Pros
I was worried about the older company reviews, but I decided to at least see how the interview went. I also followed up with a former employee who discussed their issues with the company, but based on what I saw it seemed the company had changed for the better. Now, after having worked here for over two years I have to say that this has been the best professional experience I have had so far.
Management is transparent with the status of the company, employee performance, compensation and long term strategy. In previous jobs I felt like I had a lot of impact with project outcomes, but at Nanoramic those outcomes are tied to bonuses or other recognition. There is also a path for promotions or raises where employees and supervisors agree on goals and rewards ahead of time so that the employees know they are working towards something concrete rather than just perception.
Cons
The work is pretty stressful since the end of the runway is always in sight. That said, I have worked at startups before and most of them had much shorter runways. A related point is that the most reliable sources of funding are contracts with the aerospace & defense and the oil & gas sectors which might weigh on your conscience. Thankfully, there are other projects that we work on as well as the occasional SBIR. Finally, there is nothing stopping employees from suggesting their own project and the company has channels and contacts to help secure funding.