Building anto together
"Those memories are something I'll carry with me till the day I die"
— Catalina
Have you ever wondered what it's really like to intern at a startup and help build a cycling brand in Berlin?
This summer, five international students joined us through the Humboldt Internship Program (HIP) at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Together, they became part of one of the most exciting chapters in our journey, the rebranding of our company into anto.
From creating content and filming videos to connecting with the cycling community and testing our products, they quickly became an essential part of the team. Along the way, they also developed a few cycling skills of their own. Here's what they had to say about their experience.
Why an internship at anto?
Although Nerea, Claudia, and Assema study at different universities in Spain, all three discovered the internship through the Santander Open Academy platform. For them, it was the perfect opportunity to gain international work experience in Berlin. Catalina, a journalism student from Chile, had a similar motivation: she wanted to take on a new challenge abroad.
"I've always wanted to live in Berlin, so when I saw the opportunity on Open Bank Santander, I didn't hesitate to apply. Since it was a marketing internship, I thought it would be the perfect combination of my marketing degree and my interest in mobility."
— Nerea
"I was originally looking for an internship in Chile, but I'd always known that one day I wanted to go abroad and take on bigger challenges. So I decided to send in my application and see what happened."
— Catalina
"I really wanted to gain international experience. anto was my first choice because it seemed like a great fit for developing practical marketing skills while writing my Master's thesis about the experience."
— Assema
What surprised you the most?
The first impression was completely different from what our interns had expected. Instead of a traditional office building, they found themselves working in a unique office surrounded by nature, a welcome surprise that everyone appreciated during the summer.
In our handcrafted office, built especially to host the internship team, everyone had a bright and spacious workstation with a second monitor. And as a bonus, there were comfortable rolling office chairs.
"I was nervous during my first interview with Karl, but as soon as we started talking, I immediately felt his positive energy. When I finally saw the office in person, this amazing office space just made sense."
— Catalina
"When I arrived, I was really surprised. The office was so unique and completely different from what I had imagined a startup to be. It was in the middle of nature and had a very relaxed atmosphere."
— Claudia
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
"Broadly speaking, I'm most proud of learning things completely from scratch. For example, I never expected to edit websites or produce videos. Back in Singapore, I study Political Science and Communication, so I'm really glad that I had the chance to work in an area outside my academic field."
— Keegan
Everyone at anto was encouraged to step outside their comfort zone and take ownership of real projects. Keegan wasn't the only one who discovered new skills. Every intern left with something different, whether it was stronger design skills, more confidence or better communication.
"As a team, we worked on the company's rebranding, and I believe we really helped anto during this important stage. Personally, I significantly improved my Illustrator skills while creating content for our social media channels."
— Nerea
"I've learned how to take responsibility, develop my own opinions and share them confidently with others."
— Claudia
"I think my English improved a lot, especially through everyday communication. I also became much better at multitasking and managing my time."
— Catalina
What's your favourite memory from the internship?
"Sharing lunch with Karl and the other interns was one of my favourite memories."
— Claudia
"I loved cooking together, but even more than that, I loved the feeling that we were like a small family. So many funny things happened, but my favourite memories are the afternoons when the engineering team and the marketing team went down to the river and simply laughed together. Those memories are something I'll carry with me for the rest of my life."
— Catalina
"Our bike missions—cycling around Berlin while taking photos and videos—were unforgettable. But the funniest moment was probably my first day, when I was shown the office, then suddenly the kitchen in the middle of the forest, and before I knew it, we were all cooking together. I was a little confused at first, but that's exactly what makes anto so unique."
— Keegan
From working in the pavilion office and organising photoshoots across Berlin's most iconic locations to cooking and sharing meals outdoors, our interns created plenty of unforgettable memories this summer. We hope they'll always remember their time at anto as an experience full of positivity, flexibility, movement and meaningful connections.
If you had to describe your internship in just one word – what would it be?
Unexpected
Change
Transformation
Insights Learning
As you can see, the internship was a special experience for our marketing interns that they would recommend at any time.
Whether you want to get to know your first startup or actively participate in building a growing bicycle brand – at anto, you have the opportunity to make a real contribution from day one, just like our marketing interns this year.
If you are curious, bring creative ideas, and are eager to learn new things, we look forward to hearing from you. You can apply to us both through the Humboldt Internship Program and directly through your university. Feel free to get in touch with us!