Description

You will build and nurture relationships with ecosystem players in the US, manage the full startup lifecycle from application to graduation, and refine the Aiven for Startups playbook for the US market. Your work will drive structured growth by turning ecosystem access into measurable business impact.

Requirements

• 2–3 years of experience within the startup ecosystem
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• Strong relationship-building skills and confidence engaging founders and investors
• Operational rigor and attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously
• Comfort working with data and performance metrics
• Clear and professional communication skills
• Deep interest in AI, data infrastructure, or open-source technologies (preferred)
• Existing network in the Austin or broader US startup ecosystem (preferred)
• Comfort operating in highly visible, executive-facing environments (preferred)

Responsibilities

• Build and nurture relationships with ecosystem players in the US
• Develop referral pipelines with VCs and community leaders to increase high-quality startup applications
• Manage the full startup lifecycle: from application screening and eligibility assessment to onboarding and graduation
• Lead founder conversations to assess fit and long-term potential
• Track engagement, credit usage, and expansion signals within your portfolio
• Apply and refine the existing Aiven for Startups playbook for the US market
• Identify process improvements to increase program scalability and efficiency