Full-Time

Machine Learning Engineer

Perception

Posted on 8/5/2025

Navier AI

Navier AI

11-50 employees

Automates hardware design with AI agents

No salary listed

San Francisco, CA, USA

In Person

Category
AI & Machine Learning (1)
Required Skills
CAD
Python
Neural Networks
Pytorch
Machine Learning
Requirements
  • Experience in 3D perception or scene understanding, ideally from robotics, autonomous vehicles, AR/VR, or similar domains
  • Strong ML engineering skills in Python and PyTorch (or equivalent frameworks)
  • Familiarity with 3D data formats (e.g., meshes, point clouds, SDFs, occupancy grids, STL/STEP/CAD)
  • Knowledge of neural networks for geometric data (e.g., PointNet++, 3D CNNs, graph neural networks, or NeRF-style models)
  • Experience building and deploying ML models end-to-end, from data curation to evaluation and inference
  • Comfort working in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and shipping without perfect specs
Responsibilities
  • Develop perception models that extract structure, semantics, and key features from 3D geometry (CAD models, meshes, point clouds, simulation outputs)
  • Create representations and embeddings that agents can use to reason about geometry, physics, and constraints
  • Build multimodal pipelines that integrate visual, geometric, and language-based inputs to provide rich context for LLM-driven agents
  • Work with simulation and CAD data to build datasets, labeling pipelines, and training workflows tailored to engineering contexts
  • Collaborate closely with agent, frontend, and infra teams to deploy perception models and ensure fast, scalable inference
  • Explore and implement techniques such as 3D transformers, geometric deep learning, diffusion models, and structured reasoning
  • Help shape the research direction for context-aware AI agents operating in engineering domains
Desired Qualifications
  • Background in mechanical, aerospace, or robotics engineering
  • Experience integrating perception models with LLMs, planners, or task agents
  • Prior work with engineering simulation data (e.g., CFD, FEA) or CAD tools
  • Experience with multi-agent systems, reinforcement learning, or real-time perception
  • Interest in pushing the boundaries of how AI understands the physical world

Navier AI builds an Agent-Driven Engineering (ADE) platform that automates hardware design and development workflows by using AI agents to bridge CAD and simulation tools. AI agents translate design intent into simulation-ready setups, run parallel tests, and provide automated reports, using computer vision and spatial reasoning to interpret 3D geometry. Unlike firms that replace existing software, Navier AI connects and coordinates existing CAD and engineering tools to speed iterations, targeting aerospace, automotive, and defense with usage-based pricing. Its goal is to shorten development cycles and catch design-validation misalignments early, enabling smaller teams to scale engineering throughput.

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

Seed

Total Funding

$5.7M

Headquarters

San Francisco, California

Founded

2023

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Raised $5.6M seed from Y Combinator, GV, HCVC in December 2025.
  • Partners with Rescale for AI-accelerated CFD early access program.
  • Targets aerospace, automotive with 28% PLM market and cloud growth.

What critics are saying

  • Siemens NX AI agents automate CAD-simulation, eroding adapter niche within 6-12 months.
  • Autodesk Fusion 360 generative design undercuts 1000x CFD claims in 12-18 months.
  • Dassault 3DEXPERIENCE locks 61% 3D CAD users, blocking plugins in 9-15 months.

What makes Navier AI unique

  • Navier AI's ADE platform automates CAD-to-simulation workflows using AI agents.
  • Physics-ML solver delivers 1000x faster CFD simulations on OpenFOAM.
  • Founded by SpaceX alumni Cameron Flannery and Evan Kay in 2023.

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Benefits

Company Equity

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

-7%

2 year growth

20%
Tech in Asia
Dec 16th, 2025
Y Combinator joins $5.6m round in US AI hardware startup Navier

Y Combinator joins $5.6m round in US AI hardware startup Navier. Navier, a San Francisco-based startup developing AI-powered tools for hardware engineering teams, has raised US$5.6 million in seed funding and launched from stealth. The round included GV (Google Ventures), HCVC, and Y Combinator. Navier said the funding will help expand its platform, with a focus on aerospace and automotive sectors. Navier's platform uses AI agents to automate repetitive engineering workflows, aiming to increase productivity in hardware design and development. The company's approach builds on past shifts in engineering tools, such as CAD and simulation software. The company's team includes experts from SpaceX, Tesla, and Aurora. Food for thought. Proven tech adoption drives early customer traction. * Navier uses Neptune (Neptune.ai, an experiment-tracking platform for machine learning) while refining physics foundation models (large AI models trained on simulation and real-world physics data) with tens of millions of parameters 1. * They partner with Rescale (a cloud service that orchestrates High-Performance Computing (HPC) across clouds) to run AI models, with a joint early access program for engineering customers to try AI-accelerated Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) 2. * Automotive holds over 28% of global Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) deployments 3, while aerospace is a core market for CFD and simulation 2. * A Neptune case study sets a goal of simulation-quality predictions in seconds rather than days 1, matching the 1,000x faster claim 2, and hardware engineering teams deploy models to production 1. Third-party integrators can bridge CAD and PLM platforms for AI agents. * The Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) market reached $31.1 billion in 2024 with the top 10 holding 84.8% share 4. This favors software adapters that link AI agents to design data systems targeting Dassault Systèmes, Autodesk, and Siemens. * Over 72% of large manufacturers use PLM software 3, while 36% face legacy integration hurdles 3, so connectors that link AI agents to CAD and PLM workflows deliver quick wins. * Cloud-based PLM rose 36%, and 38% of implementations run in the cloud 3. Application Programming Interface (API)-first integration suits specialist plugin builders without custom on-premise work. * 3D CAD makes up 61% of installations 5, and the CAD market could reach $24.69 billion by 2034 5. Back platforms that plug AI physics models into dominant design tools. How would you feel if you could no longer use Tech in Asia?

FinancialContent
Dec 15th, 2025
Navier raises $5.6M to automate hardware engineering with AI agents

Navier, a startup building autonomous engineering teams for hardware design, has raised $5.6 million in seed funding from GV, HCVC and Y Combinator whilst emerging from stealth. The company has developed Agent-Driven Engineering, which uses AI agents to automate repetitive workflows between design and engineering disciplines. Built by former SpaceX, Tesla and Aurora experts, the platform leverages computer vision and spatial reasoning to interpret 3D geometry and align design concepts with engineering validation needs. Navier consolidates software licences, compute management and tools into a single platform, enabling teams to triple their output and compress development cycles from months to weeks. The funding will support platform development and expansion across aerospace and automotive sectors, where the technology represents the next productivity shift after CAD and simulation software.

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