AI-native talent & experience platform
Don’t wait for experience. Build it.
AI is changing how careers begin. ITpunks connects ambitious young people with real projects, companies and mentors — so they can build practical experience that actually matters.
Real problems · Real projects · Real experience
- 01LearnTools, methods and the way real teams work.
- 02BuildReal problems from real companies, in a small team.
- 03ProveContributions, evidence and mentor feedback.
- 04GrowA track record people believe — and opportunities.
The problem
The first career step is changing.
01
How it used to work
Juniors learned by doing the simple, safe tasks: fixes, tests, documentation, data clean-up. Those tasks were the classroom.
02
What AI changed
AI now does much of that work in minutes. Companies still need experienced people — but they hire fewer people to become experienced.
03
What ITpunks does
Real projects, structured experience, mentors and modern tools. A new way to become experienced before someone gives you permission.
ITpunks- 30+
- applicants to the 2026 pilot
- 7
- participants selected
- 10
- weeks of real project work
How it works
For talent: six steps, no shortcuts.
01
Join
Apply once. We read every application.
02
Show what you can do
A small practical task — with AI tools — and a short conversation without them.
03
Get matched
We match you to a project and a team of four by skills, interests and availability.
04
Work on real challenges
A real problem from a real company, with a working prototype as the goal.
05
Get mentor feedback
Experienced professionals review your work and explain why.
06
Build your track record
Every contribution, piece of evidence and evaluation goes into a record you own.
Real experience
Not another course. Real work in real domains.
Participants don’t collect certificates. They ship things in a team, with a mentor, for someone who needs the result.
- AILLM applications, agents, evaluation, prompt and retrieval design.
- SoftwareWeb, mobile and backend engineering on real codebases.
- AutomationWorkflow automation, integrations, RPA and internal tools.
- DataPipelines, analytics, dashboards and data quality.
- DesignUX research, interface design and prototyping.
- BusinessBusiness analysis, operations and go-to-market work.
- ResearchMarket, user and technology research with real stakeholders.
- MarketingContent, campaigns, analytics and growth experiments.
- ProductDiscovery, specification, prioritisation and delivery.
- Process improvementProcess mining, mapping and improvement of how work actually happens.
For companies
Turn your backlog into talent opportunities.
Experiments, small prototypes, research questions, automation opportunities, data challenges, product ideas, digital improvements — the work you never get to.
Access emerging talent
Meet people who already work with modern AI tools — before everyone else does.
Test potential future hires
Ten weeks of watching someone work beats any interview.
Experiment inexpensively
Find out whether an idea is feasible before you commit a budget.
Mentor-supported delivery
Every team has a mentor and a structured process. You don’t manage students.
For mentors
Help someone build their first real experience.
You remember who helped you. Mentoring at ITpunks is bounded, structured and meaningful: a guest session, or a few hours a week with one team for one project.
Projects
Open projects
Real challenges submitted by companies and scoped by the ITpunks team.
No open projects are published yet. The first cohort projects will appear here — apply now and we’ll match you when they open.
Join ITpunksBehind ITpunks
An initiative of Technology LT.
Technology LT builds AI, automation and digital solutions for businesses. ITpunks grew out of its own experiment: a ten-week academy in which students built real things for real users. Selected participants may get opportunities to work with Technology LT teams, customer projects, the Internship Academy and future ventures. Nobody is promised a job — everyone is given a real chance.
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