--- title: 'Perception Intern at Mach9' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/perception-intern-mach9-san-francisco-w4xn6hr557z2' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-18' --- # Perception Intern at Mach9 - **Company:** Mach9 - **Location:** San Francisco, CA - **Employment:** internship - **Posted:** 2026-10-08 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-18 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/mach9/6189f940-38ab-4235-80fb-1dda13966435 ## Job description ## About the role As a Perception Intern at Mach9, you will contribute to a range of projects that are critical to the development and enhancement of our core products. You will have the opportunity to work on advanced 2D image and 3D point cloud models for object and panoptic detection, focusing on urban and roadway features such as traffic lights, utility poles, curbs, and painted road markings. Example past and future projects: - Develop an initial prototype to detect paint lines and curbs on roadways. (This project ended up developing into one of our new products). - Bring our perception models and algorithms into a real-time detection domain, trading off accuracy for speed to run on an advanced edge mapping hardware system. - Assist in the development and tuning of machine learning models to enhance performance and accuracy. What We're Looking For: - Strong programming fundamentals in Python, with a focus on algorithmic problem-solving and clean code design. - Ability to implement and iterate on heuristic or geometry-based algorithms quickly. - Hands-on experience with machine learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, Jax) and familiarity with computer vision tasks. - A keen interest in applying machine learning to solve real-world problems, particularly in the context of geospatial data analysis. - Excellent problem-solving abilities and a collaborative mindset, with the capacity to work independently on complex tasks. - Currently pursuing a degree in Machine Learning, Computer Science, or a related field, with a solid understanding of machine learning concepts and techniques. Why Mach9? This internship presents a unique opportunity to contribute to impactful projects at the intersection of machine learning and geospatial technology. You will work alongside industry experts, gain valuable practical experience, and help shape the future of urban infrastructure management. ## About Mach9 ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Mach9 builds AI-native CAD software that automatically transforms LiDAR point clouds into engineering-grade 3D maps, accelerating infrastructure design and surveying workflows. - **Entity Type**: Private (Seed stage) - **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, USA - **Founded**: 2021 - **Founders**: Alexander Baikovitz (CEO), Zachary Sussman (CTO), Haowen Shi, Michael M. – four researchers from Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute. ## Core Business - **Primary industries**: Civil infrastructure, surveying & geospatial services, transportation, telecom, utilities, architecture/engineering/construction (AEC). - **Target customers**: B2B. Enterprise clients include top engineering firms (Langan, Olsson, Woolpert, HDR, Michael Baker International), major state Departments of Transportation (DOTs), and utility companies. - **Mission/purpose**: "Accelerate how teams model and understand the world" – providing the fastest, most accurate automated feature-extraction technology for infrastructure projects. ## Products & Services - **Digital Surveyor (DS2)**: AI-native, web-based CAD platform for automated feature extraction from LiDAR point clouds. Offers AI-assisted extraction (curbs, pavement edges, guardrails, utility poles), manual tools, and direct export to AutoCAD, MicroStation, and ESRI. Data-agnostic ingest pipeline supports scanners from RIEGL, Trimble, Leica, NavVis. Type: SaaS. ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed. - **Key Metric**: Total Funding – **USD $14,425,000** (as of early 2026). - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Y Combinator (Summer 2021 batch), Quiet Capital (led $12M Seed round, Nov 2024), Tiger Global Management (led $2.3M Seed round, Dec 2021), and top executives from Cruise, Autodesk, Adobe, and DoorDash as advisors/investors. - **Growth Signals**: Headcount of 30 employees (LinkedIn, Apr 2026) with +32.1% yearly growth; monthly job posting growth +66.7% year-over-year; trusted by leading engineering firms and state DOTs; launched Digital Surveyor 2 in March 2026; featured in Geo Week News and YC blog. ## Competitive Advantages - **AI-native CAD workflow**: Unlike traditional manual drafting, DS2's AI "drafts with you" – learning from user edits to improve suggestions in real time, cutting manual drafting time by up to 96×. - **Field-to-finish in one environment**: No need to switch between preprocessing, extraction, and CAD tools – all done in a single web-based platform. - **Strong research roots**: Built on decades of research from Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute, giving a deep technical moat in computer vision and geospatial ML. - **Designed for surveyors**: Intuitive UI that lets domain experts (not just CAD specialists) be productive on day one. ## Strategic Focus - **Scale GTM and engineering**: Active hiring across sales (Account Executive, Founding Marketer), engineering (ML Infrastructure Engineer, Perception Software Engineer, Head of Product Engineering), and operations (Solutions Consultant, QA Survey Technician). - **Expand into new verticals**: Targeting electric/telecom utilities, data centers, and broader infrastructure beyond transportation. - **Product evolution**: Continuously improving AI accuracy and automation, with a focus on trust and user control (as highlighted in the DS2 launch). ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Fast-paced, customer-obsessed, engineering-first environment. Values: "work fast, iterate with customer feedback, never compromise on excellence." - **Remote/Hybrid Policy**: HQ in San Francisco; some roles are "Remote / Remote (US)" per YC job listings. Likely hybrid with in-office presence for SF-based roles. - **Perks & Benefits**: Health, vision, dental insurance; paid parental leave; flexible time off; equity package for all full-time employees; company 401(k); relocation assistance; catered lunches & paid dinner; company & team events; dog-friendly office. - **Engineering culture**: Deep technical challenges at the intersection of AI, geospatial, computer graphics, and infrastructure. Opportunity to work on hard problems that "unlock billions in value for customers." ## Sources 1. [mach9.ai/careers](https://mach9.ai/careers) 2. [mach9.ai](https://www.mach9.ai/) 3. [mach9.ai/about](https://www.mach9.ai/about) 4. [ycombinator.com/companies/mach9](https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/mach9) 5. [linkedin.com/company/mach9geo](https://www.linkedin.com/company/mach9geo) ## Other roles at Mach9 - [Business Development Representative](https://feeny.ai/job/business-development-representative-mach9-san-francisco-xkk9z3hxha2t) — San Francisco, CA - [ML Infrastructure Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/ml-infrastructure-engineer-mach9-san-francisco-5fc06s72snqa) — San Francisco, CA - [ML Engineer, Product](https://feeny.ai/job/ml-engineer-product-mach9-san-francisco-m46vawenmmr8) — San Francisco, CA - [Head of Sales](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-sales-mach9-san-francisco-5nqtbqf74qa5) — San Francisco, CA - [Office Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/office-manager-mach9-san-francisco-8tpyk7z003jp) — San Francisco, CA - [Business Operations Associate](https://feeny.ai/job/business-operations-associate-mach9-san-francisco-bnpq69twf9ae) — San Francisco, CA - [Software Engineer - Test Automation (SDET)](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-test-automation-sdet-mach9-san-francisco-dchqfg4k8ysa) — San Francisco, CA - [Head of Growth](https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-growth-mach9-san-francisco-d8kxeytn9wx9) — San Francisco, CA - [Community Marketing Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/community-marketing-manager-mach9-san-francisco-8m9th9t0gj50) — San Francisco, CA - [Founding People Operations Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/founding-people-operations-lead-mach9-san-francisco-q2sfh0vq8by5) — San Francisco, CA