Commercial Co-Founder - Industrial Automation & Robotics

ABOUT THE ROLE

Working arrangement: Commercial co-founder role Location: Molde, Norway — regular in-person collaboration is required Start date: Flexible, preferably August or September 2026 Initial phase: Paid mutual assessment period of approximately one to three months RoboConnect is looking for a commercially driven co-founder who wants to help build and scale an early-stage industrial technology company. RoboConnect is developing an independent, AI-supported B2B platform that helps industrial companies turn fragmented process knowledge and unclear automation needs into a structured and decision-relevant project basis — before engaging with suppliers, system integrators or R&D organisations. Many industrial companies know they need to automate, but struggle to determine what should be automated first, whether the process is ready, which information is missing and what must be clarified before an investment decision can be made. RoboConnect starts by understanding the customer’s production process, challenges and actual needs. Our AI-supported workflow helps identify knowledge gaps, risks, assumptions and unanswered questions, and turns this information into a clearer project brief for internal decision-making and supplier dialogue. Our first specialised area is welding automation and high-mix, low-volume manufacturing. The broader ambition is to build a Nordic platform for early-stage automation clarification, project maturation and matching across several automation categories. RoboConnect is currently in the MVP and pilot phase. The platform, AI Advisor and CRM-supported matching workflow are approaching launch. The next major priorities are to test the solution with pilot customers, secure industrial customer projects, validate the commercial model and build the foundation for Nordic growth.

COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITY

RoboConnect’s commercial opportunity lies in becoming the independent starting point for industrial companies before they enter the supplier market. We begin with a focused and demanding segment: welding automation and high-mix, low-volume manufacturing. Once the workflow and commercial model have been validated, the same approach can be expanded into areas such as material handling, palletising, inspection and other industrial automation categories. The current model is designed around supplier-side revenue. Industrial companies can use RoboConnect as a low-threshold starting point, while automation partners pay for qualified opportunities and value created through successful projects. Potential future revenue streams include paid AI-assisted automation readiness reports, supplier subscriptions, premium access and category-specific products. Norway is the validation market, with Sweden as the first intended scale-up market and the wider Nordic region as the longer-term opportunity. The commercial model is still being validated. A central part of the Commercial Co-Founder role will therefore be to turn early market signals into a repeatable revenue model, establish scalable customer acquisition and help determine which revenue streams create the strongest long-term business.

THE CO-FOUNDER ROLE

This is not a traditional sales position. As Commercial Co-Founder, you will work closely with the founder and take substantial responsibility for building the commercial side of RoboConnect. You will combine hands-on customer acquisition with business development, market validation, partnerships, commercial strategy and company-building. In the early phase, much of the work will be operational. You will identify relevant industrial companies, initiate customer conversations, book and conduct meetings, follow up opportunities and learn directly from the market. At the same time, you will help decide what RoboConnect should sell, who we should sell to, how pilot customers can be converted into long-term customers and how the company should prepare for investment and Nordic expansion. Your responsibilities may include:

• co-developing and executing RoboConnect’s go-to-market strategy
• building a repeatable B2B sales process and qualified customer pipeline
• identifying and contacting industrial companies and decision-makers
• conducting customer meetings and understanding production challenges, bottlenecks and automation needs
• converting pilot interest and early leads into active customer projects
• refining the value proposition, pricing and commercial model
• building relationships with industry clusters, system integrators, technology suppliers and R&D organisations
• turning customer and market feedback into commercial and product priorities
• contributing to investor readiness, fundraising preparation and investor dialogue
• representing RoboConnect at industry events, trade fairs and customer visits
• preparing market entry and partnership development in Sweden and the wider Nordic region
• helping build the future commercial team and company culture

The role will involve travel, primarily within Norway and eventually Sweden.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We are looking for more than an experienced salesperson. We are looking for someone who wants to take genuine entrepreneurial responsibility and help build RoboConnect as a company. You should be comfortable moving between hands-on customer outreach and broader commercial and strategic decisions. You do not need to have founded a company before, but you must be willing to take ownership, work independently and operate with limited resources and considerable uncertainty. Relevant experience may include:

• B2B sales or technical sales
• business development and go-to-market execution
• manufacturing, industrial automation or robotics
• industrial software, technology platforms or B2B SaaS
• sales to SMEs, production managers or technical decision-makers
• commercial partnerships or ecosystem development
• startup development, fundraising or international growth

You do not need to be an engineer, developer or robotics expert. However, you must be curious enough to understand industrial production, ask good questions and build credibility in conversations with technical and commercial stakeholders. We believe you may be a strong fit if you:

• have a founder mindset and want to build something from an early stage
• are comfortable initiating conversations and creating opportunities from limited existing pipeline
• can combine commercial strategy with practical execution
• take responsibility and follow through on what you start
• are structured and use customer and market information systematically
• can turn market learning into clear commercial priorities
• build trust with industrial customers and technical decision-makers
• are comfortable with uncertainty, changing priorities and incomplete information
• communicate fluently in Norwegian, both verbally and in writing
• communicate well in English; Swedish is an advantage
• learn digital tools quickly and use them effectively in customer dialogue, CRM work and commercial follow-up
• want to become a long-term commercial leader and co-owner of RoboConnect

Experience with CRM systems, HubSpot, AI tools, LinkedIn, webinars or digital marketing is valuable, but not essential.

LOCATION AND IN-PERSON COLLABORATION

RoboConnect is based in Molde and is connected to Protomore Innovation Lab. Building a strong founding partnership requires close and frequent collaboration. We are therefore primarily looking for someone who:

• already lives in Molde or the surrounding region
• is willing to relocate to the Molde region
• or can establish a realistic arrangement that allows regular in-person work in Molde

Candidates who do not currently live in the region are welcome to apply, provided relocation or regular physical presence is a genuine and realistic possibility. Some flexibility and home-office work are possible, but this is not a fully remote co-founder role. The intention is that the founders should be able to work together physically on a regular basis.

COMPENSATION, OWNERSHIP AND EXPECTATIONS

RoboConnect is a pre-revenue startup and is not currently able to offer a long-term market-rate salary. The collaboration will begin with a paid mutual assessment period of approximately one to three months. The exact duration, compensation, workload and objectives will be agreed before starting and will depend on the candidate’s experience, availability and the practical scope of the role. Any salary after the initial period will depend on RoboConnect’s financial position, including revenue, investment or other funding, and will be subject to formal approval by the company’s board. This initial period will give both parties an opportunity to assess working style, commitment, trust, commercial capabilities and long-term founder fit. Progress will not be evaluated solely through signed sales, as industrial B2B sales cycles can be long. Relevant outcomes may also include customer meetings, qualified opportunities, partnerships, market learning and the development of a credible sales pipeline. If both parties decide to continue, the intention is to establish a genuine and long-term commercial co-founder relationship. For the right person, this may include a significant ownership position, potentially up to 49%, subject to agreed responsibilities, commitment, vesting terms and a formal shareholders’ agreement. This opportunity requires genuine entrepreneurial commitment and the practical ability to manage financial uncertainty during an early phase. The commercial co-founder will take substantial responsibility for sales, go-to-market strategy, partnerships, fundraising preparation and Nordic growth, while working closely with the founder through regular in-person collaboration in Molde. The aim is to find a long-term commercial partner who wants to share the responsibility, risk and potential value of building RoboConnect into a Nordic industrial technology company.

WHAT YOU WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD

At RoboConnect, you will have the opportunity to:

• join the founding team before commercial launch
• build the commercial strategy and sales function from the ground up
• help shape the product, business model and market positioning
• establish the company’s first repeatable customer acquisition process
• convert industrial needs into real customer projects and revenue
• work directly with industrial companies, automation experts and technology partners
• help build an investor-ready industrial technology company
• influence future recruitment, culture and strategic priorities
• prepare RoboConnect for expansion into Sweden and the wider Nordic market
• share in the long-term value created through the company’s growth

Our ambition is clear: RoboConnect aims to become the place industrial companies start when they are considering automation — and we are looking for a commercial co-founder who wants to help build that company with us.