Commercial and Strategy MBA Intern

Company Description

Vertical Semiconductor, a venture-backed MIT spin-out, is leading the development of vertical gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductors to build the foundational power layer for the next generation of compute and AI.

Role Description

Vertical Semiconductor is seeking a Commercial and Strategy MBA Intern to support commercial engagement within the data center market and contribute to the company’s fundraising strategy. This role sits at the intersection of market development, customer engagement, and investor communications.

The MBA intern will work closely with leadership, engineering, and business teams to deepen our understanding of data center power architectures, customer requirements, and market dynamics. In parallel, you will help translate our technical progress and commercial traction into clear, compelling materials for current and prospective investors.

The MBA intern will work closely with Vertical Semiconductor’s CEO to support the company’s fundraising strategy. This includes helping prepare investor materials, conducting market and competitive research, supporting financial and strategic analysis, and assisting with investor diligence. The role offers a rare opportunity to gain direct visibility into how an early-stage deep-tech company raises capital and builds strategic partnerships. Working alongside leadership, the intern will see firsthand how technical progress, customer engagement, and market positioning translate into an investment narrative and growth strategy.

This internship is ideal for someone who wants hands-on exposure to how a deep-tech hardware startup engages strategic customers and raises capital to scale.

This is an in-person summer internship based at our headquarters at Greentown Labs in Somerville, MA. The internship will run June through August, with flexibility to accommodate academic calendars.

Key Responsibilities

Data Center Commercial Engagement

• Support analysis of data center power architectures, including AI training clusters, hyperscale facilities, and emerging high-density compute environments
• Research and map target customers across hyperscalers, colocation providers, and OEMs
• Conduct targeted commercial outreach (cold email and related methods) to establish and develop relationships with data center operators, hyperscalers, and strategic partners
• Assist in developing customer-facing materials tailored to data center applications
• Analyze customer requirements and translate them into system-level performance metrics and value propositions
• Support preparation for customer meetings, including briefing documents and follow-up summaries
• Track market signals, partnership discussions, and competitive developments within the data center ecosystem

Fundraising & Investor Support

• Assist in developing and refining investor materials, including pitch decks, technical summaries, and market slides
• Conduct research to support market sizing, competitive positioning, and strategic narratives
• Help prepare materials for diligence requests from investors
• Support internal financial and commercial modeling efforts related to fundraising strategy
• Contribute to articulating how product milestones, customer engagement, and market traction support the broader financing plan

Cross-Functional Strategy

• Work with our engineering team to understand device capabilities and roadmap milestones
• Synthesize technical and commercial inputs into structured insights for leadership
• Contribute to go-to-market and partnership strategy discussions

Qualifications

• Master’s student pursuing a degree in business administration, engineering, physics, economics, or a related field
• Strong interest in data center infrastructure, AI hardware, power electronics, or deep-tech commercialization
• Interest in venture capital, startup finance, or fundraising strategy

Required Skills & Experience

• 3-6 years of pre-MBA experience. Consulting or investment banking experience preferred
• Financial modeling experience and exposure to startups, venture capital, or banking are highly valued
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, comfortable working with quantitative data
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to create clear, structured presentations and written materials
• Comfortable with collaborating across technical and non-technical teams
• Familiarity with semiconductors, power electronics, or data centers is a plus but not required
• Self-motivated, organized, and comfortable working in a fast-paced startup environment

Values & Culture Fit

Vertical Semiconductor is seeking an intern who is not only capable of accelerating the technical vision of the company but is also willing to get involved in the day-to-day execution of a startup. The ideal candidate is someone who enjoys tackling complex engineering challenges, is comfortable with a hands-on approach in a collaborative arena and thrives in a startup environment where they can make an immediate impact. We value integrity, initiative, problem-solving, creativity and a passion for creating transformative technology that can change industries and improve the world.

Compensation

This is a paid, full-time summer internship. Compensation will be competitive and commensurate with experience.