Founding Engineer
AIRE, Remote (US and Canada)
Please reach out to recruitment@aire.xyz if you’re interested in learning more.
AIRE is building the Consumer Ownership Graph, the missing data layer for all of commerce.
Every commerce AI system is built on intent data: searches, clicks, browses. That signal is noisy and short-lived. No one mapped ownership. Google mapped searches. Facebook mapped relationships.
We map what people actually own across brands, powering zero-friction resale, AI-driven personalization, and cross-network shopping intelligence. The product is live and growing quickly. 100+ merchant partners live. 161K monthly loyal users.
The product is live, the business model is proven, and the distribution is compounding. We're now sitting on the most unique consumer dataset in commerce - what consumers actually own across 100+ brands. We need the founding engineer who can see what this data unlocks and build it.
Where We Are
• 100+ merchant partners live (98% retention, 75% inbound)
• 1-click merchant integration unlocking Day 1 A/B tested revenue lifts (+35% AOV, +40% conversion)
• $206M+ authenticated inventory. ML-powered Gmail sync parsing 1,400+ merchant receipt formats
• 347K consumer wardrobes
• Merchant intelligence pilot delivering 16.3x revenue vs base
• AI first: We've built all of this as a lean, AI-first team - multiple functions led by one person using modern AI tooling.
• Backed by angel investors from the best in tech (OpenAI, Google, Stitchfix, Meta, Pinterest, Shopstyle) and fashion (LVMH, editor-in-chief at InStyle) and top founders like: Julie Bornstein (ex-Stitch Fix COO, Daydream founder), Brian Sugar (founder PopSugar). Named Vogue Business 2025 Fashion Startup to Watch.
The Role
This is a Founding Engineer with a large equity component. We prefer folks who have already either founded or been a founding engineer of a startup.
The CEO is a former founder with an exit, with deep experience across payments, e-commerce, fashion and re-commerce. She is non-technical, which means this hire owns everything technical: architecture, AI/ML, the product, and eventually the engineering team. There is a junior 2-person existing engineering team, but no technical leadership. Just a product with proven traction, a strong roadmap, and a massive technical problem worth solving.
The business side — unlocking the unique dataset, product-market fit, the business model, and a highly compelling distribution flywheel, which is already proven. The engineering challenge is just beginning.
What You’ll Build
• The Ownership Graph: Connecting consumers, products, brands, and transactions at scale. Graph database architecture
• ML/NLP Pipeline: E-receipt parsing mapping 1,400+ merchant formats to auto-populate ownership data. Gmail sync at scale.
• Agentic Commerce Engine: AI pricing across 10,000+ brands. Automated resale offers at peak price alignment. Zero-friction, one-click resale
• Consumer Intelligence: Cross-network personalization pipeline. Complete-the-look recommendations. Push intelligence into merchant personalization offerings.
• Merchant Integration Layer: Scalable API infrastructure for 100+ (and growing) Shopify, Magento, and BigCommerce partners
What We’re Looking For
• Production AI/ML experience: Shipped real AI-powered features to real users. LLMs (Claude, GPT, open-source models) in a production context, not just prototypes
• Full-stack delivery: Backend, APIs, data pipelines, and frontend when needed. No separate teams to hand off to
• Modern AI tooling fluency: Cursor, Copilot, Claude Code, Codex are daily tools, not things you’ve heard of
• Consumer product instinct: Built things real consumers use. Understands engagement loops, retention, and what makes a product feel magical
• Early-stage DNA: Joined a company at <50 people (ideally <10) or founded your own
• Ownership mindset: wants to build and lead what this becomes, not just contribute to one.
Nice to have: Personalization engines, two-sided marketplace experience, e-commerce infrastructure, graph databases, mobile (React Native)
The First 90 Days
• First 30 days: Ship something. Close gaps in the existing system, stand up a working AI/ML prototype, and put together an architecture plan
• First 60 days: AI-powered feature in the hands of real users. 3-month technical roadmap planned. First 1–2 engineers entering the hiring pipeline. Contributing to partner conversations with real demos
• First 90 days: Multiple AI/ML features shipping. Consumer Ownership Graph meaningfully improved: better data, better matching, better experience. Beginning to build the team
Compensation
• Significant founding-level ownership: this is one of the most generous equity packages you'll see at this stage, priced at current pre-seed valuation before the next fundraise. Base cash salary: $100K-$250K USD, negotiable depending on experience and equity split. Founder-level cash, below market by design — the delta is the equity.
Location: Remote (US or Canada). Strong preference for Brooklyn / NYC - the CEO and Founder is Brooklyn-based but finding the right person is our top priority.