Start-up Interns

Step into the fast-paced world of start-ups and get paid while you learn.

Over four months, part-time, you’ll support one of the exciting early-stage ventures being developed through the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship’s Venture Lab incubator. This is hands-on experience that goes beyond theory – a chance to see innovation in action.

CIE’s programmes are free for University of Auckland students and staff. These co-curricular programmes help develop innovation and entrepreneurship skills alongside formal studies. While there are no formal assessments, participation may count towards the co-curricular recognition programme and the Distinguished Graduate Award.

For this year, we have four available positions. Please see the details below.

Apply by 30 March

Grow your network: Connect with start-ups, mentors, and the wider entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Learn by doing: Gain practical, hands-on experience you can’t get in a classroom.
Get paid: This is a paid opportunity to build real skills and gain hands-on experience, with an hourly rate of $28.53.
Boost your CV: Receive formal recognition through the University’s Co-curricular Recognition Programme and earn credits towards the Distinguished Graduate Award.
Recruitment experience: Get practice learning how to stand out from the crowd and impress in the interview.
Team vibes: Join a small, tight-knit team where collaboration and grit drive results.

Practical skills: Build valuable skills and experience to power up your future career.
Entrepreneurial mindset: Understand the start-up world and develop a can-do, innovative approach.
Real-world insights: See what it takes to turn ideas into reality and navigate the start-up journey.

Duration: April to July 
Hours: Approximately 6 hours per week, 130 hours total 
Flexibility: Workdays, times and location are agreed between you and the start-up 

Wyldbloom: Research and Outreach Internship

Start-up Description

WyldBloom is an early-stage startup helping embryologists make better informed decisions about embryos by equipping them with improved monitoring and decision support tools. The goal is to help patients have babies sooner in their IVF journey through stronger clinical decision-making.

Role Preview

• Build a structured and clean list of IVF clinics across New Zealand, Australia, Europe, Asia and the United States
• Gather detailed clinic information including annual IVF cycle numbers where available
• Identify scientific directors and verify their contact information
• Locate and document LinkedIn profiles of scientific directors
• Compile findings into a structured Excel or Google Sheets database
• Draft professional outreach emails to clinics
• Conduct professional phone calls where required to gather or validate information

Skills Required

• Proficiency in Excel or Google Sheets
• Ability to conduct research from across multiple information sources
• Ability to structure and clean data accurately
• Professional email writing skills
• Confidence conducting professional phone calls
• High attention to detail

Deployable Space Optics: Marketing & Design Internship 

Start-up Description 

We are a research-driven team forming a company developing deployable systems for spacecraft, pushing the boundaries of aerospace engineering. This is an opportunity to shape the brand and digital presence of an emerging aerospace company. 

Role Preview 

• Develop a professional website including structured navigation and menu design 
• Support phone app development 
• Create and manage the company LinkedIn page 
• Develop marketing materials 
• Design and implement brand identity including logo and colour schemes 
• Create product data sheets 
• Develop document templates 
• Write short technical descriptions of 4 to 5 products 
• Integrate and edit images and videos for website use 
• Create a Contact Us section with functional email integration 

Skills Required 

• Brand identity and visual communication capability
• Student with experience in marketing, digital content, web development or graphic design 
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite or Figma 
• Experience with HTML/CSS or platforms such as WordPress, Webflow or WIX 
• Strong attention to detail 
• Ability to translate technical concepts into clear visual communication 
• Ability to take ownership of tasks and work independently 

Nice to Have 

• Interest in aerospace or space technology 
• Relevant examples of design, web, or creative projects 
• Motion graphics or video editing experience 
• Familiarity with SEO best practices 
• Photography or videography skills 

Pollsport: Growth and Fan Engagement Internship

Start-up Description

Pollsport is a real-time prediction and trivia platform for live sports where players compete by answering rapid-fire questions during actual games. There is no money involved, only sports knowledge, leaderboard recognition and real prizes. The platform transforms fan engagement whether at a sports bar or watching from home.

Role Preview

• Build and maintain a structured lead database of advertisers, venues and streamers
• Use AI tools to research and personalise outreach
• Draft personalised outreach emails for each prospect
• Map and track lead pipeline in Excel
• Attend and support product trials at venues
• Assist with question generation and event facilitation
• Liaise with venue owners, staff and users
• Conduct structured user feedback sessions
• Produce feedback reports for the founding team
• Be available evenings and weekends for product trials

Skills Required

• Strong sports knowledge across rugby, football, cricket, basketball or UFC
• Understanding of sales, marketing and lead generation fundamentals
• Ability to use AI tools for prospecting, research, and personalised outreach
• Proficiency in Excel or Google Sheets to build, organise, and track structured lead pipelines
• Confidence initiating conversations
• Resilience in high-volume outreach environments
• Analytical thinking capability

Nice to Have

• Sports marketing exposure
• Experience with sponsorship or venue marketing

Vitruvian: Hardware and Systems Engineering Internship

Start-up Description

Vitruvian is an early-stage agritech startup developing IoT-enabled vineyard sensors to provide growers with real-time environmental data and decision support tools. The goal is to design, build and deploy robust, field-ready sensing systems across New Zealand vineyards to enable smarter, data-driven vineyard management.

Role Preview

• Support the design and build of hardware systems for vineyard deployment
• Assist with PCB design, assembly and testing
• Integrate environmental sensors into embedded systems
• Work with cellular IoT modules for remote data transmission
• Contribute to low-power hardware prototyping and firmware integration
• Assist with 3D printing and enclosure prototyping for field use
• Support testing, refinement and deployment of 20 field-ready systems in New Zealand vineyards by November 2026

Skills Required

• Engineering student with practical experience in hardware development, electronics or embedded systems
• Familiarity with PCB design and assembly
• Understanding of sensors and embedded systems
• Experience with cellular IoT modules and low-power hardware design
• Experience with 3D printing and enclosure prototyping
• Ideally worked on previous hardware or IoT projects
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail
• Comfortable working in an early-stage startup environment

“The internship has shown me the things I like to do and the things I don’t like to do. This is extremely valuable to me, as it taught me more about myself and has allowed me to create an even clearer path for what I want in the future.”

Kyle de Thier, Bachelor of Commerce student, interned at Fistbump

“The internship was not solely a coding all-day-long experience. I was also encouraged to attend the mentor meetings with VentureLab Manager Ken Erskine. These weekly meetings have given me such wonderful insights on how to tackle problems in the real world and really made me feel like an integral part of the PrintGig team.

The most valuable lesson I have learned during my internship is that it is not just about being the best but bringing out the best in others that makes a team successful. And I believe it is these learnings that have shaped me into a better professional.”

Simran Nayak, Master of Information Technology student, interned at PrintGig

“One of the benefits of working at a start-up is that there is no hierarchy, so it’s been easy for me to leave my comfort zone by not just focusing on the technical side of the business. I’ll be continuing my internship at Delta Waterways, and my role will be to further develop, validate, and improve the water quality algorithms so that we can successfully complete our upcoming trial run with the regional councils.”

Nicholas Lee, Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) student, interned at Delta Waterways

“I plan to finish my studies this year and join the workforce in the area of international trade and foreign affairs. The market analysis role has better equipped me in the international trade space, which I am grateful for. The connections I made and the warm working environment we created were the highlight of my experience and will hopefully be connections that endure even after the internship’s completion.”

Max Johansson-Pugh, Bachelor of Commerce and Arts student, interned at SuperCarbon

If you have questions about the programme, please contact cie_programmes@auckland.ac.nz

The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship provides a world of opportunity to participants so that they can stand-out and create value through innovative careers and start-up creation.

CIE is New Zealand’s leading University entrepreneurship centre, winning 14 international awards since 2020.