About the role:

Own the components that make our compute systems fast — the single commercial owner for the direct-material commodities inside our HPC BOM, from sourcing strategy and supplier selection through negotiation, capacity, cost, and continuity. Your scope runs from the CPUs and memory down through the power stages, connectors, and cold plates, operating where a hardware roadmap that keeps moving meets a component market that rarely has enough of what you need. This is a category manager's role: you have owned a commodity portfolio end-to-end, you build the strategy rather than execute someone else's, and you have sat across the table from the component manufacturers who set the terms.

What you'll do:

Own category strategy and the commercial relationship for your components; supplier segmentation and selection, AVL, dual-source posture, and the multi-year roadmap per commodity
Negotiate the agreements that govern them — MSAs, MPAs/LTAs, NDAs, SOWs, pricing and rebate structures, allocation commitments, and LTB/EOL and consignment terms — balancing cost, capacity, quality, and risk
Build and own should-cost models per commodity (silicon pass-through, BOM, tooling/NRE, index-linked materials, freight) and use them to drive both price negotiations and design-for-cost decisions with engineering
Run capacity planning. Translate the compute roadmap into a component demand plan, secure allocation and buffer coverage against lead time, and make the risk-buy and last-time-buy calls with a defensible number behind them
Own supply continuityl; lifecycle/EOL/PCN management, cross-qualification and second-source strategy, and the escalation path for when a category goes on allocation
Partner across the full NPI lifecycle (EVT/DVT/PVT) with hardware engineering, program management, and the CM/ODM supply manager, so part selection, qualification, and commercials land together instead of in sequence
Drive directed buy/sell and consignment execution through the CMs — price pass-through, consigned material control, and the auditable rigor that keeps it clean
Read the component commodity landscape — memory cycles, substrate and passive constraints, connector and power-stage lead-time dynamics — and turn it to DensityAI's advantage

What we're looking for:

Category management / commodity management as your core discipline — you have owned a defined commodity portfolio end-to-end, not executed POs against someone else's strategy
First-hand experience sourcing several of the categories above, with direct relationships into the component manufacturers and their franchise distribution
Proven ownership of MSA/MPA/LTA/NDA/SOW negotiations with component suppliers — pricing, allocation, lifecycle and liability terms — and the leverage analysis that sets them up
Capacity planning under constraint — demand planning against a hardware roadmap, negotiating allocation, and making buffer, LTB, and risk-buy decisions in a market that is short
Sourcing strategy built with engineering rather than handed to them — should-cost, multi-sourcing, supplier qualification plans, and design-for-cost influence at part-selection time
Fluency with ERP/MRP/PLM and BOM management, and the discipline to keep cost, AVL, and lifecycle data trustworthy
Comfort with ambiguity and pace; you bring structure where there is none and treat direction changes as opportunity
Sourced components for AI/HPC servers, networking systems, or data-center hardware at volume (preferred)
Ran directed buy/sell or consignment models through a CM/ODM (preferred)
Took a new component from design-in through qualification to high-volume production, owning the commercials throughout (preferred)
Familiarity with liquid-cooled / high-density compute, or a background in power delivery or high-speed signal integrity deep enough to challenge engineering on part selection (preferred)

Full compensation packages are based on candidate experience and relevant certifications.

California pay range

$200,000—$260,000 USD

Compensation

Final offers depend on level, location, and skills relevant to the role. Additional compensation: equity grant per company guidelines; medical / dental / vision; 401(k); standard PTO.

Visa Sponsorship

DensityAI sponsors qualified candidates for H-1B, O-1, TN, E-3, and other employment-based visas, and we welcome applicants on F-1 OPT and STEM-OPT. Work authorization is required at start; we provide immigration support to secure or transfer status.

Export Controls

Aspects of this role may involve access to information subject to U.S. export controls (EAR/ITAR). We may discuss licensing or scope adjustments during the interview.

Equal Opportunity

DensityAI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40+), sexual orientation, military or veteran status, pregnancy, or any other status protected by law. We comply with the California CROWN Act and provide reasonable accommodations on request.

California pay range 200000 - 260000 USD

About the company

DensityAI designs high-density, full-stack AI infrastructure for data centers, with custom chips, hardware, and software tightly integrated. Its products are aimed at automotive and robotics applications, delivering end-to-end AI workflows from perception and decision-making to control. The platform leverages hardware-software co-design to achieve higher performance, better power efficiency, and lower costs, addressing scalability and sustainability in AI computing. Unlike typical vendors, DensityAI combines a strong ex-Tesla leadership with a team of Dojo alumni and other industry veterans to offer a plug-and-play solution for OEMs and operators, simplifying the deployment of AI infrastructure. The company plans to raise substantial funding to speed development, validate deployments in its core markets, and broaden into general AI data center use and a comprehensive developer ecosystem.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Acquired

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Mountain View, California

Founded

2024

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

Andreessen Horowitz is reportedly leading hundreds of millions at a $10 billion valuation.
AWS signed a conditional purchase agreement for chips meeting performance targets.
Tesla senior hardware executive Shishuang Sun joined DensityAI in July 2026.

What critics are saying

DensityAI still lacks a shipped chip; the AWS contract stays conditional on benchmarks.
3D DRAM packaging faces heat and yield problems that kill schedules.
A failed round or benchmark miss destroys the $10 billion valuation overnight.

What makes DensityAI unique

Ganesh Venkataramanan, Bill Chang, and Ben Floering bring Tesla Dojo system experience.
DensityAI combines custom chips, hardware, and software for AI data centers.
Its 3D DRAM stacking bet targets bandwidth, capacity, and energy efficiency.

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Benefits

Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Paid Vacation
Company Equity

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

82%

1 year growth

58%

2 year growth

58%

Data Center Dynamics

Sep 25th, 2026

Ex-Tesla Dojo team's AI chip startup DensityAI valued at $10B after funding round

AI chip startup DensityAI has raised hundreds of millions of dollars in a funding round valuing the company at $10 billion, according to The Information. Andreessen Horowitz is reportedly in talks to lead the round. The company was founded in 2025 by former Tesla Dojo chip program leaders Ganesh Venkataramanan, Bill Chang, and Ben Floering. Around 20 employees left Tesla for DensityAI after Elon Musk dissolved the Dojo team in August 2025. DensityAI plans to develop data centre chips using 3D DRAM stacking to improve speed and energy efficiency. The report suggests the startup has secured a conditional purchase agreement with AWS, though Amazon declined to comment. Previous investors include Dolby Family Ventures, South Park Commons, and Firestreak Ventures.

Crypto Briefing

Sep 25th, 2026

DensityAI nears $10B valuation with hundreds of millions in funding and AWS deal

DensityAI nears $10B valuation with hundreds of millions in funding and AWS deal. The Tesla Dojo spinoff lands Andreessen Horowitz backing and a conditional chip purchase agreement with Amazon Web Services 5 hours ago Sponsored: Vera - AI-powered prediction market intelligence, built for serious analysts Explore Vera A startup that barely existed 18 months ago is now worth as much as some publicly traded semiconductor companies. DensityAI, the AI chip venture founded by former Tesla Dojo engineers, is closing a funding round that values the company at roughly $10 billion, with Andreessen Horowitz leading the deal. The round is expected to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in fresh capital. More importantly, DensityAI has locked in a conditional procurement agreement with Amazon Web Services, meaning AWS will buy DensityAI's chips if they hit certain performance benchmarks. From Tesla's basement project to a $10B valuation. DensityAI was founded in 2025 by Ganesh Venkataramanan, who previously led Tesla's Dojo supercomputer initiative. He brought roughly 20 engineers from the Dojo team with him. The company's trajectory since then has been aggressive. DensityAI closed a seed round in September 2024, followed by an early-stage venture round in September 2025. Now, roughly a year later, it's commanding a valuation that puts it in the upper echelon of private AI companies globally. AI, tech, and the markets they move - in one daily briefing. Daily. Free. Join 34,000+ readers across crypto, finance, and policy. The AWS agreement and what it actually means. The conditional purchase agreement with AWS is the centerpiece of DensityAI's pitch to investors. Under the deal, AWS commits to buying DensityAI's custom AI chips, but only if those chips meet predefined performance standards. AWS has been diversifying its chip supply chain for years, developing its own Graviton and Trainium processors while also maintaining its relationship with Nvidia. Adding DensityAI to the mix would give Amazon another option for specialized AI workloads, reducing dependence on any single supplier. A crowded market with very high stakes. What separates DensityAI, at least on paper, is its focus on building integrated solutions spanning chips, hardware, and software for data centers. The company targets sectors including automotive, robotics, and broader AI applications, areas where the Dojo team's experience with Tesla's compute-intensive workloads could provide a genuine edge. Disclosure: This article was edited by Diego Almada Lopez. For more information on how Crypto Briefing create and review content, see its Editorial Policy.

Xiamen Precise Display

Aug 25th, 2026

Tesla senior chip engineer joins DensityAI as in-house plans face more strain.

Tesla senior chip engineer joins DensityAI as in-house plans face more strain. * August 25, 2026 * Posted by jeff Tesla's senior director of AI hardware design, Shishuang Sun, joined DensityAI in July 2026, taking charge of packaging and system hardware development. The move came as Tesla continued to pursue custom AI and robotics chips amid the loss of another senior hardware leader.

Electrek

Jul 24th, 2026

Tesla closes secret $2B AI hardware deal, calls deployment milestones 'improbable

Tesla has closed its mysterious acquisition of an AI hardware company for $1.95 billion in stock and equity awards, according to the company's Q2 2026 10-Q filing. The deal was first disclosed in April but Tesla has still not named the target company. Of the total amount, only $222 million was allocated to actual assets — a patent and related technology. The remaining $1.73 billion is contingent on service conditions and performance milestones tied to successful technology deployment. Notably, Tesla recorded no stock-based compensation expense in Q2, stating the performance conditions were "improbable" to be achieved. This assessment raises questions about a deal Tesla valued at nearly $2 billion. The acquisition fits Tesla's broader 2026 investment strategy focused on AI compute and chip development. However, the lack of transparency around the deal has drawn criticism, as shareholders face dilution from hundreds of millions of newly issued shares without knowing the acquisition target or its strategic rationale.

DensityAI

Global Supply Chain Manager: Strategic Components

About the job