COMMERCIAL CO-FOUNDER (BUSINESS & SALES)

Target Candidate Background: KTH Royal Institute of Technology (preferably ITM — School of Industrial Engineering and Management) connectionRole Scope: Business Development, Industrial Outreach, GTM Strategy, Customer DiscoveryCompany: Virtwin-Energy AB (Ignite-AI)Compensation: Equity-based Co-Founder opportunity — no salary at the current stage Role OverviewVirtwin-Energy AB is a deep-tech startup founded through KTH Innovation, developing Ignite-AI, an AI-native platform that automates combustion and CFD simulation workflows. Our technical team brings strong expertise in AI engineering, industrial combustion, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). We are now looking for a Commercial Co-Founder to build the business side of the company and help take Ignite-AI from technical validation and pilots toward scalable commercialization. This is a non-technical co-founder role. You do not need to be a developer or CFD expert. We are looking for someone who can understand customer needs, build industrial relationships, shape our market strategy, and turn technical capabilities into commercial opportunities. Key ResponsibilitiesCustomer Discovery & Outreach — Lead structured interviews and outreach with engineering managers, R&D directors, simulation leads, and other industrial decision-makers to identify pain points and validate market needs.Industrial Partnerships — Build relationships with energy, manufacturing, process, and engineering companies across Sweden and the Nordic region.Pilot-to-Customer Conversion — Turn technical pilots and customer validation into LOIs, commercial agreements, and recurring subscriptions.Go-to-Market Strategy — Develop our positioning, customer segmentation, pricing, and GTM strategy across research, industrial, and enterprise markets.Commercial Strategy & Fundraising — Work closely with the technical founders on investor pitches, commercial projections, grant applications, partnerships, and future fundraising.Market Expansion — Help identify new applications, industries, and strategic partnerships as Ignite-AI scales. Who we are looking forKTH connection: Current student, researcher, or professional with a strong network within KTH, preferably ITM.Commercial mindset: Background in business development, B2B sales, industrial management, entrepreneurship, consulting, or commercial strategy.Strong communicator: Comfortable approaching new companies, leading customer conversations, and communicating value to technical and business stakeholders.Network builder: Able to leverage or develop relationships within the KTH and industrial ecosystem.Entrepreneurial Commitment: Passionate about joining an early-stage deep-tech startup as a core co-founder with significant equity ownership.

Why Join Ignite-AI?True Founding Leadership: Direct and own the commercial vision, go-to-market strategy, and international scaling from day one as a full partner—not an employee or sales consultant.Substantial Equity Ownership: Receive a significant founding equity stake with full seat on the executive management team alongside the technical co-founders.High-Impact Deep-Tech Industry: Bridge KTH-backed AI simulation technology with major industrial energy and manufacturing enterprises.Stage & Compensation Notice: As an early-stage deep-tech startup, this is an equity-first co-founder role with no fixed initial salary, designed for an ambitious commercial builder looking for high long-term venture upside.