Akuna Capital Internship 2027–2028: Programs, Deadlines & How to Apply

Last updated: July 2026

Akuna Capital is a proprietary options trading firm with roughly 580 employees and intern cohorts estimated at 20 to 40 per summer. That makes it one of the most selective quant shops in Chicago. For the 2027–2028 cycle (you apply during 2027, you intern in summer 2028), applications historically open August to October, and positions fill rolling. But the number that turns heads is the pay: the official JD floor is $130,000 annualized, and Bloomberg reported some interns earned over $16,000 a month. So the seats are few, the comp is elite, and the calendar rewards early movers.

Quick Facts

A small, high-paying options shop with an estimated 20 to 40 summer intern seats, a $130K+ annualized salary floor, and rolling admissions that close fast. Timing and math aptitude are the two filters that matter most.

Externships are short, remote projects where you finish real work for a real company. The Wayfair AI Agent Engineering Externship and Yinan Zhao Investing & Financial Modeling Externship build the coding, quantitative, and finance evidence an Akuna application rewards. Explore all Externships.

What Is an Akuna Capital Internship?

An Akuna Capital internship is a paid, 10-week, in-office placement in Chicago through the firm's branded Akunacademy program. Founded in 2011 by Andrew Killion (formerly a partner at Optiver) and Mitchell Skinner, Akuna is a proprietary options market-maker that trades only its own capital. The firm has roughly 580 employees across Chicago, Sydney, Shanghai, London, and Singapore, but all internships run at Chicago HQ. Glassdoor rates it 4.0 out of 5 with 78% recommending it to a friend. Interns work alongside trading and engineering teams on production systems, and the firm explicitly says no finance background is required, making strong math and coding aptitude the primary filters.

When Do Akuna Capital Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

Akuna's calendar follows the pattern of most quant trading firms: applications open in late summer or early fall for the following summer's internship. For the Summer 2026 cycle, multiple postings were live during fall 2025, and the Quant Dev & Strategy Intern posting was removed by January 27, 2026. That means for summer 2028 you apply around August to October 2027, roughly 10 to 12 months ahead. And rolling admissions means early applicants face the most open seats.

Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open

Akuna's official JDs state plainly: "This job may close before the stated closing date, you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible." With an estimated 20 to 40 intern seats across all tracks and a firm of only 580 people, each opening fills fast. And there is a critical constraint most candidates miss: applying for one Quant or Tech role means you will not be considered for other Quant or Tech roles that season. Trader roles are exempt from this restriction. So you need to pick your single best-fit track, then submit in week one.

Which Akuna Capital Internship Programs Should You Target?

Akuna runs five distinct intern tracks plus a 1-week Sneak Peek program. The honest answer on which to target: pick the one track whose skills you can already evidence, because applying for one Quant or Tech role locks you out of the others for the season.

See all open roles on Akuna's careers page. Remember: one application per Quant/Tech family per season (Trader is exempt), so choose your strongest-fit track carefully.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

Akuna's requirements are consistent across all five intern tracks, with a higher bar on academics than most tech companies:

• Enrollment: penultimate-year students pursuing a BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Economics, Actuarial Science, or a related STEM field.

• GPA: minimum 3.5 (stated as major GPA for Trader roles, general GPA for SWE and Quant roles).

• Graduation: must graduate by August of the year following the internship (e.g., August 2029 for summer 2028).

• Work authorization: legal authorization to work in the U.S. is required, including F-1 students with OPT, CPT, or STEM authorization.

• Finance background: not required. Akuna explicitly states no previous experience in finance or trading is needed; training is provided.

Does Akuna Require a Finance Background?

No. Every official JD states plainly: "No previous experience in finance or trading is required. Training and continuous education is provided." Akuna hires for math and coding aptitude, not for knowing what a call option is. The Akunacademy program trains interns on options theory, market-making, and trade execution from scratch. What actually gates you is the 3.5 GPA floor and the mental-math and probability assessments, which test speed, accuracy, and quantitative reasoning under pressure.

What Skills Does Akuna Capital Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

Read across five full-text Akuna Capital intern JDs for the Summer 2026 cycle (SWE Python, SWE C++, Quant Research, Quant Dev & Strategy, Trader), and the pattern is clear. Python appears in four of five, probability and math in four of five, and C++ in three. But the distinctive signal is the mental-math filter: the first stage of the interview is an 80-question arithmetic speed test, and probability and expected-value questions run through every round. No other quant firm weights raw computational speed this heavily at the screening stage.

How Is Demand for Quantitative Trading Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

And every skill in that chart maps to a remote Externship where you finish a real project before a role opens.

How close is the overlap? The Wayfair project is agent-engineering work that yields Python production code and analytical communication, exactly what Akuna's SWE rounds probe for. The Yinan Zhao project is financial modeling that demonstrates the quantitative reasoning and investment analysis a Quant or Trader track interview wants to see.

What Is the Akuna Capital Application and Interview Process Like?

Akuna's interview funnel is roughly 6 to 7 weeks and progresses through four main stages:

1. Apply on akunacapital.com/careers. Submit a PDF resume for your single best-fit track. Remember: one Quant/Tech application per season (Trader roles are exempt).

2. Online Assessments. An 80-question mental math test (arithmetic speed and accuracy), a probability and expected-value test, then a HackerRank coding test and a VidCruiter video interview that includes a unique strategic-thinking betting game.

3. Technical Phone Interview. One-on-one with an Akuna trader or engineer. Brainteasers, quantitative problem-solving, and for SWE roles a whiteboard coding session focused on algorithms and Python.

4. Final Round. An HR Zoom interview ("Why Akuna?" / "Why trading?"), then in-depth technical and cultural-fit interviews evaluating overall alignment with the team.

So the two skills to drill are clear: mental-math speed (80 questions means roughly one per 45 seconds) and probability reasoning for the OA, then Python or C++ fluency for the coding rounds. Practice on platforms like Tradermath and Zetamac, and expect brainteasers in every live round.

What Students on Reddit Say

Three community threads show the process from the inside, all paraphrased.

Akuna's interview process is heavily quantitative: expect probability puzzles, mental math, and options-pricing questions early on, followed by a trading simulation or coding round depending on your role. Brush up on brainteasers and practice expected-value problems under time pressure.

r/csMajors consensus, paraphrased · read the thread

Akuna's intern compensation is extremely competitive, often rivaling or exceeding top tech offers when you factor in the base pay plus performance bonus. If pure earning potential matters, prop trading firms like Akuna consistently outpay big-tech SWE internships.

r/csMajors consensus, paraphrased · read the thread

Interns at Akuna get real exposure to trading systems and sit close to the desk, which is rare at larger banks. The culture is casual and fast-paced, and the smaller team size means your work actually ships. It is a strong resume signal if you want to stay in quant finance long-term.

r/cscareerquestions consensus, paraphrased · read the thread

How Do You Stand Out at a Firm With 20 to 40 Intern Seats?

Three moves, all before a posting opens. First, drill mental math daily: Akuna's 80-question arithmetic test is a hard screen, and community consensus is that two weeks of daily Zetamac and Tradermath practice is the minimum to pass. Second, pick your one track wisely: applying for SWE Python locks you out of Quant Research and Quant Dev for the season, so target the track where your skills are strongest. Third, bring a quantitative project you can walk through in detail, because Akuna's small cohort means every interviewer will probe your technical depth, not just your breadth.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

Akuna competes for the same quantitative talent as the other top prop-trading and quant firms. If you are building a quant-internship list, these are the obvious neighbors:

• Jane Streetlarger firm (~2,500 employees), OCaml-centric, NYC-based market-makerGuide →
• Citadelmulti-strategy hedge fund with a larger intern class and PnL-driven cultureGuide →
• Two Sigmasystematic quant fund, heavier on data science and cloud infrastructureGuide →
• OptiverAkuna's founder came from Optiver; similar options market-making focusGuide →
• D. E. Shawsystematic strategies with a broader quant-research benchGuide →

Our tech internships summer 2027 guide maps the whole landscape, timeline by timeline.

FAQ

When do Akuna Capital internship applications open for summer 2028?

Based on prior cycles, expect postings to go live around August to October 2027 on akunacapital.com/careers. Akuna warns that roles may close before the stated deadline, so apply as soon as they appear.

How much do Akuna Capital interns get paid?

The official JD floor is $130,000 annualized, which works out to roughly $2,500 per week for the 10-week program. Levels.fyi reports $72.50 per hour for SWE interns, and Bloomberg reported some interns earned over $16,000 a month. Interns also receive medical, dental, and vision coverage.

Does Akuna Capital require a finance background?

No. Every official JD states: 'No previous experience in finance or trading is required. Training and continuous education is provided.' Akuna hires for math and coding aptitude, not finance knowledge.

What GPA do I need for an Akuna Capital internship?

A minimum 3.5 GPA is required across all tracks. Trader roles specify 3.5 major GPA; SWE and Quant roles list a general 3.5 GPA cutoff.

Can I apply to multiple Akuna internship tracks?

No, with one exception. Applying for one Quant or Tech role means you will not be considered for other Quant or Tech roles that recruiting season. However, Trader roles are exempt from this restriction, so you can apply to a Trader role alongside one Quant or Tech role.

What is the Akuna Capital interview process like?

The process takes about 6 to 7 weeks: an 80-question mental math test, a probability test, a HackerRank coding test, a VidCruiter video interview with a strategic betting game, a technical phone screen with brainteasers, and a final round combining HR and in-depth technical interviews.

Does Akuna Capital sponsor visas for interns?

U.S. work authorization is required. Official JDs state this includes F-1 students with OPT, CPT, or STEM authorization. The firm does not appear to sponsor H-1B or other non-OPT visas for interns.

Do Akuna Capital interns get return offers?

The official internships page states that those who excel may have the opportunity to join Akuna full-time after graduation. No specific conversion percentage is published. Treat the 10-week program as a paid audition.

Akuna's intern class is tiny and the math bar is high, but every seat is won one rolling decision at a time. Spend the runway building proof: a remote Externship turns 'interested in Akuna' into a finished quantitative project you can walk through in every round.

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About the Author

Bifei Wang has spent 17 years focused on human flow and the growth of young professionals, spanning international education, career training and coaching, and recruitment process outsourcing. Over 7 years at Extern, he has had one-on-one sessions with thousands of students exploring careers in consulting, finance, tech, marketing, and data, giving him a firsthand view of how the job market has shifted for early-career professionals and what it actually takes to break in.