Market Research Intern – AI-Powered Audit Startup
Auditless | Spring 2026 | 8-10 Weeks | Remote
About Auditless
The audit industry is $300B and hasn't changed since the 1850s—it's built around sending people to sample transactions and issue an annual opinion. But finance is automating fast. What used to be a person modifying a ledger is now a complex system of rules, integrations, and AI. You can't send people to check that. You need a machine to check the machine.
We're building a financial verification and audit platform that examines every record continuously, not a sample once a year. We start with VC funds, partnering with administrators like Carta to distribute through infrastructure our customers already use and expand from there to other segments. Think Vanta for financials.
We’re a seed-stage startup (currently in stealth mode) backed by VC investors. The founding team includes seasoned entrepreneurs who have built and scaled successful companies before with experience in AI, audit, insurance and fintech.
The Role in One Sentence
Help the Executive Team decide which 2-3 markets Auditless should bet on for the next 3 years—your research becomes our strategy to reach $10M revenue by 2029.
What You'll Do
Weeks 1-4: Market Research
- Size 16 segments (VC funds, RE funds, SPVs, PE) using SEC filings, DOL databases, Preqin, PitchBook
- Run feasibility math: which markets can support $10M ARR with <15% market share?
- Map competitive landscape, distribution partners and buyer personas
- Use AI tools to verify sources, validate methodologies, and quality-check outputs
- Collaborate with product/engineering team to assess build difficulty and technical requirements per segment
Weeks 5-7: Customer Discovery
- Conduct 30-50 interviews with fund CFOs, GPs, auditors, administrators
- Score markets on pain severity, willingness to pay, sales cycle length
- Validate pricing and GTM assumptions with real buyers
Week 8: Recommendation
- Present final scored ranking to CEO/COO with defendable logic
- Your recommendation becomes our FY26-28 strategy
Who You Are
Required:
- MBA Student
- 2-5 years consulting experience (MBB, Big 4, boutique), financial analyst or similar experience with exposure to markets research—you structure ambiguous problems
- Research tenacity (comfortable with SEC filings, databases, LinkedIn sourcing)
- Synthesis ability (turn 50 data points + conflicting interviews into clear recommendations)
- Exploring consulting → startup transition
Not required: Technical background, accounting expertise, prior startup experience
You'll learn: Market sizing, customer discovery, GTM strategy, startup decision-making under constraint
You'll build: Portfolio piece, 30+ founder/VC relationships, startup experience
Logistics
- Location: Remote-friendly
- Team: 2-3 interns, each owning market segments
How to Apply
Follow instructions in the Ashby link.
Additionally, send an email to: sofia@auditless.co | Subject: "Columbia MBA – Market Research Intern"
Include:
- Resume (highlight consulting/research projects)
- 1-paragraph example of a time you made a recommendation with incomplete data (consulting case, personal decision, project analysis—show us your reasoning, not just the conclusion)
- 2-3 sentences: why market research for an early-stage startup interests you
Rolling applications—strong candidates get offers fast
Questions?
Email: chris@auditless.co and sofia@auditless.co
Bottom line: Your consulting training taught you to structure problems and find data. This role lets you see those skills actually shape company strategy—not disappear into PowerPoint. Apply if you want ownership, impact, and clarity on whether startups are for you.
Apply now. First interviews start February 26, 2026.
