Strategic Business Development Lead

Compensation: Base salary with significant equity participation (stock options)

Classification: Full-Time, Exempt

Applied Brain Research Inc. (A ) is a pioneer in next-generation AI for edge devices, built on nearly a decade of research in brain-inspired computing. A ’s patented State Space Models (SSMs) deliver breakthrough efficiency for streaming, time-series AI workloads—including Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), Text-to-Speech (TTS), real-time translation, and on-device language models—across consumer, medical, industrial, and automotive applications.

A  operates a software licensing and royalty revenue model. Our models are deployed as embedded software running on third-party edge processors from leading silicon vendors including Nvidia, NXP, Qualcomm, Alif Semiconductor, STMicroelectronics, Renesas, and others. We do not sell hardware; we sell best-in-class neural network IP that OEMs and device makers integrate into their products.

A  is at an inflection point. Our technology is proven, our models are benchmarked against the best in the industry, and early customer traction is building. We are now seeking a seasoned business development leader who deeply understands embedded software, AI deployment on edge hardware, and the commercial dynamics of IP licensing to scale A  into a market-defining company.

This is a high-impact role responsible for building customer traction that establishes A  as a leading provider of embedded AI models for edge devices, starting with ASR and TTS. The Business Development Lead will identify and engage target customers, structure and drive meaningful proof-of-concept (POC) engagements, and build the relationships with OEMs and silicon partners that validate A ’s technology in real-world deployments.

This role is a critical contributor to A ’s go-to-market strategy and will work closely with the CEO and leadership team to shape commercial direction based on direct market and customer insight.

The ideal candidate has spent years navigating the intersection of embedded software, semiconductor ecosystems, and AI—and understands how software IP gets licensed, integrated, and deployed on constrained edge devices. This is not a role for a traditional hardware sales executive or someone whose experience is limited to SaaS or cloud software.

• Identify, qualify, and engage OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, and device manufacturers whose product roadmaps align with A ’s embedded AI capabilities
• Structure, negotiate, and drive paid proof-of-concept (POC) and pilot engagements that demonstrate A ’s performance advantages on customers’ target hardware and use cases
• Manage active POC engagements end-to-end: define success criteria with customers, coordinate A  engineering resources, track milestones, and drive toward clear go/no-go outcomes
• Build a track record of successful POCs that demonstrate clear customer traction and validate A ’s technology for licensing and royalty commitments
• Maintain clear reporting on engagement status, POC progress, and customer commitment signals for the CEO and leadership team
• The role will not be responsible for the Go-to-Market Strategy but will be key in supporting and developing the strategy
• Identify the highest-value market segments and use cases where A ’s SSM-based models address key customer pain points by delivering clear competitive differentiation on edge hardware
• Provide input on product positioning, pricing strategy, and packaging for A ’s IP licensing offerings across different processor families and customer tiers
• Create and execute co-marketing programs with silicon partners to drive inbound demand from their customer bases
• Build and manage deep technical and commercial relationships with edge processor ecosystem (ARM, Nvidia, NXP, Qualcomm, Alif, STMicroelectronics, Renesas, and others)
• Drive joint go-to-market initiatives including reference designs, benchmark publications, developer ecosystem integrations, and co-selling motions
• Coordinate with A  engineering on partner platform integration activities and drive promotion on partner platforms to create pull-through demand from OEM customers
• Re…