Co-Founder Business & Finance / Future CFO (m/f/d) at GAIDA

Every wheel is a sensor waiting to be heard.

A modern vehicle carries well over a hundred sensors, and yet the one place where everything comes together - the contact between the tire and the road - remains a blind spot. GAIDA closes that gap. Our acoustic sensing technology, a combination of proprietary hardware and software, listens to the tire–road contact and delivers a data tier no vehicle has had before: the foundation for pushing performance and safety to their true limits.

We are a founding team of RWTH Aachen researchers and industry R&D engineers. Our first market is motorsport, where teams and manufacturers pay for exactly this kind of edge. The road beyond it is much bigger: the same data that finds performance on track makes future mobility safer on the road.

Why now: we are preparing our application for the EXIST Research Transfer program and want our Business & Finance co-founder in the room for it. You would own the commercial side from day one, shape the business model and go-to-market with us, and grow into the CFO role as the company grows. [Paid full-time employment at the Institute for Automotive Engineering (ika), RWTH Aachen, starts with EXIST Phase I, planned for 06/2027.]

This is a co-founder position, not a job: co-founder equity, a real seat at the table, and direct collaboration with experienced engineers inside RWTH Aachen's innovation ecosystem.

Interested? Send a short introduction, your CV and a few lines on why you want to build this with us via email or LinkedIn. We'll set up a call to get to know each other and walk you through the technology, the plan and the details.

ika - Institut für Kraftfahrzeuge

Ventseslav Yordanov

Ventseslav Yordanov

Co-Founder & CEO at GAIDA | Specialist Intelligent Wheels at ika, RWTH Aachen

Job Details

This is your elevator pitch. Briefly describe your startup's main idea, product, or service. Aim to capture the reader's interest and make them want to work for you.

Co-Founder Business & Finance / Future CFO (m/f/d)

This is your elevator pitch. Briefly describe your startup's main idea, product, or service. Aim to capture the reader's interest and make them want to learn more.

We turn every wheel into a sensor. GAIDA, a deep-tech spin-off from RWTH Aachen, builds acoustic tire sensing - the ultimate data tier for future mobility: grip on track, safety on the road.

You own the commercial side of the venture and build the company with the technical founding team from day one. • Shape the business model and go-to-market: customer discovery, market validation, competitive analysis • Build relationships with motorsport teams, manufacturers and industry partners • Lead financial planning, controlling and reporting • Drive fundraising and investor relations • Develop sales and marketing strategy • Co-decide company strategy as a founding member and future CFO What we offer • Co-founder equity and a real seat at the table • Paid full-time position at the Institute for Automotive Engineering (ika) RWTH Aachen, from the start of EXIST Research Transfer Phase I (planned 06/2027) • Work directly with experienced R&D engineers inside RWTH's innovation ecosystem

• Degree: University degree (Master's or equivalent) in Finance, Business Administration, Economics, or an engineering/scientific discipline combined with formal business training (e.g. Industrial Engineering/Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen, MBA) • Solid finance skills: financial modelling, budgeting, controlling • Structured, analytical thinker who can turn ambiguity into a plan • Strong communicator - comfortable in front of customers, partners and investors • Fluent German and English • Founder mindset: you want to build a company, not work for one • Nice to have: start-up experience, affinity for automotive or motorsport