Cloudflare Plans to Hire Over 1,100 Interns to Train Future Tech Leaders
▼ Summary
– Cloudflare aims to hire 1,111 interns in 2026 to provide hands-on experience and mentorship, addressing the difficulty graduates face in securing entry-level tech jobs.
– The company will offer U.S. university students one year of free access to its Cloudflare Workers developer platform to help them build skills without upfront costs.
– Cloudflare will provide office space in select cities for approved startups to collaborate, fostering connections between its teams and emerging companies.
– Through its Cloudflare for Startups program, the company has provided over $370 million in credits to more than 4,000 startups, helping them scale using its security and performance tools.
– CEO Matthew Prince stated that Cloudflare sees AI as an opportunity to learn from interns who are native to the technology, rather than as a means to replace jobs.
In a significant move to cultivate the next wave of technology talent, Cloudflare has unveiled an ambitious plan to hire over 1,100 interns in 2026. This initiative forms the core of a broader strategy to invest in the future of the internet by providing students and startups with essential resources and hands-on experience. The company is also making its powerful developer tools available to university students at no cost, addressing a critical need for practical skills in an evolving job market.
The current technological landscape presents unique challenges for new graduates. As artificial intelligence automates more fundamental tasks, securing that first professional role demands a higher level of expertise. Recent data indicates a noticeable decline in employment for younger workers in fields like software engineering. Internship opportunities have also become scarcer, with one major platform reporting a substantial drop in tech-related postings. This trend risks creating a future shortage of experienced professionals if companies do not actively nurture emerging talent.
Matthew Prince, Cloudflare’s co-founder and CEO, emphasized the company’s history of leaning into periods of change. “We founded Cloudflare during a financial crisis and actually expanded our intern program when other companies were pulling back during the pandemic,” Prince noted. He sees the current environment not as a threat, but as an opportunity. “While some view AI as a replacement for jobs, we see this new generation as the key to integrating AI’s best applications into our work. There is immense value in learning from interns who have grown up using AI as a primary tool.”
The company’s new programs are multi-faceted, designed to offer support at various stages of a builder’s journey.
A central pillar is the goal to hire 1,111 interns, a number that pays homage to Cloudflare’s public DNS resolver, 1.1.1.1. This expanded “Intern-et” program is designed to give students real-world experience on projects that impact millions of internet users globally. Interns will work on everything from securing network infrastructure to developing advanced serverless applications. Positions will be available year-round in key hubs including Austin, San Francisco, New York, Bengaluru, Lisbon, and London, providing direct access to senior leadership and dedicated mentorship.
To lower the barriers to innovation, Cloudflare is offering all university students in the United States with a valid .edu email address one year of free access to Cloudflare Workers. This serverless platform allows developers to build, deploy, and scale applications directly on Cloudflare’s global network. This initiative gives students the freedom to experiment and create without the burden of upfront costs.
Beyond supporting individuals, Cloudflare is fostering community among startups. Beginning in January 2026, approved early-stage companies building on Cloudflare’s platform will gain access to collaborative workspace in offices located in Austin, Lisbon, London, and San Francisco. This program provides a physical space for builders to connect with each other and with Cloudflare’s teams, encouraging valuable networking and feedback.
The commitment to the startup ecosystem is further demonstrated by the Cloudflare for Startups program, which has provided over $370 million in credits to more than 4,000 companies in the last year alone. Eligible startups can receive up to $250,000 in credits to leverage Cloudflare’s comprehensive suite of security, performance, and developer tools, enabling them to scale rapidly while focusing their resources on product development.
Students and startups interested in these opportunities can find application details on Cloudflare’s official careers page and program websites. The company’s broader mission centers on helping to build a better, more secure internet by empowering organizations with a unified platform of cloud-native products and developer tools.
(Source: MEA Tech Watch)
