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Hello,

we would like to inform you about the relaunch of the YESlab educational program, which follows on from a very successful pilot year. The program is intended for full-time students of all levels of study (bachelor, engineering, master and doctoral) at TUKE, UPJŠ and UVLF universities who have an original idea and want to develop it into a startup.

The program participants will be guided by experts in practice during several phases - from defining the problem (Design Thinking, Jobs To Be Done), through idea validation, creating MVP (product designs, UX, software prototypes), to testing with users, building a brand and working with intellectual property.

The program will run from March 1 to the end of April and will include a kick-off, a series of workshops, mentoring, networking and a final presentation of the projects in front of a professional jury. Selected teams can receive financial support of up to EUR 5,000 after meeting the set milestones.

Registration of student teams is open until 17. 2. 2026.

All information about the program is available on the website: https://ickk.sk/yeslab/

This year, we have decided to open our studio to two talented students. We want to provide them with intensive mentoring and a career accelerator in an international environment. For the one-year program, we will select only one candidate for each of these key positions:

Project Manager – for a student with exceptional organizational skills who we will teach to manage international projects and budgets.
Talent Recruiter – for a student with strong communication skills who will gain unique know-how in building teams.

We are not looking for ordinary employees. We are looking for partners in whom we will invest our time and experience for a full year. The selected students will become full members of a team that creates for brands like The Washington Post and exhibits at MoMA in New York.

Why is this program a unique opportunity for your students?

Exclusivity and Mentoring: Since we accept only one student per position, we guarantee them maximum attention and direct mentoring from the studio leadership.
One-Year Stipend: The selected intern gets a place in the program for 12 months, which is rewarded with a regular monthly stipend.
Respect for Studies (Remote-First): The program is designed for top students. Therefore, it is fully flexible and done online, so it can be combined with demanding studies or exams.

Students can find all details about the selection process and the program on our central page Smatana Internship Program 2026/2027:

https://martinsmatana.notion.site/Smatana-Internship-Program-2026-2027-2bce3d15543280aaba5bf328062d7cd1?source=copy_link

We would be very grateful if you could once again consider sharing this opportunity with your skilled students – whether via a digital notice board, newsletter, or by directly recommending it to those in whom you see potential. We believe that for one of them, this paid internship could be a key career stepping stone.

We are fully available to answer any questions, and together with our team, we would be happy to welcome you for a tour of our studio.

Thank you and have a nice day.

Sincerely,

Martin Smatana

Martin Smatana

Founder & Creative Director of Smatana

PhD Researcher at Academy of Performing Arts Bratislava

Member of FilmEU European University

Represented by Jelly New York

www.smatana.com | +421 918 580 240