Founding Backend Developer

Founding Backend Developer (Node/NestJS & Microservices) Equity Only | Pre-Seed Stage Startup | India Only About Us We are building an industry-leading FinTech mobile app that brings hedge-fund-grade trading intelligence to everyday investors. Think Robinhood, but powered by AI-driven insights, ultra-low-latency systems, and transparent user experiences. As part of our founding technical team, you will architect and implement the backend foundation that powers our entire platform — from trading services and portfolio management to real-time data streaming and user-facing APIs. The Role We are seeking a Founding Backend Developer with in-depth expertise in Node.js, NestJS, and microservices architecture to design and deliver the high-performance backend powering our trading platform. This is a hands-on, builder role: you will create systems that handle real-time financial data, low-latency execution pipelines, and mission-critical APIs that integrate with frontend apps, AI engines, and external brokerage APIs. You will bring a DIY founder mindset, taking ownership of backend reliability, security, and scalability in an equity-only, pre-funding environment. What You’ll Do - Backend Architecture & Development - Design and implement low-latency, high-throughput microservices using Node.js and NestJS. - Build real-time APIs and services over REST, WebSockets, and gRPC to support live trading, portfolio updates, and event-driven alerts. - Optimize systems for sub-100ms response times where required, enabling trading-grade performance. - API-First Development - Define clear API contracts and generate Swagger/OpenAPI documentation. - Ensure seamless integration with mobile frontend, AI/ML services, and data pipelines. - Security & Compliance - Implement authentication and authorization (JWT, OAuth2). - Integrate secure practices for handling financial and personal data (KYC, 2FA, PCI/DSS awareness). - Establish logging, monitoring, and audit trails for regulatory alignment. - Scalability & Reliability - Design systems that can scale horizontally under heavy load. - Ensure fault tolerance, failover mechanisms, and efficient resource utilization. - Build observability into services with metrics, tracing, and alerts. - Collaboration & Startup DNA - Work closely with the Frontend, AI, and Data Engineering teams to build seamless end-to-end flows. - Take complete ownership of backend development: from initial design to deployment and monitoring. - Contribute to technical vision and make early architectural choices that define the company’s long-term success. What We’re Looking For - 10+ years of backend development experience, with strong proficiency in Node.js and NestJS. - Proven expertise in designing and implementing microservices and API-driven architectures. - Hands-on experience building low-latency, high-performance systems (sub-100ms response targets). - Solid knowledge of REST, WebSockets, gRPC, and event-driven architectures. - Experience with Swagger/OpenAPI, API lifecycle management, and contract-first development. - Strong understanding of cloud-native practices, containerization, and CI/CD pipelines(GitHub Actions). - Familiarity with financial/trading systems is a significant plus. - Deep knowledge of security practices (JWT, OAuth2, KYC workflows, PCI compliance awareness). - A DIY builder and founder mindset: resourceful, entrepreneurial, and willing to operate in ambiguity. - Willingness to work in an equity-only, pre-funding startup environment. Why Join Us - Be the founding architect of backend systems that power a next-gen FinTech platform. - Build Robinhood-class infrastructure with trading-grade performance and reliability. - Collaborate with a small, elite founding team across AI, Data, and Frontend. - Equity-based compensation at pre-angel stage: high risk, high reward, massive ownership potential. - Shape the core product and technology stack at the ground floor.