Business & Strategy Intern

About the Role

TaiSan is developing next-generation polymer electrolyte systems to enable Sodium Batteries 2.0 — targeting higher energy density, improved safety, and scalable manufacturing.

We are seeking a Business & Strategy Intern to support our commercial, financial, operational, and market development activities. This role is ideal for candidates interested in working at the intersection of deep-tech innovation and business strategy within an early-stage climate-tech startup.

You will work closely with the leadership team to help structure financial models, support investor engagement, analyze markets, and contribute to business growth initiatives.

The scope of the internship will be tailored based on the candidate’s academic background, experience, and career objectives. Final responsibilities will be confirmed with the Line Manager following evaluation of the candidate’s profile to ensure strong alignment.

Key Responsibilities

Depending on background and expertise, responsibilities may include:

1. Finance & Financial Modelling

• Support development and refinement of financial models (CAPEX, OPEX, unit economics).
• Assist with cost modeling for battery materials and manufacturing pathways.
• Conduct scenario analysis for scaling strategies.
• Support budgeting and financial forecasting exercises.
• Prepare structured financial summaries for internal decision-making.
• Assist in grant budgeting and reporting documentation.

2. Business Strategy & Operations

• Support strategic roadmap planning and milestone tracking.
• Conduct competitive benchmarking and industry analysis.
• Assist in defining go-to-market strategies for Gen 1–3 systems.
• Support partnership mapping across suppliers, manufacturers, and customers.
• Contribute to internal process optimization and operational documentation.
• Help structure KPIs and performance tracking dashboards.

3. Market Research & Commercial Analysis

• Analyze battery market trends (sodium-ion, lithium-ion, grid storage, EV, etc.).
• Identify target customer segments and use cases.
• Conduct pricing and positioning analysis.
• Support customer discovery and stakeholder mapping.
• Prepare structured reports summarizing commercial insights.

4. Marketing & Communications

• Assist in preparation of investor decks and strategic presentations.
• Support website content, technical-to-commercial translation, and messaging.
• Contribute to LinkedIn and thought-leadership content (if applicable).
• Help develop branding materials aligned with deep-tech positioning.
• Support event preparation and conference participation materials.

5. Business Development & Partnerships

• Identify and map potential strategic partners.
• Assist in outreach preparation and meeting briefing documents.
• Conduct due diligence research on potential collaborators.
• Support preparation of NDAs, summaries, and structured follow-up documentation.
• Contribute to grant applications and funding opportunity scouting.
• Learning Outcomes
• Interns will gain exposure to:
• Commercialization of advanced battery technologies
• Financial modelling in a deep-tech startup
• Investor communications and fundraising strategy
• Market positioning in climate-tech and energy storage
• Strategic planning in early-stage innovation environments
• Cross-functional collaboration with scientific and technical teams
• Requirements
• Required
• Currently pursuing or recently completed degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Management, Marketing, or related field.
• Strong analytical and structured thinking skills.
• High attention to detail and ability to work with data.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Interest in climate-tech, energy storage, or advanced materials innovation.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, early-stage startup environment.
• Preferred
• Experience with financial modelling (Excel or equivalent).
• Prior internship in consulting, VC, startups, or finance.
• Familiarity with market research methodologies.
• Experience preparing presentations for senior stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.

Role Flexibility & Alignment

The internship scope will be customized depending on the candidate’s strengths — whether finance-focused, strategy-oriented, marketing-driven, or business development aligned.

The final responsibilities and reporting structure will be confirmed with the Line Manager following assessment of the candidate’s background to ensure optimal alignment with both TaiSan’s strategic priorities and the intern’s professional development goals.