Founders Associate / Business Analyst in Biotech (Internship)

AKIN; Delft; On-site; EUR 5,000 - 7,300; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Direct work with founders

Growth path

Impact on sustainability

On-site in Delft

Job summary

AKIN is seeking a founders associate to work directly with the founders on prioritising customers and partners, and to help determine funding for the next stage. You will own projects from initial questions to final recommendations, with real conversations with customers, partners and investors.

You will also support ongoing fundraising and business development. You will build models behind commercial decisions, prepare interviews with manufacturers, and support fundraising and strategic

Qualifications

• A STEM background with proven business or entrepreneurial experience from an internship, minor, or a student project.
• Strong analytical skills: comfortable building a model in a spreadsheet and checking numbers against sources.
• Clear, structured communication: turn research and interview notes into concise, decision-ready documents and slides.
• Curiosity about the technology and why customers test for it.
• Able to speak with industry experts and investors while handling multiple projects.

Responsibilities

• Build the business cases behind commercial decisions, from market size and pricing to scaling economics.
• Prepare and join interviews with tyre and rubber-goods manufacturers, turning conversations into clear findings.
• Support fundraising: research investors, prepare materials and updates, and get founders ready for meetings.
• Take on strategic and operational founder projects, from conference planning to grant applications and marketing.

Skills

STEM background

Analytical skills

Clear communication

Curiosity about technology

Multi-project management

Availability 4-6 months

Job description

The Role

We are looking for a founders associate to work directly with our founders on the questions that decide where AKIN goes next: which customers and partners to prioritise and how to fund the next stage. You will own projects from the first question to the final recommendation, and your work will be used in real conversations with customers, partners and investors. You will also support the founders' ongoing fundraising and business development.

Key Responsibilities

• Business cases: building the models behind commercial decisions, from market size and pricing to the economics of scaling up.
• Customer and partner discovery: preparing and joining interviews with tyre and rubber-goods manufacturers, and turning each conversation into clear findings on their requirements, testing volumes and timelines.
• Fundraising support: researching and prioritising investors, preparing pitch materials and investor updates, and getting the founders ready for each meeting.
• Founder projects: taking on the strategic and operational work that lands on the founders' desk, from conference planning and grant applications to marketing.

We Bring

• Direct work with the founders, and responsibility for real decisions from your first week.
• Daily coaching, and a growth path shaped around your ambitions.
• A view of every side of an early-stage deep-tech company: technology, customers, investors and operations.
• A company that is scaling, with ample room to grow, take on new projects, and influence its development direction.
• The opportunity to make a direct impact on sustainability in the rubber and tyre industries.
• A flexible work environment that focuses on what empowers you but also expects personal accountability.
• A place where employees are valued regardless of background, beliefs, or identity.

You Bring

• A STEM background (chemistry, biotechnology, materials, mechanical engineering, process technology or econometrics) with proven business or entrepreneurial experience from an internship, minor, or a student project. Or the reverse: a business background with proven technical experience.
• Strong analytical skills: comfortable building a model in a spreadsheet and checking every number against a real source.
• Clear, structured communication: able to turn research and interview notes into short, decision-ready documents and slides.
• Curiosity about the technology: you do not need to be a chemist, but you want to understand what our customers test for and why.
• At ease speaking with industry experts and investors, and comfortable running several projects at once.
• Available for four to six months, ideally six.

Advantageous

None of these is a strict requirement.

• Experience in consulting, venture capital, market research or a startup
• Familiarity with the rubber, tyre, chemicals or recycling industries

Terms of the role

• Open on a rolling basis: you can start in any of the coming quarters. 80% on-site in Delft.
• Visa sponsorship: If you need a residence or work permit, we apply for it with you. The IND also sets a minimum monthly income, which your internship allowance and your own means count towards.
• Work authorisation: Not required in advance.