The 2027 Kleiner Perkins Design Fellowship offers students interested in product design, technology and entrepreneurship the opportunity to gain practical experience with a growing startup within the Kleiner Perkins portfolio. The fellowship is designed to help emerging designers develop their skills, expand their professional networks and learn directly from experienced founders and technology leaders.
Selected fellows will spend the summer working directly with a Kleiner Perkins portfolio company in the San Francisco Bay Area. Alongside their internship experience, fellows will participate in founder speaker sessions, entrepreneurial workshops and community-building activities designed to provide exposure to different aspects of the technology and startup ecosystem.
Fellowship Details
- Opportunity: 2027 Kleiner Perkins Design Fellow
- Organisation: Kleiner Perkins
- Department: 2027 KP Fellows
- Employment type: Full time
- Location: San Francisco Bay Area offices
- Programme period: Summer 2027
- Deadline: January 31, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time
- Application review: Rolling basis
- Field: Product design, interaction design, HCI, visual design, technology and related disciplines
The application listing also gives the deadline as February 1, 2027 at 9:59 a.m. GMT+2, which corresponds to January 31 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
What the Design Fellowship Offers
The KP Fellows Program provides selected students with an opportunity to contribute to real products while working alongside teams at high-growth technology companies. Fellows are expected to gain hands-on experience and develop a deeper understanding of how technology products are designed and launched.
The programme also includes a curated founder speaker series, entrepreneurial workshops and community events. These activities allow fellows to interact with other emerging technology leaders and learn from experienced entrepreneurs.
After completing the programme, fellows become part of the Kleiner Perkins alumni network, which includes more than 1,000 emerging technology leaders and founders. The network provides continued opportunities for professional connections and support for individuals pursuing entrepreneurial careers.
Eligibility and Candidate Profile
The fellowship is aimed at students with an interest in product design and technology. Applicants are expected to demonstrate practical experience rather than relying solely on academic qualifications.
Strong candidates should have experience designing and launching a meaningful product or project from scratch. This could demonstrate the applicant’s ability to identify a problem, develop a solution and take an idea through to implementation.
Applicants should also be self-starters who are comfortable taking initiative and seeking opportunities to create an impact. Experience holding a position of influence within a university organisation, student group or other programme can further demonstrate leadership and collaboration skills.
Relevant academic backgrounds include product design, interaction design, human-computer interaction (HCI), visual design, computer science and other fields related to product design.
Location and Availability
The fellowship requires candidates to be available to work in the San Francisco Bay Area during their summer internship. Applicants should therefore consider the practical implications of relocating to or staying in the Bay Area for the duration of the internship.
Because the programme involves working directly with a portfolio company, applicants should carefully review the official application information for any additional requirements concerning work authorisation, internship arrangements or individual portfolio-company placements.
How to Strengthen the Application
Applicants can strengthen their applications by presenting clear evidence of products or projects they have developed. A portfolio should demonstrate the applicant’s design process, problem-solving approach and contribution to each project rather than simply displaying finished designs.
It can also be useful to highlight projects that show initiative, collaboration, leadership and measurable outcomes. Candidates should clearly explain their individual role, the problem addressed, the decisions made and the resulting impact.
Applicants should ensure that their academic background and relevant experience are presented clearly and that their application demonstrates genuine interest in technology, product design and entrepreneurship.
About Kleiner Perkins
Kleiner Perkins is a venture capital firm that has partnered with founders behind companies including Figma, Amazon, DoorDash, Genentech, Google, Intuit and Slack. The firm states that it works with founders from early stages through later stages of company development.
The Design Fellowship provides students with an opportunity to connect with this broader technology ecosystem while gaining practical experience at a portfolio company.
How to Apply
Interested students should submit their applications through the official Kleiner Perkins Fellows application portal. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so candidates may benefit from submitting before the final deadline rather than waiting until the last day.
Application deadline: January 31, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
Official application: Kleiner Perkins 2027 Design Fellow Application
Official organisation website: Kleiner Perkins
