Co-Founder & CEO (Business & Growth)

📍 Location: Remote, Europe preferred
💼 Type: Co-Founder, Equity-Based Partnership
🚀 Stage: Early-Stage Startup
About Athena
Most AI agents are built to respond to commands, execute predefined workflows, or connect different tools. At Athena, we're building something fundamentally different: an AI that remembers, understands, and acts.
At the heart of Athena is its evolving AI brain, designed to maintain memory, understand context, learn from past interactions, and carry natural, human-like conversations. Rather than treating every interaction as an isolated task, Athena aims to build continuity, adapt to individual needs, and make intelligent decisions based on context.
Our vision goes beyond automating phone calls. We're developing an intelligent agent capable of taking ownership of real-world tasks, navigating complex conversations, following up on unfinished matters, and working toward outcomes with minimal human intervention.
We're not building another automation platform with a collection of integrations. We're building an intelligence layer that will continuously evolve, becoming more capable, more personalized, and more autonomous over time.
Athena is already under active development, with a working technical foundation and a long-term vision to redefine how individuals and businesses interact with AI.
Learn more: https://agentathena.live/
The Opportunity
I'm a technical founder with over 16 years of experience in software engineering, technology leadership, and building scalable platforms.
I'm currently leading Athena's product development and technical strategy. But building a successful company takes more than great technology.
I'm looking for an ambitious, commercially minded Co-Founder to take the lead on building the business while I focus on building the product.
You don't need to have been a CEO before. You don't need to have raised millions or built a successful startup.
What matters is your entrepreneurial mindset, commercial instincts, and ability to turn opportunities into results.
This is an opportunity for someone who has always wanted to build their own company but hasn't found the right product or technical partner.
What You'll Be Doing
You'll take ownership of Athena's commercial direction, including:
Business Strategy: Shape our business model, pricing, market positioning, and growth strategy.
Customer Acquisition: Identify target markets, validate demand, and turn prospects into paying customers.
Go-to-Market: Develop and execute strategies to launch Athena and establish a strong market presence.
Partnerships: Build relationships with businesses, communities, and potential distribution partners.
Fundraising: Develop investor relationships, explore funding opportunities, and eventually lead fundraising efforts.
Company Building: Help establish the operational and commercial foundations needed to turn Athena into a sustainable business.
You won't be expected to do everything alone forever, but in the beginning, we'll both need to be hands-on.
Who You Are
I'm particularly interested in someone who:
Has experience in business development, B2B sales, growth, marketing, or commercial strategy.
Understands how to identify market opportunities and acquire customers.
Is interested in AI, SaaS, and emerging technologies.
Has strong communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
Is proactive, resourceful, and comfortable working in an early-stage environment.
Is willing to take ownership, make decisions, and execute rather than just develop strategies.
Wants to build something meaningful and is ready to commit to the journey.
Experience in startups, fundraising, or entrepreneurship is a plus, but not a requirement.
Most importantly, I'm looking for a builder, not an advisor.
What You'll Get
Co-Founder Opportunity: Join Athena as a founding partner with meaningful equity, structured through a mutually agreed vesting arrangement.
Leadership: The opportunity to take ownership of the business and grow into the CEO role.
Technical Partnership: Work alongside an experienced technical founder responsible for product development and engineering.
Existing Foundation: Start with a product already under development rather than building from an idea alone.
Real Ownership: Help shape the company's vision, strategy, culture, and future.
A Note About Compensation
Athena is currently bootstrapped and at an early stage.
This is an equity-based co-founder opportunity, not a salaried position at this stage.
I'm looking for someone who understands the risks and rewards of entrepreneurship and is motivated by building long-term value together.
Interested?
If you've been thinking about starting your own company, have a passion for technology, and believe you can turn an innovative product into a successful business, I'd love to connect.
Tell me a little about your background, what attracts you to Athena, and how you believe you could contribute.
You don't need the perfect CV. You need the ambition, commitment, and drive to build something.

Work arrangement
Yes