NMSU’s Hunt Center opens applications for 2027 FIRE Venture Fellows program

WRITER: Alejandro Najera-Acosta, a_najera@nmsu.edu 
SOURCE: Carlos Murguia, cmurguia@nmsu.edu  

The Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship at New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Center is now accepting applications for the 2027 cohort of the Fourth Industrial Revolution Economy Venture Fellows program, a competitive fellowship that prepares university students for careers in venture capital, startups, and innovation-driven organizations. 

The FIRE Venture Fellows program provides undergraduate and graduate students from NMSU, The University of Texas at El Paso, and other institutions across the Borderplex region with hands-on experience in venture capital, startup evaluation, and early-stage investment decision-making. 

The 2027 cohort builds on the success of the 2026 program, which brought together eight undergraduate and graduate students from NMSU and UTEP representing disciplines including finance, engineering, management and biology. Fellows completed a semester of venture capital education and applied investment experience before transitioning into summer internships with venture capital firms, startups and innovation-focused partner organizations. 

“FIRE Venture Fellows is about creating a pathway from the classroom into the innovation economy,” said Carlos Murguia, director of the Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship. “The 2026 cohort showed us what that pathway can look like. Students developed practical investment skills, worked through real-world problems, and then had opportunities to apply what they learned through internships. For 2027, we want to bring another group of talented students into that pipeline and connect them to the people and organizations shaping the startup and investment ecosystem in our region.” 

During the fellowship, participants develop skills in market research, startup evaluation, financial analysis, due diligence, and the preparation of investment memoranda and recommendations. Fellows also explore entrepreneurial ecosystems, angel investing, venture capital fund structures, capitalization tables, term sheets, startup teams, and investment decision-making. 

The program combines structured instruction with applied learning designed to expose students to how investors evaluate companies and make early-stage investment decisions. Students from a wide range of academic disciplines are encouraged to apply, and previous venture capital or finance experience is not required. 

The 2026 cohort demonstrated how that experience can translate into professional opportunities. 

NMSU graduate student Grace Valentine Olagunju, a molecular biology student and 2026 FIRE Venture Fellow, completed a summer internship with T2YourHealth, an El Paso-based metabolic health startup, in partnership with the Medical Center of the Americas Foundation. During the internship, Olagunju worked across market research, competitive analysis, healthcare innovation research, business planning, commercialization, customer discovery, and startup growth activities. 

Another 2026 fellow, NMSU student Hamza Badrari, completed an internship with Builders VC, a San Francisco-based venture capital firm expanding its presence in New Mexico. Badrari developed a comprehensive New Mexico agriculture stakeholder database and ecosystem map, conducted stakeholder interviews, analyzed investment activity, and participated in the firm’s Investment Committee and operations meetings. 

“These experiences are exactly why we created FIRE Venture Fellows,” Murguia said. “We want students in the Borderplex to see venture capital and entrepreneurship as career paths that are accessible to them. When students can learn how investment decisions are made and then work alongside investors, founders and ecosystem leaders, they begin building the experience and professional networks that can open doors well beyond the fellowship.” 

The FIRE Venture Fellows program is part of the Hunt Center for Entrepreneurship’s broader effort to strengthen the Borderplex startup ecosystem by developing entrepreneurial talent, expanding access to early-stage capital and connecting students with investors, founders and innovation organizations. 

Participants who complete the 2027 fellowship will be eligible for paid internship opportunities with venture capital funds, startups, and innovation-focused organizations, subject to availability and performance. Fellows will also receive a stipend to support their participation in the program. 

The 2027 FIRE Venture Fellows program will run from Feb. 16 through April 20 and will consist of 10 weekly sessions held Tuesday afternoons. Through the program, fellows will receive hands-on training in venture capital and early-stage investing while engaging with investors, entrepreneurs, and innovation leaders. 

Applications are open to undergraduate and graduate students from NMSU, UTEP, and other institutions across the Borderplex region. Students from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply, and previous venture capital or finance experience is not required. 

The application deadline is Feb. 5, 2027. Students can apply at https://tinyurl.com/firefellows2027. 

For more information about FIRE Venture Fellows, contact Carlos Murguia at cmurguia@nmsu.edu or visit the Arrowhead Center FIRE Venture Fellows program website.