Spring 2021 Venture Match

The MIT Innovation Initiative helps MIT-connected ventures and MIT students connect for MIT-funded internship opportunities.

MIT-connected Ventures can register at the bottom of this page. Once you complete the registration form, you will receive an email confirming your registration within 48 hours.

Venture Match Program for Spring 2021

The Venture Match Program connects MIT-connected ventures with MIT undergraduate students for internships for the Spring semester. It’s fast and easy for you to create a profile and list your internship opportunities.

Undergraduate students explore internship opportunities and apply on InnovationOne. Ventures are notified when students apply to their posting and can review and accept their interns. Best of all, there is no cost to startups to participate.

Program Details:

Venture Eligibility. Ventures must be “MIT-connected”. This means a founder or key member of the executive staff is an MIT alumnus/a, faculty member, or staff member.
Eligible ventures may hire up to 3 eligible MIT-funded interns for each semester.
Student Eligibility. Selected interns must be current undergraduate students at MIT and must not have been awarded the $1,900 Experiential Learning Opportunities (ELO) funding award at any point previously through any ELO program (including non-venture match programs).
During the Spring semester, interns must also work a minimum of 80 hours between February 16 and May 20, 2021, and will be funded $1,900 from MITii.
Students: Make sure your mailing address is up-to-date in ATLAS to receive your funding award!

Ventures: Interested? Register below. Wait 48 hours for approval, and, once approved, log in to the InnovationOne Portal using the link in your verified email inbox.

Program Details

Are there any internship parameters?

All internship opportunities must be hands-on/applied, have rigorous content, dedicated supervision, meaningful intensity, and involve reflection/evaluation.

Does my startup qualify?

Your venture must be an MIT-connected venture in order to qualify. We define MIT-connected as those ventures that have an MIT faculty, staff, or alumni founder.

My venture is MIT-connected, but is headquartered, or looking for student interns to work outside of the U.S.. How do I participate?

International internships are managed through MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI). Learn more and contact a MISTI program manager to learn how you can host an MIT student here.

How many opportunities can I post?

You can submit multiple opportunities to the platform. But you can only hire up to 3 distinct interns each semester for each intern to be eligible for the $1,900 stipend.

How do I know when people have applied?

You’ll receive an automatic email notification with a link to your dashboard each time a student applies.

How many students can I hire?

Each venture can hire up to three student interns per semester.

Who pays the student?

MIT will cover the cost of the internship, up to $1,900 total. MIT will pay students directly by mailing a check to the student's mailing address listed on their InnovationOne profile.

Can I pay the student more than what they are getting from MIT?

Yes! MIT will pay the student the $1,900 stipend, but ventures can pay interns directly any additional payments of which the venture and the student intern have agreed.

How many total hours does the internship need to be? How many hours per week?

The internship must be between 80 and 140 hours total.

Is this opportunity open to graduate students?

At this time, this opportunity is only available to undergraduates.

In order for the student to qualify for the stipend, does the internship match need to be made through this platform?

Yes. In your portal, under "status" select the option "Accept" to notify the student you are offering them an internship position.

For students and ventures participating in the Venture Match program, who owns any generated IP?

Students looking for IP guidance should refer to OVC’s chart on Guiding Principles Regarding Student Intellectual Property Rights (https://ovc.mit.edu/guiding-principles-regarding-student-intellectual-property-rights/). Issues of IP ownership are always fact-specific and this chart is not intended to address all scenarios. Note, for activities like UROPs Off campus and Non-MIT Hackathons, IP is usually owned by the third party, not the student (but could be negotiated). Generally, students with questions about a specific IP ownership issue should contact tlo-ipia@mit.edu. However, TLO does not review any IP agreements/terms between students and companies concerning externships/internships. Students seeking legal resources on specific agreements/terms may utilize the BU/MIT Law Clinic (https://innovationone.mit.edu/resource/boston-university-school-of-law-clinics-at-mit/). Students and ventures are both strongly encouraged to clarify any IP issues in advance of beginning an internship. MIT does not provide legal services to ventures, and ventures are encouraged to contact their legal counsel on matters of IP and employment.

I have matched with a student. What is next?

The venture can reach out to the student to let them know the great news and onboard them! As far as payments, the venture does not need to track or report hours to MIT. MIT will verify with each venture before sending payment to the student interns. MIT will pay students directly. In fall and spring, payments are made in two installments totaling $1,900, one halfway through the semester and another at the end of the semester. During the IAP, payments will be made in early February.

I want to participate in this program for the Spring. How do I sign up?

To participate in the Spring 2021 Venture Match, please check for details on the InnovationOne website in mid-January.

If you still have questions after reviewing the Program Details above, you may submit your questions here.

Venture Registration Instructions

Click here to view the instructions for registering for Venture Match.

Venture Member Login Instructions

Click here to view the instructions to login to your Venture portal.