Co-Founder in Residence (CTO), Direct Air Mineralisation (Open Application)

Interested in building a new carbon removal technology mineralising CO2 directly from air?

This is an open application for expressions of interest. Hiring for the role will not start until Q1/early Q2 2025.

Join Us as a Founder in Residence Climate

We’re on the lookout for entrepreneurial individuals with technical (and commercial) domain expertise with a keen interest in founding and building a global-scale, impact-driven, high-growth company from the ground up.

We are seeking applications from experienced industry, startup and/or new science or engineering-based technology development professionals from anywhere in the world to work with us to build a CO2 mineralisation and above-ground storage company for carbon dioxide removal (CDR).

You’ll work closely with the DSV team and another Founder in Residence (co-founder) for this area to co-found and spin out a new company. Once the new venture is incorporated with pre-seed investment from DSV, you and your co-founder(s) will own the majority stake in the business and continue receiving support from the DSV team post-spinout.

The role is full-time, initially remote (can work from anywhere) with possible relocation once the new venture is incorporated (circa mid-end of 2025).

The Opportunity

There is an urgent need for engineered solutions which remove and store billions of tons (Gt.yr) of CO2 from our atmosphere by 2050; yet at this moment, engineered removal is a mere 1-2 Mton.yr. There has been a wide range of Direct Air Capture (DAC) technologies (200 startups) which all aim to capture CO2 for $100 per tonne, however, companies are yet to realise their lofty ambition with the market averaging at $690 ton. Lower-cost methods do exist, such as Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW) which averages at $370 per tonne, although these methods are constrained by slow kinetics and expensive Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV). We believe a new class of CDR technologies exist at the intersection of these two pathways, by integrating CO2 capture from air with mineralisation processes and, crucially, have the potential to realise lower costs.

The Approach: Direct Air Mineralisation

Our approach lowers the cost of DAC by eliminating the need for energy-intensive CO2 regeneration, compression, and transport through an integrated CO2 capture and mineralisation technology. Our goal is to lead a new wave of engineered CDR methods that reduce the cost of CO2 removal with durable, verifiable carbonate storage.

Who Should Apply

Most suitable candidates will likely meet multiple of the following criteria:

• PhD or equivalent industry R&D know-how in geochemistry, chemistry, or material science with a particular focus on CO2 mineralisation processes (natural or artificial);
• In-depth knowledge of state-of-the-art (SOTA) geochemical CDR, CO2 mineralisation technologies, and/or sustainable construction material manufacturing;
• Knowledge of material characterisation techniques, such as XRF, XDR, TGA, and SEM ideally for metal silicate rock, construction material, or industrial waste characterisation;
• Industry-specific know-how, commercial knowledge (e.g. strategic partnerships, manufacturing, procurement etc.) and network within the carbon market and construction material sector;
• Experience in building and scaling new technologies from concept to demonstration;
• Creative and positive personality, who is willing to learn, take on new responsibilities and contribute new ideas to shape the company.

Our Offer

By joining DSV, you will be part of a team of operators who have founded companies and led the translation of science at some of the most respected universities, charities, funds, and government agencies. Here’s what we offer:

• Access to optimised, purpose-built, proprietary tools, resources, and processes to help create high-impact ventures from scratch;
• Opportunity area-specific know-how from our network of Partners and Advisors;
• Up to £250k in investment to incorporate the new venture and develop early proof-of-concept data;
• Guaranteed income of £4,166 per month paid as a consultancy fee until the company is launched and the pre-seed investment is secured;
• Majority equity stake in the new company between you and your co-founder(s);
• Continuous post-spinout support, including fundraising, commercial partnerships, recruitment, and team-building;
• Collaborative support from dozens of Founders currently at DSV across sectors.

About DSV

Deep Science Ventures is creating a future in which both humans and the planet can thrive. We use our unique venture creation process to create, spin-out and invest into science companies, combining available scientific knowledge and founder-type scientists into high-impact ventures. We operate in 4 sectors: Pharmaceuticals, Climate, Agriculture and Computation, tackling the challenges defining those areas by taking a first principles approach and partnering with leading institutions.

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