The Harvard Ventures-TECH Summer Program is the premier high school innovation academy at Harvard University. HVTSP students gain high-impact, real-world experience across various disciplines by working at top venture capital backed startups and learning directly from world-renowned founders, investors, and Harvard University faculty.
The Harvard Ventures-TECH Summer Program (HVTSP) offers a unique opportunity for ambitious, high-achieving high school students to immerse themselves in the startup ecosystem. This selective program pairs students with cutting-edge startups for internships across a wide variety of disciplines and industries, providing them with hands-on experience in the dynamic world of technology and entrepreneurship. Participants will be mentored directly by founders and C-Suite executives, ensuring personalized guidance and unparalleled insight into business strategy and innovation.
No prior entrepreneurial experience is expected or required from our participants. Instead, we look for motivated self-starters and go-getters with an interest in gaining experience in a specific industry or learning more about startups by joining one. Demonstrated interest in startups, technology, business, or gaining hands-on experience in a particular discipline is a plus.
The capstone of HVTSP is your internship. We match every student with a real, industry leading, venture capital-backed startup run by serial entrepreneurs solving world-changing problems. Students work directly with the CEOs and founders of these firms throughout the 6-week internship in an industry and role tailored toward their individual career interests and goals.
Alongside the internship, students have the chance to attend classes run by founders of multimillion-dollar companies, world-class investors, and Harvard professors. Workshops will teach students about technology, innovation management, and problem-solving skills. Classes range from fireside chats with key thought leaders to hands-on sessions covering case studies.
In addition to receiving direct mentorship from the founders of the startup they intern at, students receive one-on-one mentorship from lecturers, alumni, and students at Harvard and other elite institutions. Learn how to leverage your internship in your personal narrative, such as creating a resume and college application as well as perfecting a business pitch for investors.
“HVTSP is the perfect way for young innovators to learn by doing. We believe the best way to gain experience and develop critical thinking skills is by hands-on learning, not lectures in a classroom.”
HVTSP works with leading companies in a diverse set of industries supported by the world's best venture capital investment firms. Based on individual preferences and interests, students are placed into an innovative startup backed by investors such as Sequoia Capital, Kleiner Perkins, Andreeson Horowitz, General Catalyst, Y Combinator, and many more. The venture capital investors of the participating startups at HVTSP have over $200B in assets under management (AUM) and have previously been the first investors in companies such as Google, DoorDash, DropBox, CoinBase, Cruise, and many more.
At each startup, HVTSP students intern directly with the CEO/founders, learning more about their industry of choice. We have a wide variety of partner firms, ranging from STEM disciplines at the forefront of Al and medical/biotech to financial technology firms, nonprofits, arts and media collectives, etc. No matter what industry students choose to explore, HVTSP meticulously curates the perfect internship opportunity that maximizes our participants’ learning and impact.
In addition to their internship experience and mentorship from the startup, students will have numerous opportunities to learn more about startups and entrepreneurship through classes and events. HVTSP features weekly fireside chats led by luminaries in the field. There will also be skill-building sessions that cover innovation management, strategy, operations, and investing in various verticals. Below is a list of course teachers and speakers, with more soon to be announced.
Cory Levy: Founder of Z Fellows, Forbes 30 Under 30
Akash Malhotra: Partner at The House Fund, Forbes 30 Under 30
Thomas Deng: Managing Director at Goldman Sachs Asia
Paul Bottino: Lecturer at Harvard University
Alvin Xiao: General Partner at FutureX Capital
Sean Strong: Investor at Pear VC
Cam Urban: GPM at Google, 2x acquired founder
Sid Sridhar: Venture Partner at Draper Associates, 2x acquired founder
Mark Weber: Principal Investor at Tectonic, IBM/MIT AI Researcher
TBD: Professor at UC Berkeley
TBD: Professor at Harvard University
TBD: Professor at Harvard Business School
The Harvard Ventures-TECH Summer Program runs entirely online across two, six-week summer sessions:
Session I: June 10th to July 19th, 2024
Session II: July 8th to August 16th, 2024
Leading up to the official start date, admitted participants will be invited to exclusive, virtual networking opportunities and fireside chats with various entrepreneurs, investors, and Harvard University faculty.
Program tuition is $4250, including the internship, coursework, and mentorship components of the program. Financial aid is available on a need-based basis. Students who culminate this program will become part of a high-achieving talent network and gain continued support and exclusive opportunities throughout their high school education and beyond.
Admissions will be conducted on a rolling basis, open starting March 14th, 2024. The admissions process will be competitive and reflect a holistic representation of student ambition and motivation, desire to work at early-stage startups, and academic candidacy. Early applicants will be favored in the admissions process due to the limited number of program spots. All grades of high school students and international applicants are encouraged to apply.
Please contact tech@seas.harvard.edu with any questions.