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Volantis
Photonic memory fabric for frontier-scale AI inference
- —
- LGAVJD+6
- San Francisco
- AI
Open roles at Volantis
6 positions we're tracking, re-checked daily
- apply ↗
PHY/SERDES Lead (semi-custom optical PHY)
san francisco, usaSeniorfirst seen today - apply ↗
PIC Design Engineer (wafer-scale photonic interposer)
san francisco, usaMid-levelfirst seen today - apply ↗
XPU Architect
san francisco, usaMid-levelfirst seen today - apply ↗
Packaging Engineer, Flip Chip / Bump Interconnect
san francisco, usaMid-levelfirst seen today - apply ↗
Thermal Design Engineer
san francisco, usaMid-levelfirst seen today - apply ↗
Link Validation Engineer
san francisco, usaMid-levelfirst seen today
Know when Volantis is hiring before anyone else
A role stays uncontested for about four days. Here's the window, and where we put you in it.
From $5.99/week, cancel any time.
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- +2h+2hrole spotted & verified1
- +4h+4hyou get the alert1
- day 3day 3you've applied~8
- day 7+day 7+hits the job boards250+
What Volantis is building
Volantis is attacking the memory wall, not the compute wall. Their argument: AI inference is bottlenecked by how much fast memory you can physically put next to a chip, and electrical wires inside a package only reach a few millimetres. Volantis builds what it calls photonic wires, optical interconnect inside the accelerator itself, which the company says reaches 200mm+ versus roughly 2-5mm for electrical. Roughly 100x more reach means roughly 100x more memory can sit next to the compute. The product is the A-1 inference system, designed for models above 10 trillion parameters at up to 10,000 tokens per second per user. Today you choose: SRAM-heavy chips give you bandwidth but tiny capacity, HBM-based GPUs give you capacity but limited bandwidth. Volantis claims to deliver both, with memory pools carrying >30x more bandwidth and >50x more size, and lower $/token because pooled memory can use cheaper parts. The stack they call the optical fabric is the interesting engineering: no external lasers (custom integrated micro-VCSELs instead, riding the gallium-arsenide VCSEL supply chain), no traditional optical fiber, and a target of under one picojoule per bit end to end. On LinkedIn, Tapa Ghosh says they have already sent data more than 10x farther than equally small electrical wires inside a package, and the next iteration is taped out. The pitch to users is concrete: a coding agent that finishes in 30 seconds rather than 30 minutes, and entire codebases held in context.
Why this matters
Every frontier lab is now inference-bound, and inference at long context is memory-bound. The industry's two answers, more HBM stacks and SRAM-heavy wafer designs, each give up one of capacity or bandwidth. If optical reach inside the package really is ~100x electrical, that is a structural change rather than a 2x-per-generation improvement, which is why Ghosh frames it as a way to restart scaling rather than just cut cost. The team's credibility on this specific problem is unusual: it includes the people behind the first CoWoS product, early HBM at Micron, and the first silicon-photonics co-packaged optics systems at Ayar Labs. The risk is equally real: first integrated systems are not due to customers until 2027.
Investors: Lachy Groom, Abstract Ventures, John Doerr, VXI Capital, Triatomic, Susa Ventures, Angels: Dwarkesh Patel, Naveen Rao, Sholto Douglas
Hiring outlook
Explicit and large. The careers page and Greenhouse board list 30 open roles across advanced packaging, architecture, ASIC, photonics, PHY/SERDES and system design, and both founders posted on LinkedIn in the last month that the team is 'scaling quickly across engineering functions.' The round is earmarked for expanding engineering.
Working at Volantis
Volantis is a AI company based in San Francisco, USA. Working at a AI company at this stage means opportunity to shape your role based on the company stage.
San Francisco, USA is where most Volantis positions are located.
How to actually get hired at Volantis
Why applying the normal way doesn't work
Volantis runs an applicant tracking system, but hiring managers still work referrals first. A cold application to Volantis isn't dead, it's just fourth in line behind internal referrals, sourced candidates and recruiter pipelines.
Who to contact at Volantis
- Who decides
- the hiring manager
- Best channel
- LinkedIn or direct email
What to show them
A two-page technical note comparing energy per bit and bandwidth density for a short-reach optical link built from directly modulated micro-VCSELs versus a best-in-class electrical SERDES at 2mm and 50mm, with the assumptions shown. Add a bring-up plan for the first silicon: what you would measure on day one and what failure would tell you.
A cold email that works at Volantis
What Volantis screens for
Lachy Groom and Abstract leading, with John Doerr in and Sam Altman, Jeff Dean, Dylan Patel and Naveen Rao on the cap table, is a bet by people who understand inference economics up close that memory, not FLOPs, is the next constraint. $88M at Series A for a company with no shipped product is a hardware-scale cheque: it pays for tape-outs and a large senior engineering team. With 30 open reqs, a 2027 delivery target and a team built from NVIDIA, AMD, Broadcom, Marvell, Ayar Labs and Micron alumni, the next 6-9 months are when the core silicon and packaging teams get staffed. Senior hardware people who join now will own subsystems on the first product.
A tailored CV beats a generic one. Use Volantis's job description language to clear filters.
Don't make these mistakes
Do not explain the memory wall to them. Roy Meade led Micron's HBM program and was a VP at Ayar Labs, and Tapa Ghosh writes about bandwidth density for fun. 'I'm passionate about AI hardware' is noise. Also avoid generic software-engineer pitches: the open roles are packaging, photonics, PHY and thermal. If your background is adjacent, name the exact process step you've owned (underfill qualification, VCSEL test, SERDES bring-up).
Mistakes that kill Volantis applications
A recycled CV gets rejected fast at Volantis ( people). They notice.
Don't open with what you want. Open with what Volantis is dealing with right now — Every frontier lab is now inference-bound, and inference at long context is memory-bound, and what you'd do about it.
Most AI applications get ghosted. A day-five follow-up can double your response rate.
Applying to Volantis? Get the contact, not the form.
The Volantis interview process
We don't yet have verified candidate reports for Volantis. What follows is the typical process for a -person AI company, so treat it as a model, not confirmed detail.
Interview stages
- 1
Recruiter Screen
Phone or video · 30 min
What it testsBasic qualification and logisticsUsually run byRecruiter or HR - 2
Hiring Manager Interview
Video call · 45 min
What it testsRole fit and experience deep-diveUsually run byHiring manager - 3
Technical/Functional Round
Video call · 60 min
What it testsSkills assessment and problem-solvingUsually run byTeam members - 4
Final Round
In-person or video · 60 min
What it testsCulture fit and cross-functional alignmentUsually run bySenior leadership
Volantis take-home assignment
Volantis includes a take-home exercise in their interview process. For AI roles, this typically involves a practical problem that takes 2-4 hours. Focus on clean, working code over premature optimization. They're evaluating how you think and communicate, not just the solution.
Volantis interview timeline
Expect 14 days total. Compared to similar AI companies (14 days median), Volantis is about average.
Interviewed at Volantis?
Tell us how it went: stages, questions, timeline. Takes 90 seconds and it's how this page stays accurate for the next person.
Volantis jobs, frequently asked questions
How many jobs does Volantis have open?
6 open roles at Volantis, last checked October 4, 2026.
Does Volantis hire remotely?
Volantis doesn't have remote openings at the moment. All roles are in San Francisco, USA.
What roles is Volantis hiring for?
Volantis is hiring across Other, Engineering. The most recent opening is PHY/SERDES Lead (semi-custom optical PHY).
How do I apply for a job at Volantis?
Apply via the links above. For tips, read our guide on how to get hired at Volantis.
Does Volantis respond to cold emails?
Response rate data for Volantis not yet confirmed.
Who is the hiring manager at Volantis?
At this size, hiring is usually run by the hiring manager.
How competitive is it to get hired at Volantis?
Expect 100-250 applicants in the first two weeks for AI roles at this size. Apply within 72 hours for best odds.
How many rounds is the Volantis interview?
4 stages: Recruiter Screen, Hiring Manager Interview, Technical/Functional Round, Final Round.
Is the Volantis interview hard?
Focus on technical depth and system design, not puzzles. Technical Interview is reportedly the most challenging round.
Does Volantis give a take-home task?
Yes, Volantis includes a take-home assignment.
How long does Volantis take to get back to you?
Around 14 days across the full process.
What should I prepare for the Volantis interview?
technical depth and system design is the priority. Show you can work autonomously — that matters more than algorithms at people.
Where is Volantis based?
Volantis is headquartered in San Francisco, USA.
Get Volantis roles before they're posted
A role stays uncontested for about four days. Here's the window, and where we put you in it.
From $5.99/week, cancel any time.
- live
- +2h+2hrole spotted & verified1
- +4h+4hyou get the alert1
- day 3day 3you've applied~8
- day 7+day 7+hits the job boards250+
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