About fonio
We’re fonio.ai. A Vienna-based startup building AI phone assistants that sound like a real person and can handle calls end-to-end.
In the DACH region, 5,000+ small and medium enterprises already use and trust fonio every day. In just 13 months, we have grown to become the market leader. After having raised our €3m Seed round in fall of 2025, we are now ready to replicate this in Portugal.
Our vision is to revolutionize how SMEs communicate with their customers using AI. We're looking for motivated, talented team members to join us on this mission.
Small team. Fast pace. Direct communication. We're proving you can build world-class companies from Europe.
Your role
You will be the first go-to-market hire for Portugal and help us build our presence there. Hands-on, pragmatic, close to customers.
You won’t start from scratch: you’ll get a proven playbook, product-market learnings from DACH, marketing/creative support, and the tools to execute fast. You will work closely with the founders and our Vienna team (including marketing and tech).
As our market presence grows, this role will change significantly within 6 to 12 months. You can become the main owner for Portugal and take on more scope, including hiring. This depends on traction and performance.
What you’ll do
Drive the initial launch: build localized landing pages, messaging, and basic tracking (with support from our marketing team) to generate early demand
Win the first customers: run discovery \& demos, close the first deals, and turn learnings into a repeatable sales motion
Build and activate local partners: identify the right channels, pitch, and support co-selling
Ensure customer success: onboard, support, and capture feedback to improve product and positioning
What we’re looking for
Fluent in Portugese plus strong English
Ex-founder/operator or very strong experience in sales / business development / partnerships / growth in a high-growth (SaaS) startup
Strategic mindset and strong execution. You can plan and deliver
Ownership mentality, drive, and clear communication
What we offer
Flexible work setup
Remote, hybrid, or Vienna-based, whatever works best for you and the role
Willingness to work from Vienna for 3 to 6 months for onboarding and kickoff. Relocation and remote setup afterwards is possible
High ownership and real autonomy
Competitive salary (70,000€ to 120,000€)
Employee shares possible
Tech equipment of your choice
Application process
15-min introductory call
45-min deep dive (incl. short case-study)
60-min culture and working style
If you’re excited to build up a market with real ownership, and want to help prove that world-class companies can be built from Europe, we’d love to hear from you.
Compensation Range: €70K - €120K