Mind the Bridge is a global innovation advisory firm that empowers economies through entrepreneurship and innovation. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, with offices in Barcelona, Seoul, and Milan, it has been building bridges between startups and corporations since 2007.
Mind the Bridge scouts, filters, and works with 10,000+ startups each year, supporting global corporations with open innovation initiatives that translate into curated deals with startups (PoCs, procurement, investments, and acquisitions). It also provides innovation advisory services to corporations, and startup acceleration and ecosystem development services to public organizations. Mind the Bridge developed MTB Ecosystem, an AI-powered open innovation matching platform for innovation ecosystem hubs and corporations.
As part of the Mind the Bridge team in San Francisco, you will support both our Corporate Advisory and Startup Programs activities.
On the advisory side, you will help analyze the open innovation strategies of leading international corporations, developing a deep understanding of how large organizations engage with startups, emerging technologies, and the broader innovation ecosystem.
On the startup programs side, you will contribute to the design and execution of international acceleration and market entry programs, supporting high-potential startups from around the world as they prepare to expand into the US market.
These include market research, startup assessment, program operations, ecosystem mapping, preparation of presentations and reports, and interaction with founders, mentors, corporate partners, and investors.
This is a unique opportunity to gain first-hand exposure to both corporate innovation and startup internationalization while working with one of the leading global open innovation organizations. You will collaborate with international corporations, entrepreneurs, investors, and public organizations, gaining practical experience in how innovation ecosystems operate across different markets.
Conduct research on startups, emerging technologies, innovation ecosystems, and corporate innovation initiatives.
Support innovation advisory projects, including technology scouting, startup scouting, benchmarking, and the preparation of reports and client presentations.
Support the design and execution of international startup acceleration and market-entry programs.
Build and continuously expand your own network of founders, investors, universities, accelerators, corporate innovators, and ecosystem partners, contributing to the growth of Mind the Bridge’s global network.
Develop and maintain relationships with startup founders, corporate stakeholders, mentors, investors, and other members of the innovation ecosystem.
Help organize workshops, demo days, networking events, and meetings with international stakeholders.
Contribute ideas to improve internal processes and support the digital transformation of our operations.
Support communication activities, including blog articles and social media.
Support startups participating in MTB programs through research, operational activities, and ecosystem engagement.
Backgorund:
You are a top graduate or current graduate student in a STEM, Business, or related field.
You are knowledgeable about—or simply curious and passionate about—startups, entrepreneurship, innovation, and emerging technologies.
Native-level English proficiency is required. Additional languages are highly appreciated, particularly Korean, Italian, and Spanish.
What makes you succesfull:
You communicate clearly and professionally, both verbally and in writing.
You can quickly analyze large amounts of information, synthesize key insights, and present them in a structured and effective way.
You are organized, detail-oriented, and accountable.
You enjoy taking ownership and getting things done.
You are proactive, resourceful, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
You are able to work both independently and as part of an international team.
You value constructive feedback and are always looking to learn and improve.
You have strong interpersonal skills and enjoy building long-term professional relationships.
You have a positive attitude and a good sense of humor.
You are ideally available for 6 months (minimum 3 months).
Internship, unpaid
San Francisco (preferred), remote possible
Potential for continued employment at MTB post-internship