Technical Co-Founder — Geospatial, Indoor Mapping & Navigation

Technical Co-Founder — Geospatial, Indoor Mapping & Navigation

Aethoryn Tech · Phoenix, AZ preferred · Equity-only · Founding role

Aethoryn Tech is building a browser-native platform to solve “the last 100 feet” of navigation.

We are creating software that converts property schematics, floor plans, site maps, and multi-unit environments into reliable, turn-by-turn directions. The product must guide people through parking areas, building entrances, hallways, elevators, stairwells, multiple floors, and individual units.

We are seeking a hands-on Technical Co-Founder with direct experience in geospatial systems, mapping, spatial data, indoor navigation, routing, and 2D/3D visualization.

Read before applying

This is not a general full-stack engineering opening.

Strong React, Node.js, AI, SaaS, or web-development experience alone is not enough for this role. We need a founding technical partner who has worked directly with spatial data, maps, routable networks, mapping platforms, floor plans, geospatial databases, indoor wayfinding, 3D environments, or similar location-based systems.

This is an equity-only founding role at the current stage. There is no cash salary available today.

What you will own

• Define and lead the technical strategy for Aethoryn’s mapping and navigation platform.

• Convert floor plans, property schematics, CAD/BIM files, site maps, PDFs, images, or related source material into structured, usable spatial data.

• Design a data model for properties, buildings, levels, entrances, units, hallways, parking areas, elevators, stairwells, routes, and accessibility features.

• Build routable indoor and outdoor navigation networks that support accurate turn-by-turn directions.

• Develop systems for 2D and/or 3D visualization of multi-unit properties in the browser.

• Build map-ingestion, data-validation, quality-control, and map-update workflows.

• Design for real-world exceptions: incomplete maps, closed entrances, inaccessible paths, construction, outdated property information, and route errors.

• Help define the launch MVP, pilot-property process, technical roadmap, and future engineering team.

• Work directly with the founder on product decisions, customer learning, launch readiness, and company-building.

Required experience

Please apply only if you have meaningful hands-on experience in several of the following areas:

• GIS / geospatial software development

• Indoor mapping, indoor positioning, or indoor way finding

• Routing, pathfinding, navigation graphs, network analysis, or turn-by-turn directions

• Spatial-data modeling and geospatial databases

• PostGIS, Spatial SQL, GeoJSON, vector tiles, coordinate systems, or map projections

• ArcGIS, ArcGIS Indoors, QGIS, Mapbox, OpenLayers, Cesium, Google Maps Platform, or similar mapping tools

• Floor-plan, site-plan, CAD, BIM, IFC, Revit, LiDAR, photogrammetry, point-cloud, or reality-capture workflows

• 3D visualization, WebGL, Three.js, CesiumJS, Unity, Unreal, OpenGL, or related 3D/graphics tools

• Browser-native map or 3D applications

• Map data extraction, map QA, spatial-data validation, or human-in-the-loop correction workflows

• Full-stack web development required to ship the platform, preferably with JavaScript/TypeScript, React, Node.js, Python, APIs, cloud infrastructure, and PostgreSQL/PostGIS.

Indoor navigation commonly requires a floor-aware spatial model, structured information about levels and transitions, and a routable network of nodes and edges for halls, rooms, entrances, elevators, stairs, ramps, and parking areas. Not merely a static map display.

Strongly preferred

• You have shipped a map-based, routing, GIS, navigation, logistics, proptech, facilities, mobility, or location-intelligence product.

• You can show a portfolio, GitHub project, case study, demo, or prior work involving mapping, spatial data, navigation, or 3D visualization.

• You have worked with imperfect real-world map data and understand why human review and validation matter.

• You can explain technical tradeoffs clearly to a nontechnical founder.

• You are comfortable working in ambiguity, defining an MVP, and building from zero to one.

• You are based in Phoenix, Arizona or nearby. Exceptional remote candidates with direct domain experience will be considered.

Compensation and commitment

• Compensation: Equity-only at this stage.

• Equity: Meaningful founder-level equity, determined by demonstrated domain experience, time commitment, scope of ownership, and long-term fit.

• Commitment: We are looking for a serious founding partner, not a short-term contractor or casual side project.

• Structure: Any final cofounder arrangement will use formal written agreements, including vesting and intellectual-property provisions.

Please do not apply if

• Your experience is primarily general web development without direct geospatial, mapping, navigation, spatial-data, routing, CAD/BIM, or 3D work.

• You are looking for a salaried role immediately.

• You are only available for occasional freelance work.

• You are not comfortable with an early-stage, equity-only founder commitment.

• You cannot provide examples of technical work you personally owned or shipped.

How to apply

Please include:

• A short note explaining your direct experience with geospatial systems, mapping, navigation, spatial data, 3D visualization, or related work.

• Links to GitHub, a portfolio, demos, case studies, or relevant products you have built.

• A description of one spatial, mapping, routing, or 3D problem you solved and your specific contribution.

• Your current location, availability, and realistic weekly time commitment.

• Whether you are interested in a full-time founding role or a path toward one.