Strategic Partnerships Lead (Industrial AI)

Join the MassChallenge UK team as a Strategic Partnerships Lead (Industrial AI), helping Applied Artifical Intelligence startups to grow their impact

The Position

The core function of this role is to identify and attract suitable high-potential startups in the field of Applied Artificial Intelligence and help accelerate their businesses. Within Artificial Intelligence, we are looking for startups involved in:

• Data-centric engineering
• Autonomous vehicles & Industrial robotics
• AI-enabled Supply Chain management & optimization
• Data Synthesis & augmentation
• Speech Recognition and understanding

Furthermore, their technologies should promote sustainability and ideally deliver carbon reduction versus incumbent processes and technologies. For example, a startup developing UAV solutions with the ability to autonomously survey civil engineering infrastructure, assess the status of building or structure, and automatically initiate a maintenance visit, with accurate instruction for any required repairs. Additionally, the role will connect startups to our corporate partners, facilitating their collaboration, and delivering mutual benefit. Finally, the role includes enabling our partners to build innovation ecosystems.

About MassChallenge UK

Since 2016, MassChallenge in Europe (Switzerland and the UK) has helped nearly 1,000 startups grow their businesses and raise more than £1.7Bn in funding. In 2026, we will run an expanded early-stage accelerator in the UK, supporting AI-enabled and deep-tech startups with the capacity to positively transform industry and society.

We work closely with major corporate partners — including BAE Systems, Bühler, Tate & Lyle and Whitworth Bros — along with investors and industry experts to support founders from prototype to commercialisation. Our equity-free, non-profit model allows us to accelerate high-impact startups with bold, disruptive ideas from non-traditional backgrounds.

Learn more at: masschallenge.org/programs-united-kingdom/

Key Responsibilities:

The successful candidate should expect to make a big impact in this role. Primary responsibility is to build and curate an external network that identifies and attracts high potential Artificial Intelligence startups, then design and execute a program to accelerate their development. Additionally understand our Partner's needs and facilitate successful startup/partner relationships.

Additional responsibilities also include:

• Build an expansive network to connect with startups that are utilizing AI to transform industries and sectors (network to include Government, Universities, Corporates, Startups, Industry Experts, Investors and other Accelerators).
• Startup sourcing/matching; capture the requirements from our Corporate Partners and identify all relevant startups.
• Facilitate successful collaborations between startups & corporate partners.
• Help design and execute successful startup accelerator programmes.

Your Profile:

• Passion for and understanding of the startup ecosystem (typically 3 ~ 7 years' experience in a startup ecosystem, VC or working in Artificial Intelligence/Data Science innovation in a corporate), with a broad network or the ability to quickly build one.
• MSc in Data Science, Computer Science or suitable equivalent, with practical experience of successfully integrating new technologies in commercially applications.
• A broad understanding of the state-of-the-art in Artificial Intelligence; existing technology capabilities and limitations, understand of future directions and speed of development, critical geographical locations and important academic institutions. The ability to work with large Corporates and contribute to conversations around strategic needs and future capabilities.
• A growth mindset and an enthusiasm to learn how to create innovation ecosystems and develop outstanding accelerator programs.
• Analytical, with the ability to evaluate the suitability of a startup for collaboration with our partners.
• Excellent communication & relationship building skills. Capture our partners & startups needs, facilitate collaboration to create win-win for startup & partner.
• Autonomous, but also a team player who can work closely with colleagues tasked on adjacent industries/partners. Will contribute across the team and get their hands dirty during judging & events.
• UK Resident/National. Role is based in London, with a hybrid structure (x4 days in person).
• Capacity/ability to travel. Role has c. 15-20 days of travel in Europe per year.
• MassChallenge is a non-profit organization. People join us because they want to help startups make an impact. Candidates will need to fit into MC's fun, startup-driven, gets stuff done culture.

To Apply:

If you're interested in applying for this role, fill out the application form linked here:

MassChallenge UK Strategic Partnerships Lead (Industrial AI) Nov 2025

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, so please apply ASAP to avoid missing out. For any questions or technical issues, please contact our team at uk@masschallenge.org.