We are seeking an exceptional commercial entrepreneur to become Co-Founder & Operating Partner of a substantially developed B2B industrial AI/SaaS business for our portfolio company.
This is not an idea looking for a technical team.
Significant time and capital have already been invested in developing the technology, product platform and underlying intellectual property. The opportunity now is to take what has been built, validate and sharpen the commercial proposition, secure lighthouse customers, establish product-market fit, and build a scalable software company around it.
We are looking for someone who wants to build and own a meaningful part of their next company, rather than simply take another executive position.
Fundraising for seed capital will be required for commercialization.
The Platform
The company has developed an AI-enabled software platform addressing complex commerce and workflow challenges in industrial distribution and manufacturing.
Current capabilities include:
AI-driven product search, identification and matching Complex product and catalog intelligence RFQ and quotation workflow automation CPQ functionality for complex industrial products B2B commerce and transaction workflows
The initial opportunity is in industrial distribution and manufacturing, with potential application across multiple complex, product-intensive verticals.
Your Mandate
As Co-Founder & Operating Partner, you will take primary responsibility for commercializing and building the business.
You will:
Validate and sharpen the ideal customer profile, value proposition and go-to-market strategy Personally lead early customer discovery and enterprise sales Secure the initial group of lighthouse customers and strategic partners Establish the commercial model, pricing and market positioning Translate customer requirements and market intelligence into product priorities Build a repeatable sales and customer-acquisition engine Recruit and lead the commercial organization as the business grows Develop the company's financing strategy Lead or actively participate in future capital raising Establish relationships with prospective angel, venture, family-office and strategic investors Build the company from early commercialization through meaningful recurring revenue and scale
This is a hands-on entrepreneurial role. You will sell, build, recruit, negotiate, raise capital and execute—not simply manage an existing organization.
Who We're Looking For
We are particularly interested in accomplished entrepreneurs and operators who have previously built a company, business unit or significant revenue organization.
Relevant backgrounds could include:
Founder or CEO of a B2B software or technology company CRO, VP Sales, GM or senior commercial executive in vertical SaaS Senior executive in industrial distribution or manufacturing Executive in CPQ, PIM, ERP, procurement, supply chain or B2B commerce technology Entrepreneur with strong relationships in industrial or enterprise markets
More important is demonstrated ability to sell sophisticated B2B solutions, establish executive-level customer relationships and build a business from an early stage.
What Matters Most
The right person will:
Think and behave like an owner Have personally generated customers and revenue—not simply managed teams that did Be comfortable operating with ambiguity and limited early-stage resources Be able to sell credibly to CEOs and senior executives of mid-market and enterprise companies Understand enterprise SaaS economics and go-to-market strategy Have the financial flexibility and risk tolerance associated with an entrepreneurial venture Prefer meaningful ownership and long-term value creation to conventional executive compensation Be prepared to make a substantial full-time commitment to building the company
Experience raising growth capital—or established relationships with angel, venture, family-office, strategic or other investors—is highly desirable. The successful candidate must ultimately be capable of credibly representing the company to prospective investors and playing an active leadership role in fundraising.
What Already Exists
Unlike a conventional startup co-founder opportunity, considerable technical development and product risk have already been absorbed.
The company has an established technology platform, existing intellectual property, significant development investment and deep domain knowledge.
What has not yet been established is the repeatable commercial engine.
That is the opportunity.
Founder Economics
This is a genuine co-founder opportunity with meaningful ownership rather than a conventional salaried executive position.
We anticipate founder-level equity in the range of 20–30%, subject to appropriate vesting and the final responsibilities, commitment and experience of the selected individual.
The parties will undertake appropriate mutual diligence before entering into a definitive founder/shareholder agreement.
There may also be an opportunity for the incoming Co-Founder to invest capital in the business. Any such investment would be entirely separate from the sweat-equity arrangement and negotiated on mutually agreed investment terms.
Geography
The business is North American and the role can be performed remotely from Canada or the United States.
Customers are expected to be primarily North American industrial companies, so some travel should be expected.
The Person This Will Appeal To
You may currently be a successful CEO, CRO, GM or entrepreneur who has reached the point where another conventional executive role isn't particularly compelling.
You would rather spend the next chapter of your career building an asset you meaningfully own.
But you also don't necessarily want to begin with an idea, a blank screen and several years of product development.
If you have the commercial capability, entrepreneurial drive and relationships to turn substantial existing technology into a significant B2B software company, we would like to speak with you.
Qualified candidates will initially receive a high-level overview of the opportunity. Additional information concerning the company, technology, intellectual property and commercial strategy will be shared selectively as discussions progress.
KEY QUESTIONS YOU WILL BE ASKED:
What business, product or revenue organization have you personally built or commercialized from an early stage?
Why does a founder-level opportunity appeal to you at this point in your career, and what experience or network could you bring to enterprise sales and/or future capital raising?
Source: Wellfound.
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