Co-Founder & CTO

Department: Engineering

Location: San Francisco

Employment Type: FullTime

About the Role

This is a true co-founder seat — not a conventional CTO hire. You will join a pre-seed AI video advertising and martech startup at the ground floor as an equal co-founder with ~28% equity ownership, taking full authority over the research agenda, the product, and the technical team.

The company operates an AI-powered platform that connects brands with a large network of AI video creators, enabling high-volume, performance-driven ad creation at speed and scale. The flywheel is already turning — nearly 10,000 creators on the platform, brands actively running campaigns — and the incoming technical co-founder will decide how the company's core AI advantage is built from here. Several of the most consequential technical and product decisions are deliberately still open, waiting for the right person to make them.

The company is backed by experienced founders and operators with deep roots in consumer tech, gaming, and venture, and has closed a pre-seed round.

What You'll Do

• Own the full technical vision and research agenda as an equal co-founder — this is your roadmap to shape, not someone else's to execute

• Architect and build the company's core AI/ML technical advantage across video generation, creative intelligence, and platform infrastructure

• Make high-stakes, still-open product and system design decisions with real authority and accountability

• Recruit, lead, and grow the engineering and research team

• Partner with the other co-founder(s) on company strategy, fundraising narrative, and investor relationships

• Drive the evolution of a multi-sided AI creator marketplace — spanning brand tooling, creator workflows, campaign management, and AI model development

What We're Looking For

Required

• Exceptional technical depth — you can credibly lead both applied AI/ML research and production engineering

• Demonstrated ability to make independent, high-impact technical and product decisions in ambiguous, fast-moving environments

• Prior experience building or leading engineering teams; comfortable being the first or most senior technical voice in the room

• Full-time commitment — this role is 6–7 days per week, in person in San Francisco

• Genuine co-founder mindset: you want ownership, accountability, and the upside that comes with both

Nice to Have

• Background in generative AI, video generation, or creative/media technology

• Experience at an early-stage startup (seed or pre-seed) in a technical leadership role

• Familiarity with ad tech, marketing technology, or creator economy platforms

Compensation & Benefits

• Equity: ~28% co-founder equity (equal split)

• Salary to be discussed; structured as a co-founder arrangement

• Visa sponsorship: Not available — candidates must be authorized to work in the United States

Location

This role is on-site in San Francisco, CA. In-person presence is a firm requirement — the team works together daily.