Program · Fellowship
Kleiner Perkins Fellows Program
Kleiner Perkins Fellows Program is Kleiner Perkins' fellowship offering hands-on experience and mentorship for students and early-career professionals.
- Application state
- Not published
Overview
What Kleiner Perkins Fellows Program offers
What Kleiner Perkins Fellows Program is
The Kleiner Perkins (KP) Fellows Program is a 3-month work-based initiative that connects top students and early-career professionals with innovative startups in Silicon Valley. Since 2012, the program has built one of the venture capital industry's most structured talent pipelines, introducing over 600 talented individuals to breakout companies and venture capital ecosystems. The program places technical students into 50+ companies annually, including household names such as Uber, Stripe, Brex, Robinhood, and Figma. Many placements occur at early-stage startups in Kleiner Perkins' portfolio. Fellows gain hands-on technical expertise through mentorship by seasoned engineers at partner companies, along with access to a community of 1,000+ emerging technology leaders and KP alumni connections.
Operational profile
Program status and context
Program status describes the program itself. Application availability and deadlines remain separate.
- Operational status
- Active
- Program type
- Fellowship
- Host organization
- Kleiner Perkins
- Last reviewed
- March 16, 2026
Terms and economics
Published program terms
- Price
- Free
- Compensation
- Unknown
Focus and fit
Who the program is for
Program thesis
The Kleiner Perkins Fellows Program combines investor credibility with hands-on startup experience, positioning it as a primary feeder for KP's investment pipeline while providing participants with industry credibility and practical experience before entering the venture ecosystem.
Selection approach
Applications are typically seasonal. Interested candidates should monitor the Kleiner Perkins website for current cohort cycles and application windows.
- Stages
- Pre-seed · Seed
- Sectors
- Artificial IntelligenceConsumerEducationEnergyFintechFood & AgricultureHealthcareMobility & TransportationReal Estate & Property TechSaaS & Cloud Software
- Regions
- United States
- Audience
- Students
Format and cadence
How participation works
- Presence
- In Person
- Main location
- Silicon Valley, California, United States
- Duration
- 12 weeks
- Cohort size
- 50
- Engagement
- Full Time
Delivery model
The program is primarily in-person, connecting fellows directly with startups in Silicon Valley.
Participation expectations
The program requires a full-time commitment over its 3-month duration.
Availability and engagement
Application timing and route
- Application state
- Not published
- Admissions
- Unknown
Published timeline
The program lasts for 3 months, with applications typically opening seasonally.
Value and support
What participation may provide
Publicly described support is context, not a guarantee of current delivery or future benefit.
What participants may receive
Participants gain access to mentorship, a distinctive curriculum featuring founder presentations, entrepreneurial training sessions, and networking activities. The program creates a systematic route for top students into breakout startups, with KP-sponsored seed capital opportunities for founders who later start companies.
Outcomes and track record
What the public record shows
Historical activity and reported outcomes provide context, not a guarantee of future results.
Reported outcomes
Many Fellows have gone on to become founders that Kleiner Perkins invests in, including Dylan Field (Figma CEO). Others have become leaders at KP portfolio companies, such as Jorge Mazal (Duolingo Chief Product Officer).
Common questions
Program details at a glance
Kleiner Perkins Fellows Program is published in Upseed as a fellowship program hosted by Kleiner Perkins. Upseed treats the Program and its host Organization as separate records so each can have its own status and sources.
Source and update disclosure
Know what this page is based on
Source basis
Public organization and program material, official websites, and structured Upseed records.
Last reviewed
March 16, 2026
Known limits
Terms, deadlines, and application states can change. Confirm current details at the published destination before acting. Upseed does not yet classify every Program destination as official.
Upseed is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or the official representative of this program or its host.