomedical Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which trains students in the emerging discipline of innovation and entrepreneurship, building graduates ready to contribute to biomedical startups.

Successful applicants will work for one of McMaster’s many high-impact startup companies or venture capital teams that advance product and service-based solutions in clean energy, AI and digital technologies, health, medicine and more.

Students may apply for one or multiple opportunities in two MSI streams — the Startup Immersion Internship and the Investment Analyst Fellowship.

The Startup Immersion Internship is a full-time, 16-week position at a McMaster-affiliated startup. Students will support the company’s business activities in a variety of roles, including operations, marketing, business development, R&D and more.

The Investment Analyst Fellowship is a part-time position consisting of six weeks of investor diligence training and four weeks of work experience involving the review of startup funding applications and development of diligence reports for investors.

The fellowship runs from January to March 2025, and placements for the Startup Immersion Internship run from May through August 2025.

Experience in entrepreneurship is extremely valuable for students across all faculties and career paths, says Sean Van Koughnett, associate vice-president, Students, and special advisor to the President on Innovation & Entrepreneurship.

“The McMaster Startup Internship program provides hands-on, immersive work experience in entrepreneurship and a valuable opportunity for students to build transferable skills in communication, collaboration and problem-solving,” Van Koughnett says.

“We’re excited to see students make the most of these opportunities and gain real-world experience with real-world impact.”

Interested in applying?

Visit the entrepreneurship website to learn more about MSI.

Students interested in applying for the Investment Analyst Fellowship are invited to attend a virtual information session on Nov. 27 or Dec. 4.

Students interested in applying for the Startup Immersion Internship are invited to attend an information session on Nov. 21.  Additional sessions will be available in the new year.