Helsing
Mid (~660)
Modal
Small (~110)
Best For
Helsing
Best for: AI/ML engineers motivated by national security and defense who want to apply frontier AI to high-stakes real-world problems in a mission-driven team
Modal
Best for: Systems engineers who want to build developer-loved cloud infrastructure with elite teammates
Ratings
HelsingModal
4.0
4.0
Overall
3.6
3.8
Work-Life Balance
4.1
4.2
Culture & Values
4.0
3.8
Comp & Benefits
3.8
4.0
Senior Mgmt
3.8
3.5
Career Opps
👍 80% Recommend
👤 84% CEO Approval (Gundbert Scherf)
👍 82% Recommend
👤 88% CEO Approval (Erik Bernhardsson)
Culture Values
Helsing only
💎 Strong Comp & Equity🌱 Learning & Growth
Modal only
🎧 Deep Work / Low Meetings🔓 Open Source🧩 Wears Many Hats
Shared
⚙️ Engineering-Driven🚀 Ship Fast & Iterate🎯 Direct Product Impact
Pros & Cons
Helsing
- Highest talent density of any tech company — world-class AI and engineering leadership
- Extremely important mission with rewarding impact and competitive salary
- Ridiculous expectations of work hours — high salaries do not mean constant overtime
- Some management not experienced enough to lead; lacking in performance feedback
Modal
- World-class engineering team — includes creators of Luigi, Seaborn, and olympiad medalists
- High-impact product with 50x revenue growth — developers widely praise the platform
- Early-stage startup dynamics — roles shift quickly, requires high self-direction
- Limited HR infrastructure — benefits and career ladders still being developed
Bottom Line
Helsing
Strong engineering culture with a clear mission — but that mission (AI for defense) is not for everyone. Research the ethics carefully before applying; those aligned will find unusually meaningful work.
Modal
Choose Modal if you want world-class engineering peers and 50x revenue growth — but expect early-stage startup dynamics.
Open Roles
Helsing — 103 jobs
💻 Engineering
51
🧠 ML / AI
8
⚙️ Operations
4
📋 Product
4
💰 Finance
3
🎨 Design
2
📣 Marketing
2
👤 HR / People
1
💼 Sales / GTM
1
🎧 Support
1
Modal — 25 jobs
💻 Engineering
12
💼 Sales / GTM
3
📣 Marketing
2
🧠 ML / AI
2
💰 Finance
1
👤 HR / People
1
⚙️ Operations
1
Summary
Helsing scores 4.0/5.0 on Glassdoor with a 3.6 work-life balance rating. Modal scores 4.0/5.0 overall with a 3.8 WLB. They’re tied on overall satisfaction.
Both companies share these culture values: Engineering-Driven, Ship Fast & Iterate, Direct Product Impact. Helsing also emphasizes Strong Comp & Equity, Learning & Growth. Modal also emphasizes Deep Work / Low Meetings, Open Source, Wears Many Hats.
On the hiring front, Helsing has 103 open roles and Modal has 25 open roles.