CEO-in-Residence - Industrial Manufacturing Tech Portfolio (Y1)

📋 Description

• • Are you a visionary leader with a proven track record of building and exiting successful companies in the industrial manufacturing, heavy machinery, or data-driven sectors? Do you possess the entrepreneurial spirit and strategic acumen to spearhead a groundbreaking venture that leverages significant structural advantages? UP.Labs Inc. presents an unparalleled opportunity for a seasoned executive to found and scale innovative industrial software companies from their inception. This is not just another startup; it's a chance to build something truly game-changing, backed by a leading corporate partner in the heavy machinery and industrial manufacturing space.
• • As a CEO-in-Residence at UP.Labs, you will be at the forefront of innovation, working with a pre-validated industry problem that offers immediate, measurable value. You will have access to a committed enterprise customer base from day one, providing a stable foundation for growth. Furthermore, you'll have the flexibility to bring in your own Tier-1 investors, ensuring you have the financial backing aligned with your vision. This role comes with full founder equity and comprehensive support from the UP.Labs platform, empowering you to focus on what you do best: building exceptional companies.
• • The UP.Labs model is designed for accelerated success. You will be supported by a dedicated startup team, including product, go-to-market (GTM), and engineering leaders, who are already working on an incubated product. You will be solving a problem that has been rigorously validated by our corporate partner and the broader industry ecosystem, mitigating early-stage risks. Our portfolio companies are strategically structured for rapid scaling with capital efficiency, targeting liquidity events within a 3-4 year timeframe. This means a faster path to exit and a quicker realization of your entrepreneurial success.
• • We offer founder-level equity, ensuring a meaningful ownership stake from the outset, coupled with a competitive base salary. You will be working alongside esteemed institutional investors and top-tier corporate Limited Partners (LPs), gaining invaluable exposure and networking opportunities. The UP.Labs platform provides world-class infrastructure, granting you access to expert support in product development, engineering, legal counsel, recruiting, and GTM strategy. This robust support system allows you to concentrate on strategic leadership and business growth.
• • Your primary mission will be to lead one of two potential vertical AI startups, depending on the final alignment and your specific interests. Initially, you will join UP.Labs as a CEO-in-Residence, playing a crucial role in shaping the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and the organizational structure. Upon completion of the incubation phase, you will be empowered to build out your founding team and cultivate your customer pipeline, setting the stage for a successful launch and sustained growth.
• • As the founding CEO, you will be responsible for setting the strategic direction, assembling a high-caliber team, and ultimately owning all outcomes. This is a hands-on, demanding role for an individual who thrives on building from the ground up with urgency, clarity, and unwavering grit. Your responsibilities will encompass owning and driving the company's strategy, operations, and execution, including Profit & Loss (P&L) management and GTM strategy. You will be tasked with recruiting and leading a top-tier team across engineering, product, and sales functions.
• • A key aspect of this role involves translating complex supply chain and logistics challenges into elegant, world-class software solutions. You will foster deep partnerships with customers, particularly within the corporate partner's extensive ecosystem. Collaboration with the UP.Labs product and venture teams will be essential to deliver cutting-edge solutions that meet the corporate partner's needs and exceed market expectations. Ultimately, you will be responsible for raising capital, driving aggressive growth, and steering the company towards a successful exit.
• • We are seeking individuals who have successfully founded or scaled B2B SaaS or data platforms, ideally with a background in industrial manufacturing or heavy machinery. Experience selling into or working closely with complex enterprises, such as OEMs, distribution networks, or partner channels, is highly desirable. A strong understanding of AI/ML-enabled platforms or a keen ability to identify and build defensible data moats is a significant advantage. Proven success in closing enterprise deals and nurturing long-term commercial relationships is critical. Furthermore, candidates who have led a company through a Series A funding round or to a successful exit, and who have a demonstrated ability to build and inspire exceptional, diverse teams under pressure, will be strongly considered.