Asari AI Inc

Co-inventing the Future with AI Agents

Asari AI is building intelligence to co-invent the future. Founded in 2023 by former Caltech and Google researcher Stephan Zheng, the company focuses on developing scalable and reliable AI agents that can help humans solve some of the world's hardest problems. Their mission is to empower people to invent solutions and design at scale, from accelerating scientific discovery to engineering new robust technologies. A prime example of their work is migrating mission-critical, space-grade software from C to Safe Rust using AI agents. Backed by top-tier investors including Eric Schmidt, Jeff Dean, Caltech, and Index Ventures with $14M in Seed funding, Asari AI is positioning itself at the forefront of AI planning, abstraction, and knowledge discovery.

A Culture of First Principles and Ownership

Asari AI operates with a strong emphasis on first-principles thinking and purposeful building. The team moves fast, driven by a shared belief that great results emerge when individuals take true ownership of their work. There is a deep focus on collaboration, where team members grow together and share both the challenges and the wins. The environment is highly intellectual and research-oriented, reflecting the founder's background in AI research, yet grounded in solving real-world, large-scale problems. Employees are encouraged to solve min-max problems—figuring out how to achieve more with less—and to actively remove operational bottlenecks to accelerate progress.

What You'll Actually Do

As a Member of Technical Staff at Asari AI, your day-to-day will involve designing, training, and evaluating hybrid AI systems that must perform reliably at scale. You won't just be tweaking models; you will be building the underlying scalable data processing and machine learning infrastructure. The work is highly technical, requiring strong proficiency in Python, C++, and mathematics, along with deep expertise in areas like deep learning, reinforcement learning, and distributed computing. Whether you are on the Infrastructure Core, Kernel Engineer, or Machine Learning track, you will be tackling complex challenges such as reasoning about and verifying mission-critical code. The expectation is to operate with a drive for excellence, independently structuring and prioritizing tasks to get things done.

Compensation & Benefits

For engineering roles, such as the Member of Technical Staff, compensation is highly competitive, with a base salary range of $150K to $250K per year, supplemented by stock options. The benefits package is robust, offering 100% coverage for health insurance, and 90% for dental and vision, with dependents covered at 50%. Employees also receive wellness benefits (gym, physical therapy), a 401k with a 100% match up to 4% of compensation, commuter benefits, and daily meals in the San Francisco office. Additionally, there is a budget for training and development, such as attending domestic conferences, and flexible working hours with unlimited PTO.

The Interview Process

While specific details of the interview rounds are not widely publicized given the company's early stage, candidates can expect a rigorous evaluation focused on technical depth and problem-solving abilities. The process likely involves deep dives into machine learning concepts, system design for scalable AI, and practical coding assessments in Python or C++. Given the emphasis on first-principles thinking and ownership, behavioral interviews will also be critical to assess alignment with the company's fast-paced, research-driven culture. Demonstrating a track record in a technical domain, such as published research papers or significant open-source contributions, will be highly advantageous.

Why Join / Why Not

Why Join: If you are passionate about the intersection of AI research and real-world application, Asari AI offers a unique opportunity to work on cutting-edge problems alongside top-tier talent and visionary investors. The focus on mission-critical applications, like space-grade software, provides a tangible impact that many AI startups lack. The compensation and benefits are excellent, and the environment is ideal for those who thrive on taking ownership and solving hard technical challenges.

Why Not: The company is very early stage (1-10 employees) and requires working on-site in San Francisco, which may not appeal to those seeking remote flexibility or the stability of a larger corporation. The expectations are extremely high, and the fast-paced, min-max problem-solving environment could be intense for some. If you prefer a highly structured environment with clearly defined, narrow responsibilities, the broad scope and ownership required here might be overwhelming.