Board and strategic advisory for pre-seed through Series B AI and technology startups.
April 10, 2026
North Point Intelligence offers board and strategic advisory engagements for pre-seed through Series B startups building in AI and technology. Founded by Thomas Ott, the practice brings enterprise-grade perspective to founders navigating the complexity of building AI-driven products and organizations.
Engagements are available on an equity and/or performance-based basis, with a focus on Greater New York City-area startups and remote-friendly for the right fit.
Early-stage AI companies face the same pitfalls I see in enterprise deployments (undefined data strategy, mounting technical debt, misaligned stakeholder expectations), often compounded by limited runway and no margin for costly missteps. This practice exists to help founders navigate that journey before those mistakes get made.
What sets it apart is experience most advisors can’t offer: 22 years as a licensed Professional Engineer alongside 12+ years leading AI/ML initiatives at scale, including enterprise go-to-market experience closing major federal and corporate deals. You get a board advisor who has actually run the governance, risk, and compliance discipline that regulated and enterprise customers expect, not just AI strategy in the abstract. See the full background on LinkedIn.
With 34 years of combined experience deploying AI, machine learning, and complex engineering programs in mission-critical environments, I help startups avoid costly mistakes and accelerate their path to product-market fit. Advisory focus spans:
Generative AI Strategy: Practical guidance on evaluating, implementing, and scaling large language models and GenAI workflows for real-world use cases. Moving founders beyond demos to durable, production-ready AI systems.
Digital Twin & AI Infrastructure: Deep expertise in digital twin architectures and AI infrastructure design. How to structure data pipelines, model infrastructure, and simulation environments that scale with your product.
Emerging Technology Adoption: Informed perspective on where emerging technologies are heading and how to position your startup ahead of enterprise demand, and how to communicate that value to customers and investors.
Enterprise Go-to-Market: Hands-on experience bridging technical innovation and enterprise sales. How to navigate complex procurement, build credibility with large organizations, and structure pilot programs that convert to contracts.
AI Governance & Responsible Deployment: Building AI systems that meet the reliability, transparency, and compliance standards required by regulated and commercial clients.
I selectively engage with startups from pre-seed through Series B where this experience creates meaningful leverage. The strongest fits are founders building in:
Engagements are structured around your needs, typically involving regular strategy sessions, investor and customer introductions, and hands-on guidance during key inflection points. Time commitment is approximately 10-15 hours per quarter. Compensation is equity-based (using standard FAST agreement terms) with flexibility for hybrid arrangements at later stages.
If you are building something ambitious in AI or technology and believe this experience would accelerate your mission, I would welcome a conversation.
Contact North Point Intelligence to start the discussion, or read From the Desk of Thomas Ott for ongoing perspective on practical AI adoption.