Founder, Industrial Automation AI

Forum's Venture Studio is a leading early-stage fund and program for B2B SaaS startups. Starting a company is demanding, complex, and psychologically challenging. As former founders and early-stage operators, we understand firsthand that Founders need support, honest feedback, and someone who truly cares in their corner.

Our mission is to make the journey easier and more successful for Founders, and we've achieved this by making over 350+ seed investments that have raised $600M+ in follow-on funding. Forum founders have gone on to raise from funds like Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, Uncork Capital, 8VC, Founders Fund, Menlo Ventures, Canaan, Bowery Capital, Susa Ventures, SV Angel, and more.

We’re looking for a Founder/CEO to invest in to lead a new venture aimed at revolutionizing mid-market industrial automation with an adaptable, AI-driven PLC programming solution.

What are we exploring?

As mid-market industrial companies ramp up automation, they often rely on expensive, proprietary PLC systems from giants like Siemens and Rockwell. While these brands dominate the market, they leave a gap for more flexible, hardware-agnostic solutions that can meet the growing demand for PLC programming, particularly in sectors like oil & gas, water utilities, and automotive.

A hardware-agnostic PLC programming tool would reduce costs and streamline operations offering flexibility and faster deployment without being locked into a single vendor’s ecosystem. With the PLC market valued at $10 billion and 57% of industrial production revenue coming from mid-market and smaller firms, there is a clear opportunity to develop an AI-powered.

Forum derisks and accelerates the Founder path by:

• A $250K USD investment, and an end-to-end fundraising playbook and network to raise your seed and Series A

• A validation partner with proven playbooks, networks, and the systems to validate, unlock your ICP, ignite your sales pipeline, and beyond

• The support of our experienced operating team - from business design, product development, growth, recruitment, legal and more

• Executing a winning GTM strategy to get to $50-100K ARR, and the right MVP to ensure early traction

• A community full of mentors, peers, and leaders

• $100K worth of business perks

What you bring:

• Technical or product expertise with a background in industrial automation, control systems or AI-driven solutions

• Proven experience in early-stage or venture-backed companies, with an entrepreneurial mindset

• Demonstrated ability to navigate complex industrial landscapes and foster partnerships across hardware and software ecosystems

• Strategic problem-solving skills and a deep understanding of mid-market industrial needs

• Passion for transforming industrial automation by bridging critical gaps in cost-effective, flexible solutions

• A desire to be a venture-backed founder

• Ability to collaborate in North American time zones

Please note, this is not an employment opportunity with Forum Ventures.

About Forum Ventures

Forum Ventures® is the leading early-stage fund, program, and community for B2B SaaS startups based in New York, San Francisco, Toronto, and remote. Founded in 2014, we’re on a mission to make the B2B SaaS journey easier, more accessible, and more successful for early-stage founders, through pre-seed and seed-stage funding. We provide high-touch 1:1 support, programming, corporate perks and introductions, and an active SaaS community to support you through every step of your building journey.

Starting a company is demanding, complex, and psychologically challenging. As former founders and early-stage operators, we understand firsthand that Founders need support, honest feedback, and someone who truly cares in their corner. Our mission is to make the journey easier and more successful for Founders, and we've achieved this by making over 350+ investments that have raised $1Bn+ in follow-on funding. Forum founders have gone on to raise from funds like Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, Uncork Capital, 8VC, Founders Fund, Menlo Ventures, Canaan, Bowery Capital, Susa Ventures, SV Angel, and more.