--- title: 'Lead Robotics Software Engineer at Dapster' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/lead-robotics-software-engineer-dapster-san-francisco-n0kbd0w743vw' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-05' --- # Lead Robotics Software Engineer at Dapster - **Company:** Dapster - **Location:** San Francisco, CA - **Employment:** full-time - **Posted:** 2023-10-14 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-05 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/dapster/8b158dfc-d548-4636-ae1f-f2fadf8ed7e6 ## Job description [Note: we are currently fully staffed for this role, but expect to be hiring for additional team members in the near future. So, we likely won't review/respond quickly, but we WILL look here first when we crank up the hiring machine again.] Dapster is looking for a Lead Robotics Software Engineer to join our small-but-powerful team. This is an impact opportunity -- we’re very much still an early-stage startup, and you will be working on our foundational technology and products. About Dapster: Dapster is focused on bringing AI-fueled robotic picking solutions to market. We recently landed a large pilot with a top retailer -- effectively dilution-free funding to develop our core technology. If you want to do interesting work with a sharp, experienced and humble team, and share in the upside that comes with joining at the earliest stages, we’d love to talk to you https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Dapster.  The quick details: What will you do? Broad ownership of development and refinement of key Dapster robot functionality (we can go into much more detail live). What are we looking for? - Excellent C/C++ and Python programming skills in a Linux environment. - Deep understanding of motion planning and navigation algorithms and libraries like MoveIt! and nav_stack. - Familiarity with OpenCV or similar computer vision libraries. - A strong academic and work record (e.g. BS EE/ME/Robotics with 5+ years of experience or MS EE/ME/Robotics with 3+ years of experience) or commensurate work experience Other nice-to-have’s: - Prototyping skills. - Familiarity with simulation packages like IsaacSim. - Experience as part of the development team for at least 1 full version of a shipping robot. Dapster is a remote-friendly, hybrid workplace. We maintain a development lab in Palo Alto, CA, and occasionally travel to client sites (mainly Phoenix, AZ). Roles requiring interaction with our physical robots likely entail more in-office work than not. Other roles can be structured to your preferences. Interested in learning more? Let’s start a conversation -- you can apply directly below or reach out to Scott (one of our founders) with any questions at scott@dapster.ai. ## About Dapster ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Dapster provides autonomous robotic material handling solutions, specializing in container unloading and case-picking with AI-powered vision and reinforcement learning. - **Entity Type**: Private (Incubator/Accelerator stage) - **Headquarters**: Palo Alto, California, United States - **Founded**: 2020 - **Founders**: Not publicly available ## Core Business - **Primary industry/industries**: Logistics, Supply Chain, Robotics, Warehouse Automation - **Target customers**: B2B – warehouses, distribution centers, Fortune 100 enterprises; focuses on high-volume container unloading environments - **Mission or purpose statement**: Not explicitly stated, but the company aims to eliminate unsafe, injury-prone manual labor in trailer and container handling while increasing throughput and reliability ## Products & Services - **Dapster**: A multi-functional mobile robot capable of unloading, loading, palletizing, and depalletizing cases. Uses AI vision models for drop detection, optical character recognition (OCR) for label reading, LiDAR and camera-based safety, and reinforcement learning for real-time coordination. Offered via a Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) model with no large upfront cost, including hardware maintenance, software upgrades, and customer support. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed - **Key Metric**: Total funding not publicly specified; latest round is Incubator/Accelerator - II. - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Plug and Play, Plug and Play Northwest Arkansas - **Growth Signals**: Has been deployed at a Fortune 100 warehouse since 2024, achieving 1.5x faster turnaround time and 90% reduction in manual lifting. Expanding to additional customers. The robot can be deployed in under 1 hour and moved between docks in under 10 minutes. ## Competitive Advantages - **Brownfield-ready**: Works with existing telescopic and accordion conveyors; requires no AC power, no customer WiFi, no compressed air lines, and no infrastructure changes. - **Operational ease**: Onboard safety systems (LiDAR + cameras), remote teleoperator support for edge cases, and reinforcement learning algorithms that improve throughput over time. - **Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS)**: OpEx-friendly subscription model eliminates large capital expenditure and includes hardware, software, and support. - **Data insights**: Captures case-level data (weight, dimensions, labels) and provides real-time operational dashboards, helping customers with vendor management and supply chain analytics. ## Strategic Focus - Scaling deployments beyond the initial Fortune 100 customer; expanding the customer base for container/handler unloading, loading, palletizing, and depalletizing solutions. Emphasis on frictionless, brownfield-friendly deployments that can be up and running quickly. ## Why Work Here - **Culture highlights**: Small team (around 5 employees) working on cutting-edge robotics and AI in logistics. Opportunity for significant impact in a fast-moving early-stage startup. - **Remote/hybrid/office policy**: HQ in Palo Alto, CA; positions listed as "In-Office or Remote" with 7 locations. BuiltIn notes "Employees work from physical offices" with typical time on-site "None" – likely flexible hybrid arrangements. - **Perks/engineering culture**: Focus on reinforcement learning, computer vision, hardware/software integration. Hands-on work with industrial robots deployed in real-world environments. ## Sources 1. [dapster.ai](https://dapster.ai/) – Product and solution details 2. [dapster.ai/overview.html](https://www.dapster.ai/overview.html) – Company background, deployments, RaaS model 3. [cbinsights.com](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/dapster-ai) – Funding stage, investors, founded year, competitors 4. [builtin.com](https://builtin.com/company/dapster-ai) – Employee count, locations, work policy, jobs 5. [jobs.ashbyhq.com](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Dapster) – Careers page (no longer accessible? but provided) ## Other roles at Dapster - [Field Application Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/field-application-engineer-dapster-phoenix-8qn56edp9sfb) — Phoenix, AZ - [Lead Embedded System Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-embedded-system-software-engineer-dapster-san-francisco-g8mhm6rj3p73) — San Francisco, CA - [Lead Hardware Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-hardware-engineer-dapster-san-francisco-x5h98a4dgddh) — San Francisco, CA