Virtual Internships
Virtual Internships operates a multi-sided EdTech marketplace connecting students, universities, and 13,000+ host companies for guaranteed remote internships across 80+ countries, using AI-powered matching and a proprietary CareerBridge curriculum to serve 300+ institutional partners globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Virtual Internships does
Virtual Internships (legally Virtual Internship Partners Ltd.) is a London-headquartered, remote-first EdTech company founded in 2018 by Daniel Nivern and Edward Holroyd Pearce — both previously founders of CRCC Asia, which placed over 10,000 students in international internships. The company operates a multi-sided marketplace platform that connects three constituencies: individual students and recent graduates seeking work experience, universities and educational institutions embedding internships into curricula, and host companies ranging from startups to blue-chip enterprises (including Dentons, Deel, EV Connect) sourcing pre-vetted remote interns. The platform guarantees placement within one month across 18 career fields, with programs ranging from 120 to 500 hours over 1–4 months, and has supported 10,000+ alumni across 80+ countries with 13,000+ host companies on the platform.
The company's technology stack is built on Google Cloud Platform with an AI-powered matching algorithm as the core differentiator, proprietary CareerBridge curriculum delivered via LearnWorlds LMS, and a supporting toolchain including AWS for data storage, Stripe for payments, HubSpot and Salesforce for CRM, Videoask for video interviews, and Mixpanel and Metabase for analytics. The company is actively pursuing SOC 2 Type II compliance to support enterprise and institutional sales. The platform's service layer extends beyond marketplace matching to include Intern Experience Managers, Internship Coaches, weekly group discussions, and business webinars — creating a higher-touch service model than pure transactional marketplaces. The company is venture-backed ($16.8M total: $2.5M seed in July 2021 and $14.3M Series A in April 2022 led by Sequoia's Surge with Kaplan, Arsenal Growth Equity, Ascend Vietnam Ventures, Salica, and STIC participating) and operates with approximately 100+ employees distributed across 20 countries.
Virtual Internships generates revenue through three streams: one-time Program Fees from self-funded individual interns, recurring subscription/contract revenue from university and institutional partners (300+ globally) that fund or subsidize student access, and employer access fees from host companies using the platform as an HR extension. The go-to-market motion is hybrid — direct sales to enterprise host companies, inside sales to universities and educational institutions, and self-serve for individual interns — supported by a partner/affiliate network including Kaplan Languages Group and Sonic Foundry's Global Learning Exchange. Notable institutional deployments include University of the People (137,000+ students across 200 countries), Purdue University, University of Southern California, Illinois Institute of Technology, and government partnerships such as the Australian Sports Commission and Kiron (a refugee employability program in Germany).
Virtual Internships firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Virtual Internships
- Legal name
- Virtual Internship Partners Ltd.
- Website
- https://virtualinternships.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Virtual Internships operates a multi-sided EdTech marketplace connecting students, universities, and 13,000+ host companies for guaranteed remote internships across 80+ countries, using AI-powered matching and a proprietary CareerBridge curriculum to serve 300+ institutional partners globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Virtual Internships industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Remote Internship Marketplace
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Provider-Run International Internship Programs (Multi-Country/Multi-Industry) (EDAIAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Remote/Virtual International Internship Programs (EDAIAFAF), Experiential Learning & Internships/Co-ops (EDALABAG), Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK)
Keywords
Where Virtual Internships is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Virtual Internships business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Intern Program Fees (Self-Funded): Individual students pay a Program Fee (published on website) to participate in the internship program. The fee includes an Acceptance Fee (one-off) and a Balance payment upon acceptance of an internship placement. Self-funded participants register directly on the platform.
- University/Institutional Partnerships: Partner institutions (universities, bootcamps, governments) pay for their students to access the program, either fully funding or subsidizing the Program Fee. Virtual Internships receives payment directly from the Partner Institution on behalf of enrolled students.
- Company/Employer Access: Companies pay to access the platform to hire remote pre-vetted interns and build their talent pipeline. The platform serves as an HR extension for companies, matching them with ambitious Gen Z talent.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Acceptance Fee + Program Fee Balance |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Partner-Funded (University/Institution) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Virtual Internships product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Virtual Internships operates a multi-sided platform that guarantees remote internship placements for students and recent graduates at vetted global companies across 80+ countries and 18 career fields. The platform combines AI-powered matching between candidates and host organizations with a proprietary CareerBridge curriculum, personal coaching, and program management services. Self-funded interns pay a program fee, while universities, bootcamps, governments, and employers access the platform through partnership agreements or direct hiring channels.
Product overview
Virtual Internships operates as a unified platform combining an AI-powered remote internship marketplace with a proprietary learning component. The core Virtual Internships Platform handles the full lifecycle — student applications, AI-driven matching with host companies, placement management, and career coaching — while CareerBridge serves as the built-in curriculum and professional development module that complements the internship experience with skills training and remote work preparation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Virtual Internships Platform The primary cloud-based platform connecting students and recent graduates with guaranteed remote internship opportunities across 80+ countries and 18 career fields. The platform handles the full lifecycle — student applications, video interviews (via Videoask), AI-driven matching with vetted host companies (13,000+ companies), placement management, Intern Experience Manager support, Internship Coach guidance, weekly group discussions, business webinars, and end-of-program evaluations. Interns can apply, track their application status, and access the program digitally through web.virtualinternships.com.
- CareerBridge Virtual Internships' proprietary online internship curriculum and professional development platform, accessed through the LearnWorlds LMS. Provides remote work training, career skills courses, and complementary learning content tailored to each internship program, with data stored on LearnWorlds' Google Cloud infrastructure under a binding data processing agreement.
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% intern satisfaction rate developing essential career skills
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Virtual Internships
Customer profileNamed customers28 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Virtual Internships technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
AI capability2 records
Feature4 records
Virtual Internships partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Sonic Foundry (Global Learning Exchange)coreSonic Foundry's Global Learning Exchange partnered with Virtual Internships to expand reach of virtual internship programs through Sonic Foundry's institutional network. This partnership enables VI to distribute its programs to Sonic Foundry's university and college clients.
- University of the PeoplecoreUoPeople partnered with VI to provide remote internships to its 137,000+ students from 200 countries. This is one of VI's largest institutional partnerships, enabling large-scale student access to the platform.
- Kaplan Languages GroupminorKaplan Languages Group appears as a partner logo on VI's website, indicating a marketing/distribution partnership to cross-refer students into VI's internship programs.
- Australian Sports CommissionminorThe Australian Sports Commission partnered with VI to provide virtual internship opportunities to athletes around the world, helping athletes develop their careers during training downtime.
- CIEE and IIEminorCIEE and IIE published research on the impact of global internships on career readiness, citing VI's programs. This represents a thought leadership and research partnership in the international education space.
- KironminorKiron partnered with VI to deliver an experiential learning program for refugees in Germany, providing tailored work experiences and boosting employability for under-served refugee populations.
- LearnWorldscoreLearnWorlds provides the LMS that hosts VI's proprietary CareerBridge curriculum. Data from CareerBridge users is stored on LearnWorlds' Google Cloud infrastructure, with data processing agreements in place per VI's privacy policy.
- Illinois Institute of TechnologyminorIllinois Tech forged a strategic partnership with VI to expand its Elevate program, providing project learning experiences for students through virtual internships.
- University of CincinnatiminorUniversity of Cincinnati partnered with VI to expand student opportunities through virtual internships, enhancing career readiness for students.
- University of CumbriaminorUniversity of Cumbria partnered with VI to deliver career-boosting virtual internship opportunities to students.
- Landmark CollegeminorLandmark College partnered with VI to expand career opportunities specifically for students with learning differences, demonstrating VI's commitment to accessibility and inclusion.
- Colorado State University GlobalminorColorado State University Global partnered with VI to enhance career readiness for modern learners who balance education with other commitments.
- Purdue University (Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering)minorPurdue's Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering partnered with VI to connect graduate students with VI's global network of employers.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Virtual Internships competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CRCC Asia: Founded by VI's co-founders Dan Nivern and Ed Holroyd Pearce in 2006; placed 10,000+ students in international internships in Asia. Direct predecessor company with overlapping mission and founder DNA; competes in international internship placement.
- Intern Abroad HQ: Provider of international internship placements across multiple destinations and career fields. Targets a similar student/graduate segment with multi-country internship programs; closest direct competitor on the provider-run virtual/in-person spectrum.
- The Intern Group: Provider of international internships and work experience programs across global destinations. Directly comparable in career-field breadth, institutional university partnerships, and pricing structure for self-funded students.
- Global Experiences: Provider of international internship programs for students and graduates, primarily in-person in Europe. Competes directly with VI in the international internship placement category with overlapping university partner base.
Broad incumbents
- CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): One of the largest US-based international education and exchange organizations. Operates a broad portfolio of study abroad and internship programs; competes with VI on the institutional side for university partnerships and student placement.
- IIE (Institute of International Education): Long-established nonprofit managing the Fulbright Program and global academic exchanges. Overlaps with VI in international experiential learning and workforce development; cited by VI as a research partner.
- Kaplan International Pathways: Global education provider and VI investor/distribution partner. Offers pathway programs and language training that overlap with VI's international experiential learning offering, particularly for international students entering university.
Emerging players
- Handshake: US-focused university-to-career platform connecting students with jobs and internships. Overlaps with VI's institutional sales motion and employer talent pipeline; though focused on US, it represents the broader digital talent-matching category VI competes in.
- WayUp: US-based platform connecting students and recent graduates with internships and entry-level jobs. Comparable in target demographic (GenZ talent) and employer-side value proposition of pre-vetted early-career candidates.
Others
- GoOverseas: Marketplace and review platform for study abroad, volunteer, and internship programs. Adjacent rather than direct competition; functions as an indirect marketing channel and information source for prospective international internship buyers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Virtual Internships social profiles
Digital presenceVirtual Internships compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Virtual Internships financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Virtual Internships leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
Virtual Internships funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors13 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Virtual Internships M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Virtual Internships
What does Virtual Internships do?
Virtual Internships operates a multi-sided platform that guarantees remote internship placements for students and recent graduates at vetted global companies across 80+ countries and 18 career fields. The platform combines AI-powered matching between candidates and host organizations with a proprietary CareerBridge curriculum, personal coaching, and program management services. Self-funded interns pay a program fee, while universities, bootcamps, governments, and employers access the platform through partnership agreements or direct hiring channels.
Is Virtual Internships a public or private company?
Virtual Internships is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Virtual Internships founded?
Virtual Internships was founded in 2018. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Virtual Internships based?
Virtual Internships is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Virtual Internships make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Intern Program Fees (Self-Funded) is the primary driver. The others are university/Institutional Partnerships and company/Employer Access.
Who are Virtual Internships's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CRCC Asia, Intern Abroad HQ, The Intern Group and Global Experiences. Broad incumbents are CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange), IIE (Institute of International Education) and Kaplan International Pathways. Emerging players are Handshake and WayUp. GoOverseas is listed as an others.
Does Virtual Internships have an API?
No public API is recorded for Virtual Internships.
What industry is Virtual Internships in?
Virtual Internships's product category is Remote Internship Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAFAA, Provider-Run International Internship Programs (Multi-Country/Multi-Industry), with a secondary code of EDAIAFAF, Remote/Virtual International Internship Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 7361.