Location: San Francisco, CA (Hybrid)
Funding: Backed by a16z, Reach Capital, and JFF Ventures
At Straia, we’re building the AI-native operating system for colleges and universities, starting with analytics powered by intelligent AI agents.
Today, colleges run on dozens of disconnected systems, forcing staff to spend hours reconciling data, compiling reports, and tracking down insights that should be instant. Straia changes that. We unify institutional data and layer on AI agents that answer questions, generate insights/visualizations, and automate repetitive workflows, transforming how colleges operate.
Over time, Straia will evolve into the core intelligence layer for institutional operations, where every function, from student advising to admissions to budgeting and resource planning, is supported by collaborative AI agents that understand each institution’s unique data landscape.
We just closed our pre-seed by a16z, Reach Capital, and JFF Ventures, and are now hiring our first founding engineer to help build the technical backbone of how institutions interact with their data.
As part of a16z Speedrun’s program—1 of 70 companies chosen from ~19,000 applicants (~0.4% acceptance)—we will spend part of the program onsite at a16z from January–April alongside some of the world’s top founders while we build and launch Straia’s core platform.
As Straia’s first Founding Engineer, you’ll work directly with the CEO (Ryan) and CTO (Alan) to design, build, and scale the core infrastructure of our platform.
This is a 0 → 1 opportunity to shape not just the product, but the engineering culture, architecture, and trajectory of the company. You’ll move fast, make key technical decisions, and help define how AI can power the next generation of enterprise data intelligence.
We’re specifically looking for someone who consistently raises the bar. The kind of engineer whose default speed and judgment increase the velocity of everyone around them. If you thrive when expectations are high and the pace is fast, you’ll feel right at home 🙂