Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Stealth AI Venture | Energy & Climate | Corporate-Backed Spin-Out

About our client

Morio is a stealth-stage AI venture emerging from a global leader in energy and industrial innovation. Backed by a committed corporate anchor investor and operating at the intersection of AI, chemistry, and decarbonization, the company is building a category-defining platform to accelerate compound discovery and optimization—starting with critical challenges in energy and emissions.

This is not an idea-stage startup. The venture has:

• A validated technical foundation
• A paid commercial pilot with a Fortune 500 energy partner
• A multidisciplinary founding team in place (interim CEO, technical leads, advisors)

What is missing is a full-time founding CEO to drive the next phase: refining the business model, leading the fundraise, and building a world-class team to take the product from 0–1 and beyond.

About the role

As CEO, the individual will take the reins from the interim executive sponsor and lead the company into its next chapter: from early traction to scaled commercial impact. This is a rare ground-floor opportunity to lead a well-positioned spin-out—de-risked, but still early enough to make it their own.

The CEO will have full flexibility to shape:

• Company vision, product roadmap, and GTM strategy
• Team composition (retaining or evolving current staff)
• Operating structure and geographic footprint

The CEO will operate with the speed of a startup, but with insider access to a top-tier corporate ecosystem for early traction, data, and domain expertise.

Key Responsibilities

• Define the mission, value prop, and market strategy to win in the energy sector first—with optionality for future verticals (chemicals, climate-tech, etc.)
• Attract, hire, and retain an exceptional executive and technical team
• Lead capital raises from VCs, strategic investors, and non-dilutive sources (e.g., government, climate finance)
• Land lighthouse customers, scale commercial pilots, and close strategic partnerships
• Deliver key milestones across tech, revenue, and team-building—toward Seed, Series A, and beyond

Ideal Candidate

Morio is open to non-traditional profiles, but is looking for a rare mix of startup grit, technical fluency, and commercial leadership.

The ideal candidate may have:

• Led a venture-backed AI, deep tech, or ChemTech startup from concept to early traction or beyond
• Comfort working alongside AI/ML, LLM, or computational chemistry teams (you don’t need to code, but must speak the language)
• Closed institutional rounds (Seed to Series B+) and built relationships with VCs, strategics, or mission-driven investors
• Proven track record launching novel tech products and iterating based on real customer feedback
• Can inspire scientists, corporate execs, and investors alike
• Comfortable navigating cross-border teams, markets, and customers

Compensation

• Total Compensation: USD $200,000 – $400,000 (base salary, equity value, and performance bonuses)