Partnerships & Business Development Intern

Syntone AI; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Mentorship and feedback from the founding team

Hands-on learning experience

Job summary

Syntone AI is seeking a Partnerships & Business Development Intern for a part-time unpaid internship in the San Francisco Bay Area. This hybrid role focuses on early commercial growth, brand partnerships, and investor outreach. You’ll work closely with the founding team on hands-on projects, developing essential skills in startup dynamics.

Ideal candidates are recent graduates or early-career professionals, organized, proactive, and eager to learn. This internship offers direct exposure to startup decision-making and opportunities for mentorship.

Qualifications

• Must be based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• Experience in outreach, sales, or partnerships is a plus.
• Entrepreneurial mindset is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Research and identify fashion brands and investors.
• Support outreach to brand partners and investors.
• Assist with market mapping and competitor research.

Skills

Strong written and verbal communication

Organized

Detail-oriented

Proactive

Curious

Education

Recent graduate or early-career candidate

Background in Business, Marketing, Communications, or Related Fields

Job description

Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Type: Part-time Internship
Work Style: Hybrid / In-person collaboration required
Compensation: Unpaid Internship

Build with us from the early stage

Syntone AI is building AI that resonates with humanity.

We believe the next generation of AI should not feel distant, generic, or transactional. It should understand context, adapt to people, and create everyday value in ways that feel intuitive and human.

Our first flagship product, Velour, brings this vision into fashion. Velour helps users evaluate personalized outfit recommendations on their own avatar, making it easier to understand fit, silhouette, and style before purchase.

We are now looking for a Partnerships & Business Development Intern to work directly with the founding team on early growth, brand partnerships, investor outreach, and go-to-market execution.

This is a hands‑on role for someone who wants to experience what it means to build a startup from the ground up.

About the role

As a Partnerships & Business Development Intern, you will support Syntone AI’s early commercial growth.

You will help identify high‑fit fashion brands, research potential partners and investors, support outbound outreach, and contribute to the systems that help us build real market traction.

This role is ideal for a recent graduate or early‑career candidate who is ambitious, thoughtful, and interested in startups, consumer AI, fashion technology, partnerships, or venture.

You will not be observing from the sidelines. You will be working closely with the founders on real business priorities.

What you’ll work on

You will help the team:

• Research and identify fashion brands, strategic partners, and relevant investors
• Support outreach to brand partners, pilot candidates, and selected investor targets
• Draft, personalize, and improve outreach messages across email and LinkedIn
• Build and organize contact lists, research notes, and outreach pipelines
• Assist with market mapping, competitor research, and partnership strategy
• Support founder‑led business development and early go‑to‑market execution
• Learn how an early‑stage startup turns product vision into real commercial momentum

Who we’re looking for

We are looking for someone who is:

• Based in the San Francisco Bay Area
• A recent graduate or early‑career candidate
• Strong in written and verbal communication
• Organized, reliable, and detail‑oriented
• Comfortable with ambiguity and fast‑moving priorities
• Proactive, curious, and willing to take ownership
• Interested in startups, partnerships, consumer AI, fashion tech, or venture

Preferred backgrounds include:

• Business
• Marketing
• Communications
• Economics
• Fashion Business / Merchandising
• Entrepreneurship
• Related fields

Experience in outreach, sales, recruiting, partnerships, campus leadership, student organizations, or entrepreneurial projects is a plus.

A founder mindset is also a strong plus. This role is especially well suited for someone who may want to build a company in the future and wants direct exposure to early‑stage execution.

What you’ll gain

This internship is designed for people who want more than a traditional resume‑building experience.

You will gain:

• Direct exposure to founder‑level decision‑making
• Hands‑on experience in partnerships, outreach, and early‑stage growth
• Practical understanding of how startups build traction
• Exposure to brand partnership development and investor pipeline support
• Mentorship and feedback from the founding team
• The opportunity to earn greater responsibility over time

Exceptional performance may lead to consideration for a longer‑term opportunity with the company in an expanded early‑team capacity, based on company needs and mutual fit. This is not guaranteed.

Internship structure

• Part‑time internship
• Bay Area‑based
• Hybrid, with regular in‑person collaboration
• Structured around mentorship, feedback, and hands‑on learning
• Best suited for candidates who value ownership, learning, and long‑term upside

Important note

This is an unpaid internship.

The role is designed for candidates who are primarily motivated by learning, early‑stage startup exposure, mentorship, and hands‑on ownership.