Position Title: Venture & Partnerships Intern
Company Description: Launch Chapel Hill turns breakthroughs into businesses. We are the Triangle’s proving ground for deep tech founders building innovative solutions in enterprise, health, and defense. Since 2013, we have helped founders turn bold ideas into companies that raise capital, earn revenue, and stay in North Carolina. Today we help deep tech founders win their first paying customer.
Our programs support founders from first idea to first customer, from student founders to university researchers to startups selling to enterprise buyers. We work alongside partners including KPMG, Innovate Carolina at UNC, and the Town of Chapel Hill. Launch is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit based at The Junction in Chapel Hill.
Every Launch intern supports Launch Powered by KPMG, the deep tech accelerator we run with KPMG each spring. You will gain exposure to KPMG leaders and meet innovators across a range of industries. You will also plug into the innovation ecosystem at UNC and across the Triangle and North Carolina.
This internship is a strong fit for students interested in entrepreneurship, innovation and emerging technology, nonprofits, or organizations that support entrepreneurs.
Company Website: https://www.launchchapelhill.com
Internship Job Description:
The role
Launch is growing beyond the Triangle and beyond a single flagship partnership. Over the next three years, we aim to build a broad base of corporate, university, and philanthropic support so we can start new programs and grow our team. You will help lead that growth. You will build market maps and find the organizations and universities that can send us strong deep tech founders. You will also map corporate partners who can become our founders’ first customers and who can fund Launch’s work. Capital matters to every founder, so you will also build relationships with VC firms and angel investors who should be sourcing deals from Launch companies. Your research shapes where Launch recruits its next cohorts and which partners it pursues next.
What you’ll do
• Build a national pipeline map of the accelerators, VC firms, research commercialization offices, and founder fellowships that can refer strong deep tech founders to Launch.
• Identify universities beyond UNC, Duke, and NC State where Launch should recruit, and find the right contacts at each.
• Map corporate partner prospects across enterprise, health, and defense. Show how each could become a customer for Launch founders, a funding partner for Launch, or both.
• Map the VC firms and angel networks investing in deep tech, and build relationships so they look to Launch companies for their next deals.
• Draft outreach and partnership materials with the Brand & Storytelling Fellow, take part in conversations with prospective partners and investors, and represent Launch at Triangle and regional events.
• Share what you learn about founders’ needs with the team, set clear measures for our reach, and present your recommendations at the end of the semester.
What you’ll bring
Launch is a two-person team, which means you will be handed the reins from day one. We will give you real opportunities, real challenges, and the trust to run with them. We are your biggest cheerleaders and are here whenever you need us. If you love taking an open question and turning it into something real, this role is for you.
• Curiosity about deep tech, venture, and how startups win customers and capital.
• Creative thinking and a drive to try what has not been done before.
• Comfort with ambiguity and building as you go.
• Initiative and the follow-through to see your ideas become real.
• Entrepreneurial energy and a love of working on a small, ambitious team.
Type and Timing of Internship:
Part Time, during
Spring Semester
Approximate Start and End Dates:
2027-01-11T00:00:00Z to 2027-04-30T00:00:00Z
Internship Location: Chapel Hill
Paid or Unpaid: Yes –
Application Instructions:
2026-12-04T00:00:00Z
How to apply
Email Naomi Burns at naomi@launchchapelhill.com by 5pm ET on December 4, 2026, with the subject line “Venture & Partnerships Intern – [Your Name]” You may apply for more than one role. Please send a separate email for each.
Include two things.
1. Your resume. No cover letter needed.
2. A short blurb of 3–5 sentences about yourself and your interest in the role, plus any questions you have.
Primary Contact Email: naomi@launchchapelhill.com