US ExpansionCurrent US FootprintThe US will be our largest market; we already have revenue, customers, and pipeline - now we're building the team to scale it.
- Active customers across US corporate IP teams and leading law firms
- Mid-five to mid-six figure ARR already coming from US accounts
- Ongoing enterprise conversations with larger US-based organizations
The US is generating meaningful revenue today without a local team. We've validated demand and built pipeline from the UK. Now we're formalizing our US go-to-market.
Next 12 MonthsOver the next year, our ambition is to :
- Build our first US enterprise sales pod (AEs, patent attorneys, GTM support)
- Close multiple six-figure enterprise accounts
- Establish Ankar as a category leader in AI for patent workflows in the US
- Lay the foundations for long-term US infrastructure and leadership
This role is not about territory management - it's a market building role.
What you'll be doingAs our Founding US Sales Leader, you'll build and lead Ankar's US go-to-market from the ground up. This is a player-coach role. You will personally own and close complex enterprise deals while setting the standard for how we sell in the US.
You will:
- Own a new-business quota and run full-cycle enterprise deals end-to-end - from sourcing and deep discovery through pilot design, negotiation, and close.
- Aggressively land pilots and convert them into long-term, six-figure enterprise accounts.
- Spend significant time on the road with customers - building relationships, driving momentum, and developing real conviction in-market.
- Establish and enforce high standards across:
- Sales process and methodology
- Deal qualification and quality
- Pipeline discipline and forecasting rigor
- Translate complex AI and patent/IP workflows into clear business value for senior stakeholders.
- Iterate messaging, positioning, and pricing based on live market feedback.
- Hire, coach, and develop future US AEs - raising the bar on execution and culture from day one.
- Partner closely with the London team to:
- Avoid territory conflicts
- Leverage existing relationships and references
- Feed US learnings back into the global sales playbook
You will report directly to the founders and work closely with the London sales team from day one. This is a true build-from-scratch mandate - with significant ownership, visibility, and long-term upside.
What we are looking forYou likely:
- Have 7+ years of experience in enterprise B2B SaaS sales, with a track record of closing complex, six-figure deals.
- Have experience opening new markets, territories, or building sales functions from an early stage.
- Are comfortable in a true player-coach role - carrying quota while developing others.
- Thrive in ambiguity and can create structure where none exists.
- Are confident selling to senior decision-makers in enterprise environments.
- Are highly disciplined with pipeline management and forecasting.
- Are energized by being in front of customers - and willing to travel heavily in the early days.
- [Bonus points] Have experience selling AI, technical platforms, or workflow software into enterprise teams.
- [Bonus points] Have sold into law firms, patent attorneys, or in-house IP / R&D functions.
- [Bonus points] Have built or scaled a US sales team at an early-stage (Series A/B) company.
Culture at Ankar:Culture at Ankar is how we think, build, and operate. We're building a generational company that redefines how the world's best R&D teams create and protect ideas.
- Contrarian - we think from first principles: We think deeply, question assumptions, and build from first principles. The best ideas come from clarity and rigour.
- Creative - we build with taste:We're building the R&D tools for the AI era and shaping what applied research looks like over the next 20 years. We care about precision, quality, and systems that last.
- Competitiveness - we play to win: We move with urgency and set a very high bar for ourselves and each other. Every win raises the bar. Every challenge sharpens us.
