CEO-in-Residence - Industrial Operations Intelligence

UP.Labs

16h•Remote

About The Position

Founding CEO: Lead the Next Breakthrough in Industrial Tech with UP.Labs. If you've built and exited a successful industrial manufacturing, heavy machinery or data-driven company—and are eager to do it again—this is your moment to found something game-changing that includes structural advantages beyond the dreams of most startups. We're looking for a CEO to build and scale industrial software companies from day one, in partnership with our corporate partner, a leading heavy machinery and industrial manufacturing player. This is a rare opportunity to lead a venture that starts with: A real industry problem with immediate, measurable value, A committed enterprise customer base, Flexibility to bring in your own Tier-1 investor, Full founder equity and support from the UP.Labs platform. You'll lead a vertical AI startup that is transforming how industrial and manufacturing operations capture, retain, and act on critical maintenance knowledge. You will first join the UPLabs team as a ‘CEO-in-residence’ where you will help shape the MVP and the organization. At the end of incubation, you will be supported in building out your founding team and customer pipeline. You’ll serve as founding CEO—setting the direction, building the team, and owning outcomes. This is a hands-on role for someone who can go from zero to scale with urgency, clarity, and grit.

Requirements

Founded or scaled a B2B SaaS or data platform, ideally with an industrial manufacturing or heavy machinery focus
Sold into or worked with complex enterprises (OEMs, distribution, or partner networks)
Built AI/ML-enabled platforms or have a sharp eye for building defensible data moats
Closed enterprise customers and maintained long-term commercial relationships
Led a company through Series A+ or to a successful exit
Built and inspired exceptional, diverse teams under pressure

Responsibilities

Own and drive strategy, operations, and execution—P&L, GTM, and beyond
Recruit and lead a top-tier team across engineering, product, and sales
Translate complex supply chain and logistics problems into world-class software
Build deep partnerships with customers, particularly inside the corporate partner ecosystem
Partner with UP.Labs product and venture teams to deliver a cutting edge solution to the corporate partner
Raise capital, drive growth, and lead the company to exit

Benefits

Enterprise traction from day one
Startup team support
Product already in incubation
Product, GTM and engineering leaders from UP.Labs team
Solving a problem validated by corporate partner and broader ecosystem
Accelerated path to exit
Capital efficiency
Targeting liquidity in 3-4 years
Competitive base salary
Meaningful ownership stake from day one
Backed by institutional investors and top corporate LPs
World-class infrastructure
Product, engineering, legal, recruiting, and GTM support from UP.Labs operating team