S

SpAItial

AI for 3D environment generation

Research Scientist - World Models

Full-Time
No salary listed
Expert
PhD
London, UK+1 moreMore locations: Munich, Germany
In Person
AI & Machine LearningAI Research

About the job

Requirements
  • A PhD in Computer Science or a related field is required, along with a top-tier publication record in machine learning, vision, or graphics, including venues such as CVPR, ECCV, ICCV, NeurIPS, or SIGGRAPH.
  • Strong knowledge of generative models such as image or video diffusion is required.
  • Strong knowledge of cutting-edge architectures, including diffusion transformers, is required.
  • Rich experience with deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch is required.
  • Expert coding skills and the ability to rapidly iterate through machine learning experiments, including the use of modern artificial intelligence coding tools, are required.
Responsibilities
  • Architect generative world models that reason about space, time, and physics.
  • Design and develop image and video diffusion foundational machine learning models.
  • Perform large-scale distributed model training on distributed cloud infrastructure.
  • Develop demos showcasing trained model prototypes.
  • Process and maintain large datasets for model training.
  • Productionize models and perform test-time model optimization.

About the company

SpAItial builds Spatial Foundation Models that can understand, generate, and reason about 3D environments, including geometry, materials, and physics, starting from minimal inputs like a single image, a short video, or text. The product creates photorealistic, interactive virtual worlds beyond simple image generation, with applications in games, entertainment, CAD and construction visualization, VR/AR, and robotics simulation. The models run via licensing and APIs for developers, allowing integration into other software and services. SpAItial differentiates itself by focusing on 3D understanding and generation (not just 2D images) and by combining perception, generation, and physical reasoning to produce usable 3D scenes. The company’s goal is to enable developers and creators to build realistic, interactive 3D environments quickly and at scale, enabling a broad set of industries to adopt advanced AI-driven 3D tools.

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

Seed

Total Funding

$13M

Headquarters

London, United Kingdom

Founded

2024

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • September 2026 release notes add dollhouse view, cinematic recording, and floor plans.
  • July 2026 docs added multi-panorama world building, team workspaces, and creator APIs.
  • Ten open roles in London and Munich show active scaling across engineering.

What critics are saying

  • Echo still lacks proven enterprise logos, leaving licensing revenue unvalidated by September 2026.
  • August 2026 hiring for robot learning and technical artist roles signals expensive expansion.
  • If 3D generation stays demoware, SpAItial becomes a costly research lab before 2027.

What makes SpAItial unique

  • Echo generates persistent 3D Gaussian-splat worlds from text, images, and panoramas.
  • The 2026 API, startup program, and app target developers, not only consumers.
  • Founders Niessner, Rogers, Martin-Brualla, and Novotny bring elite 3D and product pedigrees.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

9%

1 year growth

9%

2 year growth

43%
Tech.eu
Apr 16th, 2026
European 3D AI startup SpAItial raises $13M, says sector is "where ChatGPT was five years ago

SpAItial, a Munich and London-based 3D AI foundation model startup, says 3D AI models are "where ChatGPT for language was five years ago". The company, which raised $13 million in seed funding last year, has built its first 3D AI model and is seeking commercial licensing partners. CEO and co-founder Matthias Niessner, who took leave from leading the visual computing and AI lab at the Technical University of Munich, says the company plans to raise additional funding this year. However, he emphasised they won't pursue billions immediately, preferring a "step by step" approach. SpAItial's models create 3D worlds from text and image inputs, with potential applications spanning video games, robotics, construction and housing industries. Niessner attributes continued investor interest to AI's massive opportunity and the ability to build with small teams using AI coding agents.

Tech.eu
May 27th, 2025
SpAItial emerges from stealth with $13M Seed for AI-native 3D applications

AI startup SpAItial has emerged from stealth mode with a $13 million seed round led by Earlybird Venture Capital, joined by Speedinvest and several high-profile angels.

TechCrunch
May 27th, 2025
One of Europe’s top AI researchers raised a $13M seed to crack the ‘holy grail’ of models

One of Europe’s most prominent AI researchers, Matthias Niessner, is now the CEO of SpAItial, a startup working on spatial foundation models.