Presented by NYCEDC, Supermomos, Everywhere Ventures, and CUNY IAR
New York City’s venture capital industry has experienced significant growth in recent years. From 2011 to 2023, VC firms invested nearly $210 billion into NYC startups, equal to the combined amounts of London, Singapore, and Hong Kong during the same period.
Despite this immense growth, the deployment of capital has not been equitable. Only 2.1 percent of VC dollars go to all‑women founding teams, under two percent to startups with Latinx founders, and less than one percent to startups with Black founders.
Additionally, opportunities in the VC world remain out of reach for many New Yorkers. National Pitchbook and Crunchbase data estimates that less than 18 percent of VC investment professionals are women, five percent are Latinx, and 1.2 percent are Black.
As part of our efforts to address such inequities in the venture capital ecosystem, NYCEDC launched the NYC Venture Capital Internship Program, which aims to create a more equitable and representative talent pipeline into the venture capital industry.
Program Overview
The NYC VC Internship Program connects NYC-based venture capital firms with pre-screened and pre-trained students from CUNY and other NYC schools for paid 10-week summer work experiences. After interns complete a paid, pre-internship training week that provides a primer on the VC and tech-investing world, participating NYC firms host students for nine paid weeks and can extend the internship or hire students for contract, part-time, or full-time work at the conclusion of the program.
VC firms hosting interns gain:
- Additional operational capacity in core areas like market research, deal sourcing, due diligence, portfolio support, and fundraising
- Access to the next generation of talented and diverse VC leaders
VC hosts must be headquartered in NYC or have partner-level presence in NYC, with one or more investments in tech or tech-enabled startups in the past year and can range in fund size and investment verticals.
Participating students receive:
- Full-time paid internships that are relevant to their fields of study and career goals (finance, business administration, entrepreneurship, and STEM)
- Professional development, mentorship, and networking experiences
Apply to Host Interns: Foster equitable opportunity while adding operational capacity for your firm.
Apply to Mentor Interns: Guide and inspire students breaking into VC.
Apply to Be an Intern: Be part of the next generation of venture capital leaders.
Year One (2025) Results
NYC students received paid internships
NYC VC firms hosted paid interns
CUNY student representation within 2025 cohort
Students continued work w/ host startup beyond conclusion of program
NYC students received paid internships
Students continued work w/ host startup beyond conclusion of program
NYC VC firms hosted paid interns
CUNY student representation within 2025 cohort
Driving Equity in Tech and VC
The NYC VC Internship Program is part of NYCEDC’s Venture for NYC (formerly known as Venture Access NYC) initiative, a suite of bold programs designed to make NYC the world’s leading and most inclusive innovation ecosystem. The initiative connects diverse founders and funders with the capital, networks, and resources they need to launch, grow, and thrive in NYC.
Opportunity for Equity
Degrees awarded by CUNY each year
Household income for 50 percent of CUNY students
Number of active NYC-based investment firms
Capital invested by VC firms in NYC startups in 2023, up from $1 billion in 2009
Number of active NYC-based investment firms
Degrees awarded by CUNY each year
Household income for 50 percent of CUNY students
Capital invested by VC firms in NYC startups in 2023, up from $1 billion in 2009
Alumni Profiles
Contact Our Team
Learn more about NYCEDC’s initiatives to enrich New York City’s tech ecosystem.
Learn more about NYCEDC’s initiatives to build an inclusive tech workforce.
Want to host interns, provide mentorship, or offer other professional development?
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