Business Development, AI

About the role

This role is about building relationships and uncovering opportunities across the robotics and embodied AI ecosystem.

You'll connect with founders, researchers, investors, and engineering leaders across frontier robotics labs, startups, and universities. Through meaningful conversations, industry events, and deep market engagement, you'll identify emerging needs, understand where the market is heading, and create opportunities for Lightwheel to work with the teams shaping the future of robotics.

What You'll Do

• Build the network: Develop and maintain strong relationships across robotics labs, embodied AI startups, universities, founders, and investors.
• Activate the ecosystem: Organize and host dinners, roundtables, demo nights, conference events, and lab visits that bring together key players in the field.
• Drive market discovery: Engage directly with researchers and engineering leaders to understand their technical priorities, model development goals, data needs, hardware programs, timelines, and budgets.
• Create opportunities: Turn early-stage conversations into qualified pipeline, with clear needs, potential fit, and next steps. Partner with Account Executives and Solutions on opportunity development and handoff.
• Bring market insights: Track emerging companies, research directions, funding activity, customer needs, and competitive moves. Translate these insights into actionable market intelligence for the team.
• Represent Lightwheel: Build our presence across the robotics and embodied AI community through industry events, conferences, and in-person engagement across the Bay Area and beyond.

What We're Looking For

• Clear communication in English and Mandarin.
• 1–3 years of experience in venture capital, private equity, investment banking, financial advisory, startup business development, ecosystem development, community building, or research programs.
• An established network in the Bay Area AI or robotics ecosystem, with relationships you can actively engage today.
• Strong relationship-building and communication skills. You're comfortable reaching out, starting conversations, and turning connections into meaningful engagement.
• Sufficient technical curiosity and literacy to engage credibly with robotics researchers and engineering teams, with a strong appetite to learn.
• A results-oriented mindset, with the ability to own measurable outcomes across meetings, qualified opportunities, and pipeline development.

Nice to Have

• Experience working with or investing in early-stage deep-tech companies.
• A track record of building communities or organizing events that led to meaningful business opportunities, partnerships, or talent connections.
• Exposure to AI data infrastructure, simulation, robotics, or autonomous systems.

Benefits & Perks

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Career growth opportunities and a dedicated Learning & Development budget
• Relocation assistance
• Visa sponsorship available for qualified candidates