Sales recruiting
for AI startups.
s1 recruits founding AEs, account executives, sales engineers, GTM engineers, CSMs and sales leaders for AI and SaaS startups in the US, Canada and the UK. Every search is run by former GTM operators, with backgrounds leading sales at Intercom (now Fin) and Contentsquare and as a founding AE at a Y Combinator startup.
Selling AI is its own job.
A great AE at a big SaaS company isn't automatically a great AE at an AI startup. Here's what we screen for, and why.
The product changes every month
AI products ship weekly. Your reps have to learn fast, sell where the product is going without overpromising, and bring what they hear back to the product team. We screen for curiosity and learning speed, not just quota history.
Buyers are technical, and skeptical
Your buyers have seen plenty of AI demos. They ask about accuracy, data security and how you'll prove value. You need sellers who can run a credible demo and a tight pilot, and often a sales engineer earlier than you'd expect.
Pricing is still being figured out
Usage-based pricing, paid pilots and land-and-expand deals call for different instincts than closing a fixed annual contract. We look for reps who've sold without a finished price list and can structure a deal that grows.
Your first hire writes the playbook
A founding AE takes over founder-led sales and turns it into something repeatable. That's a different job from running someone else's playbook, and a big-logo resume doesn't prove they can do it. Our founder was a founding AE himself, so we know what to probe for.
Who we hire for AI startups.
The GTM seats AI companies hire first, and the ones that matter most as you scale.
Founding AE
Your first sales hire. Takes over from founder-led sales, builds pipeline from zero and shapes the playbook.
Account Executive & Enterprise AE
Closers for complex, multi-stakeholder deals with both technical and business buyers.
Sales Engineer
Runs technical demos, pilots and evaluations, and gives buyers the confidence to sign.
GTM Engineer
Builds the automated outbound, enrichment and pipeline workflows behind your sales team.
Customer Success Manager
Drives adoption and expansion, which matters most when revenue grows with usage.
Head of Sales / VP Sales
Leaders who've built a sales org before and can turn early traction into a repeatable revenue engine.
Building GTM at Ratio.
Ratio is a fintech AI platform that helps B2B tech companies close deals and get paid upfront. It's profitable and grew 349% in 2025.
s1 ran Ratio's exclusive searches and placed both hires: an Account Executive to own its largest, most complex deals, and its first Customer Success Manager, who is building the post-sales function from scratch.
Questions founders ask.
Do you specialize in sales hiring for AI startups?
Yes. s1 is a GTM-only recruiting firm focused on AI and SaaS startups from seed to Series E. Every search is run by former GTM operators, with backgrounds leading sales at Intercom (now Fin) and Contentsquare and as a founding AE at a Y Combinator startup, so every candidate is screened by someone who has done the job.
Can you help an early-stage AI startup hire its first salesperson?
Yes. Founding AE searches are a core part of what we do. We look for people who can take over founder-led sales, build pipeline from scratch and help define your ICP, and we help you set the comp and scorecard before the search starts. For seed and pre-seed companies, these searches are contingency: you pay only when a candidate accepts an offer.
Do you recruit sales engineers and GTM engineers for technical AI products?
Yes. We recruit sales engineers who can run technical demos, pilots and evaluations, and GTM engineers who build automated outbound and pipeline workflows. Both roles tend to come up early at AI companies, because buyers are technical and teams are small.
Questions about fees, timing or guarantees? Read our full FAQ →