Internship Project
Start-Ups: Business Development and Strategy

CIYANO – Fundraising and Business Development at a Fossil-Free Materials Start-Up

Institution
Science & Startups
Subject Area
Funding and Business Development
Availability
03 May – 23 July
 
Internship Modality:
On-site internship in Berlin
 
Project Supervisor(s)
Greta Zanellato
Servet Karadeniz (Founder & CEO)
Academic Level
  • Advanced undergraduate students (from the second year)
  • Master’s students
  • Doctoral students

Language
English
Further Information
Project Type
Start-Up
Project Content
CIYANO Solutions GmbH is a Berlin deep-tech start-up that develops chemical additives to boost the performance of bio-based materials, helping industry shift away from fossil plastics. Bio-based materials often break, deform, or are hard to process, which keeps them out of high-performance industries such as automotive and electronics. Thanks to our additives, added in small quantities during production, these materials become stronger and easier to process. The technology works at a small scale in our lab, and we already work with our first industry partners. In 2027, we are moving into commercial expansion: finding new customers and raising funding to scale up production.

Tasks for Interns
You will join the business and strategy team at the center of a deep-tech start-up and work directly with the founders and our operations lead. You will see how a deep-tech start-up gets financed and grows: from investor conversations and grant applications to turning first partnerships into customers.

Expected activities:
  • Researching and mapping investors (VCs, business angels, family offices) in climate and deep tech, and keeping the investor pipeline up to date
  • Supporting the preparation of due diligence, pitch materials, financial figures and documents for investors
  • Identifying German and EU funding programs that fit our stage and supporting applications: research, drafting and budget inputs
  • Supporting outreach to potential customers and partners, and tracking follow-ups in a CRM
  • Summarizing findings for the founders and presenting them at the end of the internship

Academic Level
  • Advanced undergraduate students (from the second year)
  • Master’s students
  • Doctoral students

Requirements
Our ideal intern is a curious, proactive student who wants to learn how a deep-tech start-up gets funded and grows:
  • We welcome applicants from business, economics, management, entrepreneurship, or a related field
  • We expect strong written and spoken English
  • We value solid research and analytical skills: finding, structuring and summarising information from many sources
  • You are a versatile generalist who can jump on any topic and get things done!
  • You have an entrepreneurial self-starter mindset and are comfortable working under uncertainty
  • You are humble, self-aware, and a team player

Expected Preparation
Optional, but it will help you start faster:
  • Get familiar with the funding stages of a start-up (pre-seed, seed, Series A) and what a company typically needs to move from one stage to the next: https://www.vcbacked.co/blog/startup-funding-stages-explained
  • Take a short online course or watch tutorials on how to create and present a pitch deck: i.e. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV-aQW7VbLk
  • Watch beginner tutorials to get familiar with HubSpot (CRM software): i.e. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8QM5zunC44

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For more information on the Humboldt Internship Program or the project, please contact the program coordinator.