Investment Banking Intern

THUNDER INTERN, STARTUP & INVESTOR SOURCING

Location: Remote or hybrid Type: Internship, part-time Reports to: Founder / Managing Partner

ABOUT THUNDER

Thunder is a founder-first, tech-enabled investment bank. We help growth-stage, founder-led technology companies navigate capital strategy across equity, debt, and M&A by combining senior operator experience, strong investor relationships, and modern systems.

At Thunder, relationships matter. We work closely with founders, investors, and operators to create high-quality introductions, better capital outcomes, and more leverage across the ecosystem.

THE ROLE

We are hiring a Thunder Intern to support one of the most important inputs to our business: high-quality pipeline.

This is a high-ownership internship for someone who wants real exposure to startups, venture, investor ecosystems, and relationship-driven business development. Your job is to help Thunder identify promising companies, build and maintain sourcing pipelines, research founders and markets, and support thoughtful introductions between startups and investors.

This is not a passive research internship and not a generic admin role.

You will sit at the intersection of startup sourcing, investor mapping, lead generation, and ecosystem development. The right person will be energized by outbound work, curious about emerging companies, and capable of spotting patterns quickly across sectors, founders, and investor fit.

WHAT YOU’LL OWN

STARTUP SOURCING & PIPELINE DEVELOPMENT

• Identify and qualify early-stage startups, with a focus on deeptech and fintech

• Build and maintain structured sourcing pipelines across target sectors, stages, and geographies

• Track high-potential companies, founder activity, fundraising signals, and relevant market developments

• Continuously improve how Thunder sources companies and prioritizes opportunities

FOUNDER, COMPANY & MARKET RESEARCH

• Prepare concise research briefs on founders, companies, and markets

• Analyze business models, traction signals, fundraising context, and investor relevance

• Surface useful insights that help Thunder determine which opportunities are worth engaging

INVESTOR MATCHING & INTRODUCTION SUPPORT

• Support warm introductions between founders and relevant investors

• Help prepare intro notes, founder summaries, and context briefs for both sides

• Track where sourced companies sit in the funnel and what next actions are required

CRM, TRACKING & WORKFLOW HYGIENE

• Maintain clean pipeline data and interaction tracking across Thunder’s systems

• Update CRM records, sourcing dashboards, and outreach status consistently

• Help ensure sourcing activity translates into visible, actionable pipeline movement

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

In this role, success means more than volume. We care about the quality of sourcing, the clarity of research, and the relevance of the startup-to-investor match.

Strong performance will look like:

• A consistent weekly pipeline of qualified startup leads

• Clear, high-signal founder and company briefs

• Well-prepared introduction notes that make warm intros easier to execute

• Reliable pipeline tracking and CRM hygiene

• Thoughtful recommendations that improve Thunder’s sourcing strategy over time

WHO YOU ARE

MUST-HAVES

• Strong interest in startups, venture capital, and founder ecosystems

• High-agency, self-directed working style

• Comfortable with outbound research, high-volume sourcing, and ambiguity

• Strong written communication and attention to detail

• Good judgment when evaluating what is and is not worth pursuing

• Ability to move quickly while staying organized

NICE-TO-HAVES

• Prior experience in startups, venture, business development, recruiting, research, or sales

• Familiarity with startup databases and sourcing tools such as Crunchbase, AngelList, Product Hunt, LinkedIn, or X

• Experience using CRM tools such as HubSpot

• Comfort working in spreadsheets and maintaining structured data

TOOLS YOU’LL USE

• LinkedIn, X, and startup ecosystem platforms

• Crunchbase, AngelList, Product Hunt, and related research tools

• HubSpot and internal CRM workflows

• Google Sheets / Excel

• Email and outreach tools

THIS ROLE IS A STRONG FIT IF YOU

• Enjoy finding promising companies before everyone else does

• Like building structured lists, pipelines, and systems from messy information

• Have an outbound mindset and are comfortable doing a high volume of research

• Are interested in how founders raise capital and how investor relationships are formed

• Want hands-on exposure to the mechanics of sourcing, matching, and early relationship development

WHAT YOU’LL GAIN

• Direct exposure to startup sourcing and investor ecosystem building

• Experience working on real founder and investor pipelines

• A front-row seat to how high-quality introductions are created

• Mentorship and feedback in a high-trust, high-ownership environment

• A stronger foundation for careers in venture, startups, business development, or capital advisory

HOW TO APPLY

Please send your resume and a short note explaining:

1. Why this role interests you

2. Any relevant experience in sourcing, research, startups, or outbound work

3. One startup sector you find especially interesting right now and why