Helsing
Mid (~660)
Vast AI
Small (~30)
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
Vast AI
Best for: Scrappy generalists who want a front-row seat to the AI compute revolution
Ratings
HelsingVast AI
4.0
5.0
Overall
3.6
3.8
Work-Life Balance
4.1
5.0
Culture & Values
4.0
5.0
Comp & Benefits
3.8
5.0
Senior Mgmt
3.8
5.0
Career Opps
👍 80% Recommend
👤 84% CEO Approval (Gundbert Scherf)
👍 100% Recommend
👤 100% CEO Approval (Jake Cannell)
Culture Values
Helsing only
🎯 Direct Product Impact🌱 Learning & Growth
Vast AI only
🤝 Flat Hierarchy🧩 Wears Many Hats
Shared
⚙️ Engineering-Driven🚀 Ship Fast & Iterate💎 Strong Comp & Equity
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
Vast AI
- Front-row seat to the AI compute revolution — demand for GPU cloud is surging
- Strong compensation and generous equity stakes for a bootstrapped startup
- Processes are still being defined — expect ad hoc workflows
- Intense workload — the team explicitly values high output
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.
Vast AI
Choose Vast AI if you want perfect Glassdoor scores and generous equity at a tiny GPU marketplace — but expect startup chaos.
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
Vast AI — 10 jobs
💻 Engineering
6
🧠 ML / AI
2
📊 Data
1
Summary
Helsing scores 4.0/5.0 on Glassdoor with a 3.6 work-life balance rating. Vast AI scores 5.0/5.0 overall with a 3.8 WLB. That’s a 1.0-point gap on overall satisfaction.
Both companies share these culture values: Engineering-Driven, Ship Fast & Iterate, Strong Comp & Equity. Helsing also emphasizes Direct Product Impact, Learning & Growth. Vast AI also emphasizes Flat Hierarchy, Wears Many Hats.
On the hiring front, Helsing has 103 open roles and Vast AI has 10 open roles.