Founding AI Venture Builder in Residence

Sproutai; Durham (NC); On-site; Full time

Job description

Sprout AI Studio is pursuing a relational renaissance through venture building. We partner with exceptional entrepreneurs to create AI ventures that deepen authentic human connections in an increasingly digital world. Our founding team combines decades of proven commercial success with a powerful redemptive vision for how entrepreneurs can address the major issues of our time.

The Opportunity

We're seeking visionary Builders to co-found redemptive AI ventures through our collaborative studio process. As a Founder-Builder in Residence, you'll work alongside our AI Builders and Partners to go from idea to seed funding in 12-18 months, supported by our proven process and shared resources. The right partner will be excited to engage in ideation, discovery, and validation, leveraging our studio's expertise to find and build the right opportunity with lasting impact.

Why Build with Us

Building a venture is hard. Throw in AI plus a redemptive vision and it is even harder. Many entrepreneurs toil with ideas and spin their wheels for years. Our aim is to reduce years to months by surrounding you with the right people, process, and technology to launch your venture with lasting impact.

Our goal is to remove the typical friction points of launching a venture so you can focus on building something transformative. Think of us as your operational co-founder, bringing the full stack of resources needed to go from concept to market successfully.

Each venture receives pre-seed capital investment and hands-on support including:

• Deep technical expertise, datasets, and reusable components to give you a competitive edge
• Partnership with Praxis to design ventures with redemptive imagination
• Full studio team support across product, engineering, design, and operations
• Access to aligned capital and investors who value both returns and impact
• The combined power of Sprout AI and Praxis networks for mentorship and growth

Program Structure

We typically start with a one to three month engagement to collaborate on search, shaping, or validating an idea depending on your stage. You'll lead customer discovery and test core hypotheses with our support. Success in this phase leads to venture funding and comprehensive studio support through launch, where we'll help you build your MVP, acquire early customers, and raise your seed round.

What We're Looking For

• You feel fundamentally called to be a founder—with or without us, building a venture is your clear path forward
• Deep resonance with our mission to build AI for human flourishing, preferably related to human connection and relationships
• Entrepreneurial track record, whether through founding companies, leading startup initiatives, or driving innovation within larger organizations
• Strong understanding of AI and its practical applications (you don't need to be technical but you should at least be a power user)

Our Culture

We're builders and innovators at heart, exploring how technology can be applied redemptively rather than accepting the status quo. While we set audacious targets, we remain committed to a posture of humility. We balance high standards with grace, knowing that building ventures requires iteration and learning. Above all, we're looking for mission-driven founders who see AI as a transformative tool for human flourishing.