Factory Deployed Intern at NOX METALS (Ferndale)

NOX METALS· Ferndale·5d ago

Role details

Work type

Onsite

Employment

Internship

Level

Internship

Job description

Nox Metals is hiring a Factory Deployed Intern to work on-site in our Detroit factory, building software and automation right on the shop floor alongside our team. Requisite skills:

Software development
Manufacturing
Robotics

Why work at NOX METALS

Culture: Early-stage startup backed by Y Combinator; mission-driven to reindustrialize America; fast-paced environment where software and hardware meet.
Work environment: On-site in Detroit, MI (2703 23rd Street). Roles span software engineering (perception, full-stack), factory operations, shift leads, sales, and IT/SecOps.
Perks & highlights: Opportunity to work with advanced manufacturing technology (AI, robotics, automated cutting lines); competitive salaries ($80K–$150K for engineering roles); direct impact on the supply chain of American manufacturing.
Engineering culture: Emphasis on building automated factories that are “the product” – software engineers work alongside factory operators to optimize real-time production.

About NOX METALS

Company Overview

One-liner: NOX METALS is an AI-powered metals supplier that provides instant quotes and rapid delivery of cut-to-size aluminum plate to American manufacturers through vertically integrated, software-driven factories.
Entity Type: Private (Seed stage; raised $11.5M seed round per company website, plus $4.6M pre-seed from Y Combinator per LinkedIn – conflicting reports)
Headquarters: Detroit, Michigan, United States (2703 23rd Street, Detroit, MI 48216)
Founded: 2025
Founders: Zane Hengsperger (Founder & CEO)

Core Business

Primary industries: Manufacturing, metals processing, industrial supply chain
Target customers: Job shops, OEMs, Tier 1/2/3 suppliers, aerospace, defense, and industrial manufacturers (B2B)
Mission: To reindustrialize America by supplying manufacturers at warp speeds and lower prices, with the goal of enabling 100x more parts made in the USA.

Products & Services

Gondor (Ordering Platform): An AI-powered system where customers upload material lists or paste part specs, and the AI parses, prices, and returns a quote in under 60 seconds. Offers real-time order tracking, mill certs, and one-click reordering.
Nox Nest (AI Nesting Engine): An ML-trained bin-packing solver that evaluates hundreds of thousands of cut combinations to find the optimal path, reducing scrap and creating predictive inventory based on likely future orders.
Predictive Inventory: AI that anticipates what American manufacturers need and stocks material before customers even place an order.
AI Schedule: Machine-learning trained scheduling and job timing to lower lead times.

Market Standing

Valuation/Market Cap: Not disclosed (private company)
Key Metrics:
- Total funding: $11.5M seed round (per company website) plus a $4.6M pre-seed round led by Y Combinator (per LinkedIn/Tracxn)
- Team size: ~22 (per Y Combinator profile; LinkedIn shows 8 employees but 24 active job postings, suggesting rapid growth)
- Headcount growth: +27.3% monthly (LinkedIn)
Notable Investors/Partners: Y Combinator (led pre-seed; Summer 2025 batch), Jared Friedman (Primary Partner at YC)
Growth Signals: Raised $11.5M seed round in 2026; 24 open positions; expanding from aluminum plate/block into steel, tube, and sheet; LinkedIn followers 4,148 with +8.3% monthly growth.

Competitive Advantages

Vertically integrated factories: NOX builds and operates its own automated cutting facilities, removing middlemen, brokers, and manual scheduling layers.
AI-first operations: ML-driven nesting, scheduling, and inventory prediction deliver quotes in seconds and lead times in days rather than weeks.
Lower overhead: Automation (robots pick, cut, package, label) reduces human bottlenecks, enabling better pricing and faster throughput.
Real-time visibility: Every order tracked from quote to delivery, with mill certifications attached.

Strategic Focus

Current priorities: Scale the Detroit factory, expand product offerings into steel, tube, and sheet, and continue building out the software platform (Gondor, Nest, AI Schedule).
Direction: Become the fastest and lowest-cost supplier to America’s industrial base by treating the factory as a software product.

Sources

Job description

Why work at NOX METALS

Application questions