Paid Founder-in-Residence for Industrial AI Startup in Manufacturing, Energy, or Defence

About The Opportunity

The Flywheel Venture Studio is seeking exceptional leaders, engineers, and domain specialists to co-create innovative companies addressing critical challenges within Europe's vital sectors: Manufacturing, Defence, and Energy. Ideal candidates bring deep firsthand knowledge of industrial obstacles and revenue challenges. Selected Founders-in-Residence (FiRs) will collaborate with The Flywheel to rapidly advance ideas from inception to market launch, retaining ownership of up to 80% equity in the ventures formed.

This role entails a structured yet fast-paced entrepreneurial journey, supported by accelerators, venture capitalists, and incubators, as well as hands-on assistance in idea validation, prototype development, team formation, legal incorporation, and securing initial customers and investors.

Program Details

• A paid, hybrid Founder-in-Residence program located in Thessaloniki, Greece, with flexibility to establish ventures anywhere in Europe.
• Access to a network of 20+ investors—former professionals from Google, Boeing, NASA, and more—facilitating introductions to pilots, customers, and funding sources.
• Stipend of €4,000 monthly during idea validation (up to six months) and up to €300,000 in committed funding upon company formation.
• Responsibility to transition into CEO or CTO upon venture incorporation.

Core Domains

• Manufacturing and Supply Chains
• Defence and Security
• Energy and Sustainability

Roles and Responsibilities

Throughout the 1-6 month FiR program, you will:

• Perform in-depth user research and confirm problem significance within the designated industries.
• Ideate, assess, and select the most promising venture opportunities.
• Create early-stage prototypes with engineering collaboration.
• Validate market demand, pricing willingness, and profitability paths.
• Execute pilots and market experiments.
• Develop business models, perform segmentation and competitive analysis, and strategize go-to-market approaches.
• Prepare and present investment cases for new company formation.

Following company incorporation, your leadership will include:

• Assuming the CEO or CTO position of the new startup.
• Deploying The Flywheel’s investment to initiate operations.
• Recruiting founding team members with available support.
• Engaging early customers and pilots via studio industry relations.
• Leading fundraising efforts with guidance from The Flywheel.
• Driving towards product-market fit and sustainable growth.

Candidate Profile and Requirements

• Demonstrable ability to independently drive complex projects and deliver results.
• Multiple years of relevant experience in Manufacturing, Defence, Energy, or related domains.
• Proven leadership in product or technical roles, ideally with experience building ventures from scratch.
• Entrepreneurial background as a startup founder, early team member, product manager, or tech leader.
• Exceptional communication skills and leadership capacity.
• Readiness to assume full ownership either as CEO or CTO.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience in B2B enterprise sales or business development.
• Management of engineering or product teams.
• Capital raising expertise.
• Established networks within industry buyer groups.

Exclusions

• Applicants with existing traction, pilots, or funded startups primarily seeking capital.
• Those lacking first-hand insight into specific problems or relevant paying buyers.
• Problem domains outside Manufacturing & Supply Chains, Defence & Security, or Energy & Sustainability.

Benefits

• Earn €4,000/month stipend during early-stage validation up to six months.
• Retain substantial equity—up to 80% ownership in formed ventures.
• Leverage a committed capital injection of up to €300,000 at company launch.
• Work alongside a supportive, experienced team providing engineering, design, marketing, and operational assistance.
• Utilize proven frameworks for customer research, AI prototyping, business modeling, pricing strategy, and legal/IP support.
• Gain access to industrial pilot programs, early customers, and recruitment resources.
• Receive continuous guidance toward securing Series A funding and investor connections in the US and Europe.

Application Process

The selection procedure is ongoing and includes a brief application, a screening interview, a detailed evaluation session, and ultimately an offer. Most candidates receive feedback within five days.