Co-founder CEO H/F

Co-founder & CEO - Build a Company with OSS Ventures (Paris)

At OSS Ventures we're looking for a Sales Co-Founder to join one of our future ventures.

About OSS Ventures

OSS Ventures is an industrial-focused venture platform.
We build and invest in vertical companies transforming industrial operations through software and AI. Backed by >50M€ in assets under management, OSS supports 22+ companies whose products are used daily by over 100.000+ users in 3.600+ factories.

We co-found companies with experienced founders and support them hands-on across:

Product
Go-to-market
Technology
Hiring & org design
Fundraising

OSS is neither an incubator nor a passive investor.
We work side by side with founders, with a clear execution framework, direct access to an industrial customer network, and a team of operators who have already built and scaled companies.

You can find more context on the team and partners here:
https://www.oss.ventures/about-us

The Role

You are joining as Co-founder & CEO of a new company built with OSS.

Your responsibilities include:

Defining the company’s vision and strategic direction
Leading go-to-market execution and securing early customers
Owning revenue, positioning and early traction
Building and leading the founding team
Setting execution standards, culture and operating cadence
Preparing and leading fundraising with OSS support

This is a founder role, not a management position.
You lead the company. OSS partners with you on execution and support.

What Makes This Setup Different

You are not starting alone.

With OSS, founders benefit from:

Direct access to an industrial and operational network
- Real customers
- Fast feedback loops
- Early distribution and concrete use cases
A hands-on operating team
- Product, tech, revenue, people and fundraising
Reusable execution foundations
- Product and tech frameworks
- Go-to-market playbooks
- Security and scalability baselines
Founder matchmaking
- OSS actively pairs complementary CEO and CTO profiles
Credibility from day one
- With customers
- With early-stage investors

The objective is to reduce early execution risk and help founders focus on building something that actually works in the real world.

What Success Looks Like (9–12 months)

Together, the goal is to build a company that is ready to scale, with:

5–10 paying customers
~500k+ ARR or equivalent signed revenue
A product in production, used by real users
Clear customer satisfaction signals
A repeatable go-to-market motion
A team and org structure ready for growth

After the Program

OSS remains a long-term partner.

This typically includes:

Board-level involvement
Ad hoc strategic support
The ability to temporarily allocate OSS team members for focused deep work with founders
(e.g. revenue architecture, product pivot, org design, or other specific challenges)

The level of involvement naturally evolves as the company scales.

Founder Profile — Minimum Experience

This role is designed for experienced operators who are ready to found a company.

CEO requirements

8+ years in complex B2B environments
- SaaS, industrial or operational contexts
5+ years in leadership roles
- Managing teams or business units
- Exposure to revenue, customers and execution trade-offs
Demonstrated ability to:
- Drive early go-to-market
- Make decisions under constraints
- Lead through ambiguity and rapid iteration

We are not looking for first-time managers discovering leadership for the first time.

The OSS Deal

Unpaid until first fundraising
- Typically 12 to 18 months
Equity split
- 75% founders
- 25% OSS Ventures
Paris-based during the 9-month program
Full commitment expected

This framework is explicit and designed for founders who are ready to fully commit to building a company from scratch.

Selection Process

The process is designed to ensure clarity and alignment on both sides.

Your Questions, Answered with our People team (20 min)
Clarify the framework, the deal, and the conditions.
Discovery Meeting with our CEO
An informal meeting — coffee or breakfast. Introduction to the ventures we're building and how OSS supports founders.
Getting to Know Each Other with our People team
An open conversation about your professional journey so far — your failures, what you learned.
Business Case — Sales with our Chief Revenue Officer
Focus on execution depth, GTM, leadership and decision-making.
Business Case — BP with our Investment Director (1h)
Presentation of a business plan — market understanding, revenue model, execution roadmap.
Check-in with our People team
A second, lighter conversation: how the process has felt so far, what's come up for you.
Term Sheet Presentation with our Investment Director
We share the indicative economic terms of the collaboration before asking you to commit.
Reference Checks with our Chief Revenue Officer
We ask for several references, and we put you in touch with founders from our portfolio.
GO / NO GO
Final decision, made with the OSS Partnership.
Discovery & Choice of Space (up to 1 week)
Time for reflection before commitment. The term sheet is signed the day we agree on your start date together — not a separate, later formality.

How to Apply

Apply if — and only if — this setup aligns with your experience, constraints and ambition.

Your application should include:

Your CV
A short explanation of:
- Why you want to build with OSS
- What you have built or led before
- What type of company you want to create

This is not the ideal position for you if:

You are looking for a salaried position or short-term security
You are not in a position to commit full-time for 12–18 months without salary
You prefer a loosely structured environment or minimal accountability
You are uncomfortable making decisions with incomplete information
You are not ready to take full ownership of outcomes as a founder

This role is designed for founders who are intentionally choosing a demanding path, with clear trade-offs and long-term ambition.

Apply now