MZZ.
The story Apply for Fall 2026

University of Maryland · Fall 2026 cohort

MZZ Ventures.

Real work, for real companies. A team of five to seven Terps who use AI to deliver work a company actually runs on. Builders, strategists, researchers. Selected by application and interview.

Start your application Applications close September 4

01 — What this is

The work.

One real engagement

One company, one semester, one team. From September to November we scope a real problem and deliver work the client actually uses. Not a case competition, not a mock project.

Small by design

Five to seven people, chosen by application and interview. Everyone in the room carries weight. There is no passive tier and no resume-line membership.

AI-native

Whatever your lane, you already work with AI every day. That is the one non-negotiable. Everything else can be taught, learned, or hired around.

MZZ was founded at Maryland and grew into student teams working inside early-stage companies from Africa to Asia. This fall, the original branch relaunches with a sharper bar, and with MZZ's founder involved as an advisor. Read the story.

02 — Who we're looking for

The room.

Lane 01

Builders

You prototype. You have wired AI into something that works, or you are one push away from it. You can take an ambiguous problem and turn it into a working demo by Friday.

Lane 02

Strategists & researchers

You may never push code, and that is fine. You scope problems, produce research that holds up under questioning, talk to clients like a professional, and turn findings into decisions.

Both lanes share the same bar: you use AI in your real work already, you show up every week, and you finish what you start. Underclassmen are absolutely welcome. Hunger beats polish.

03 — How it works

The process.

  1. 01

    Apply

    Ten minutes, no resume required. Open now through September 4.

  2. 02

    Interview

    A 30-minute conversation in early September. Not a grilling, we want to hear how you think.

  3. 03

    Build

    September through November. Weekly cadence, one client engagement, real deadlines.

  4. 04

    Deliver

    The semester ends with the client using what we made, and you presenting it.

04 — Fall 2026

Apply.

Ten minutes. No resume required. We read every application.

What pulls you? * Pick any that fit.

Tools, workflows, real examples. There is no wrong answer here except "I don't."

Code counts. So does a market analysis, a deck, an event you ran, a system you built in Excel, a business you started. Paste a link if it has one, describe it if it doesn't.