CEO, Displacing Glyphosate in England

Marble is a climate tech venture studio. We partner with scientists, engineers, and operators to create companies solving hard climate problems in the world's largest industries. Our first 13 companies are building transformative products across energy, industry, agriculture, and climate resilience. 100% have been successful in raising follow‑on to date. We are looking to partner with exceptional individuals to create our next venture.

Since Monsanto introduced glyphosate in the 1970s, and commercialised the RoundUp Ready system in the 1990s, it has become farmers’ go‑to for weed control. But that era is ending. With increasing weed resistance, rising regulatory pressure, and shifting climate conditions, farmers urgently need new weed management tools that are effective, affordable, and sustainable.

Non‑microbial biologicals have long been touted as the next frontier in crop protection, but their high cost and inconsistent field performance have strangled adoption at scale. The core challenge here is not discovery, but formulation: how these biologicals are stabilised, delivered and maintained in the field. Formulation determines development speed, efficacy, and critically, the cost. Today’s delivery systems were built for chemicals, not biology, leading to poor stability, inconsistent performance and high costs. Solving formulation is the key unlock that will finally allow biologicals to deliver on their potential as the next generation of crop protection.

We are creating a next‑gen biological replacement for glyphosate, thanks to two key innovations:

• A novel delivery platform that’s purpose‑built for non‑microbial biologicals
• Peptide‑based bio‑herbicide, designed for broad efficacy and low resistance risk

Combined, these two innovations create a scalable biological herbicide system that can be produced at cost parity, with field‑level performance, whilst maintaining the environmental benefits of biologicals. This system can be paired with a spray‑on trait layer, to protect the primary crops from the herbicide, replicating the benefits of the RoundUp Ready system, but without GMOs and with rapid adaptability. So far, we have lab‑scale feasibility data and a clear technical scale‑up strategy that can deliver field results within 18 months of spin‑out from Marble.

We are seeking a CEO and Co-Founder to shape the commercial strategy, validate the market, build early customer and industry partnerships, and secure capital from top‑tier investors. You will define the go‑to‑market model, build and lead a world‑class team, and translate our scientific breakthroughs into scalable products with a dominant market position. If successful, you will lead a company that will displace one of the most widely used and depended on chemicals in the agricultural sector.

You will join a stellar CTO with 10+ years of plant peptide experience. She holds a PhD in plant peptide biology, has completed postdocs at John Innes Centre, Wageningen University, and University of Cambridge, led commercialisation efforts for novel plant biotech solutions, and patented the world’s first peptide that increases nitrogen fixation.

We are looking for an entrepreneurial leader who is passionate about impactful technology that can transform how we grow our crops to feed the world. The ideal candidate has demonstrated experience and/or potential in CEO‑equivalent responsibilities, prior experience in strategic commercialisation of novel biotechnologies, and outstanding communication skills for partner and stakeholder engagement. We’re primarily looking for someone in the UK, Netherlands, or France (or willing to relocate).

Examples of relevant backgrounds:

• C‑suite or VP in agritech, delivering commercial results across the agtech value chain
• OR founder or commercial leader in biotech/health‑tech, with experience in therapeutics, small molecules, or delivery platforms
• OR a business builder in deep‑tech or life sciences, who has taken a breakthrough from lab to market

We encourage you to apply even if you don’t feel you meet all requirements. Above all, we value intelligence, creativity, and Founder Potential. Especially if you recognise yourself below:

• You can’t wait to start your own company (or your next one)
• You are a pragmatic optimist on a mission to tackle climate change
• You are outcome focused and action oriented - you make things happen
• You are a great communicator - you can convince others to follow you
• You have high integrity and take accountability when leading a team
• You love to break down ambitious goals into actionable milestones
• You understand that innovation starts with people - not ideas

As a Co‑Founder and CEO, you will partner with a Marble Founder in Residence who has been developing this project and will take the CSO role. You will, of course, have the opportunity to meet and work with him before making any big commitments!

We offer (among other things):

• A €3,000 monthly allowance during your participation in the program
• A €250,000 pre‑seed investment in startup creation, if you are successful. You and your team will own 80% of the company at incorporation.
• Full‑stack support in our venture creation programme
• Mentorship and guidance at every step of the way
• Hands‑on support across technology and market research, landing interviews with experts and customers, techno‑economic modeling, roadmap and scale‑up strategy, sourcing your future co‑founders and advisors, and more
• Access to an unparalleled network across science, industry, talent, investors, mentors, and other climate deeptech founders
• Access to our research insights, knowledge base, and curated resources
• Weekly check‑ins, work sessions in our Paris HQ (or remote), and continuous peer learning with other program participants
• Seed Fundraising support after the program. Introductions to the best seed investors and help with term sheet negotiation.

We are looking for the best candidate, so you are welcome to apply as soon as possible. We actively welcome candidates of all backgrounds, gender identities, and perspectives. We believe our work is strengthened when we bring together people with different lived experiences, cultures, and ways of thinking. Studies have shown that underrepresented candidates are less likely to apply unless they feel they meet every single qualification. If you are excited about the opportunity but your experience does not align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway. We are committed to a diverse, inclusive, and mission‑driven Founder community.