Chief Financial Officer

Subsense Inc. • Full-time • Palo Alto, CA, US • $200k - $300k / year • 3m ago

About Subsense
Subsense is a deep-tech company developing the world’s first non-surgical, bidirectional brain-computer interface powered by plasmonic and magnetoelectric nanoparticles. Our mission is to unlock direct communication between the human brain and AI - starting with medical applications such as stroke recovery and moving toward cognitive enhancement for healthy users. Headquartered in Palo Alto, Subsense brings together leading scientists and engineers to redefine the future of human–machine interaction.

The Opportunity
We’re looking for a CFO who can own the full capital strategy—from defining valuation and funding pathways to leading a high-stakes Series A. You will be the financial and strategic counterpart to the CEO: shaping the fundraising architecture, driving investor engagement end-to-end, and translating complex science and milestones into a compelling, defensible investment narrative. Your work will connect R&D, Product, Operations, external advisors, and strategic partners into a unified fundraising engine that secures the capital required to scale Subsense.

Key Responsibilities

Investment Strategy & Fundraising Leadership
Shape the fundraising strategy: round size, structure, timing, sequencing, investor tiering
Define capital allocation logic tied to milestones and long-term funding pathways
Craft the core investor narrative (market framing, positioning, value-creation path)
Build strategy for competitive tension, syndicate composition, and negotiation positioning
Prioritize investor segments and define approach per segment
Partner with CEO on strategy, messaging, and board alignment
Fundraising Execution
Build and manage the investor pipeline across VCs, strategics, family offices, and crossover funds
Lead all investor interactions: outreach, screening, meetings, diligence coordination, closing
Own investor materials: deck, data room, trackers, diligence responses
Maintain consistent investor communication across updates and milestones
Coordinate advisors, legal, technical reviewers, and bankers (if engaged)
Represent Subsense at fundraising-relevant conferences and strategic events
Valuation Strategy & Execution
Own valuation strategy, valuation assumptions, and defensibility of the valuation narrative
Develop equity economics and investment scenarios aligned with financial models and milestones
Run cap table modeling, dilution scenarios, and option pool planning
Present and defend valuation during investor discussions and diligence, define valuation boundaries and negotiation logic
Fundraising Readiness & Company Alignment
Align R&D, Product, and Operations milestones with capital-to-milestones logic and investor expectations
Ensure defensible KPIs, clean financials, and a coherent technical milestone trajectory
Translate scientific progress into measurable investor KPIs and funding logic
Drive internal preparedness for diligence: strategy clarity, documentation, risks, feasibility
Ensure internal alignment on fundraising timeline, critical path, and interdependencies
Strategic Partnerships & Deal Support
Evaluate partnerships (pharma, CROs, enterprise) for impact on valuation and fundraising leverage
Structure partnership terms, pilots, LOIs, and commercial frameworks that enhance investor credibility
Integrate partner traction and external validation into the fundraising narrative
Coordinate legal, technical, and commercial inputs for partnership-related diligence
Use strategic partners to strengthen negotiation leverage and valuation defensibility

What You'll Bring

Proven experience in venture-backed startups, deep-tech, medtech, biotech, or related high-complexity fields
Proven experience in top-tier financial institutions (investment banking, hedge funds, private equity, or asset management) with a track record in high-stakes financial analysis, transactions, or capital markets work.
Proven record leading or materially driving $50-150M institutional fundraising rounds.
Established relationships with top-tier VCs, strategics, family offices, or crossover funds.
Direct experience structuring equity economics, valuation narratives, and cap table strategies.
Fluency in investor processes, technical diligence, financial defensibility, and milestone-driven capital planning.
Strong command of modeling logic, investment scenarios, and deal negotiation principles (built on top of existing company models).
Exceptional communicator who can craft high-conviction investor stories and influence diverse senior stakeholders.
Comfortable operating in scientific, regulated, and cross-functional environments with R&D, Product, and external advisors.

Subsense is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.