
Firsthand has built the first AI-powered Brand Agent platform, transforming the way marketers and publishers engage consumers through their own AI agents, anywhere online. Operating across both…

Firsthand has built the first AI-powered Brand Agent platform, transforming the way marketers and publishers engage consumers through their own AI agents, anywhere online. Operating across both…
What they do: Build an AI-powered Brand Agent platform (Brand Agents + Lakebed data/knowledge rights layer) for marketers and publishers
Headquarters & team: Headquartered in New York City; ~52 employees; in-office three days/week
Founding team: Co‑founders/co‑CEOs Jonathan (Jon) Heller and Michael Rubenstein; Wei Wei (CTO, co‑founder)
Funding: $26M Series A announced March 2025 (led by Radical Ventures)
AI-driven consumer engagement for marketing and publishing
2023
Technology, Information and Internet
$26,000,000
Participation from FirstMark Capital, Aperiam Ventures, Crossbeam Venture Partners and several angel investors
“Led by AI-focused Radical Ventures with participation from established VC firms and industry angel investors”
About Firsthand Firsthand has built the first AI-powered Brand Agent platform, transforming the way marketers and publishers engage consumers through their own AI agents, anywhere online.
While most AI applications in marketing and advertising focus on back-office automation, the Firsthand Brand Agent Platform™ powers front-line consumer engagement. Operating across both owned properties and paid media, Firsthand's Brand Agents make a company’s expertise accessible in real time, adapting to consumers’ interests and guiding them towards the information they need to take action. Central to the platform is Lakebed™, the company’s AI-first data and knowledge rights management system that ensures brands retain full ownership and control of their expertise.
Firsthand is led by Jon Heller, Michael Rubenstein, and Wei Wei, whose previous ventures helped build the foundations of modern digital advertising. Backed by Radical Ventures, FirstMark Capital, Aperiam Ventures, and Crossbeam Venture Partners, Firsthand is shaping the future of AI-driven consumer engagement.
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Firsthand is headquartered in NYC, with team members working together in-office three days a week.
About The Role We are seeking a Senior Applied Research Scientist to drive our product's AI and agent capabilities. You will join a lean team of applied researchers while working closely with engineering and product teams to translate research into production-ready AI agents. This is a hands-on role — we need a doer who thrives in a startup environment with a high degree of freedom and ambiguity.
This role is hybrid (3 days/week in office), with a strong preference for candidates based in New York.
Key Responsibilities:
Who You Are:
How To Apply If you are ready to embark on an exhilarating journey at the forefront of AI, seize this incredible opportunity and apply here. We eagerly anticipate hearing from you!
Note: Compensation and equity will be market-competitive for well-capitalized, early stage startups and will be discussed during the interview process.
Compensation Range: $160K - $210K