Co-Founder, Enabling CO2 conversion and ex-situ storage (Open Application)

ABOUT THE ROLE

This is an open application for expressions of interest. Active recruitment for the role will begin later this year.

At DSV we’re looking for future Founders, entrepreneurially minded individuals with industry-specific technical and commercial domain expertise eager to solve urgent unmet challenges through venture building.

You will join DSV’s venture creation programme as a Co-Founder in Residence and work closely with the DSV team, using our methodology, to spin-out a new company. During the programme, you’ll work on all aspects related to venture creation in this opportunity area, including working out the optimal approach to solve for the desired outcome, building a team and building a viable business case. Once the new venture is incorporated with pre-seed investment from DSV, you and your co-founders will own the majority stake in the business and continue receiving support from the DSV team post-spinout.

THE CHALLENGE

CO2 storage is a crucial component of the carbon dioxide removal (CDR) value chain. Technology-based approaches to removing carbon from the atmosphere (direct air capture) are dependent on CO2 storage for “negative emissions”. Carbon sequestration has the unique ability to provide long-term, durable carbon removal solutions and a source of valuable materials, avoiding emissions from conventional alternatives. However, challenges arise when considering emissions over the entire CDR life cycle, permanence of storage, market size limitations, and cost associated with conversion processes.

CO2 contains strong C=O double bonds which require significant energy to break; therefore, most carbon sequestration has been limited to exogenic reaction schemes, such as mineralisation, that are producing carbonates above ground for use as construction materials. Even though aggregates and concrete are the largest material market today, it has its limits in the low Gt range. Beyond this, we need to find low-energy, affordable conversion pathways for a wide variety of carbon-based materials and chemicals with functional properties suitable for specific applications.

OUR APPROACH

We are looking to develop technologies which unlock CO2 conversion pathways for effective low-energy, permanent sequestration. Advancing electrochemical, mechanochemical, or biochemical technologies for a range of feedstocks and catalysts for effective CO2 reduction or polymerisation could unlock pathways for sequestration at the Gton scale whilst adding value to the economy.

Requirements

• We are looking for a chemist with technical experience in mineralisation, electrochemistry or catalysis;
• Or a process or mechanical engineer passionate about developing electrochemical, mechanochemical, or biochemical reactors for CO2 conversion;

• You should have an entrepreneurial mindset and be urgently motivated to solve some of the world's most pressing environmental challenges;
• You have a broad knowledge base to draw upon and a passion in keeping up-to-date with the latest technologies;
• You are a creative thinker, enjoy thinking about the exceptions to the rule, and enjoy a good challenge;
• You have a strong desire to build a company and ideally have built projects and teams in the past. You are a good communicator and work well in a team.

Benefits

OUR OFFER

By joining DSV, you’ll be joining a team of operators who have founded companies and led translation of science at some of the most respected universities, charities, funds and government agencies. 2/3 of the team have founded or led a company at C-suite and 65% have a PhD. Our team dedicate several hours every week to each Founder or founding team to provide tailored guidance, resources and feedback covering every aspect of what it takes to successfully launch a new venture from both the tech and commercial perspectives:

• We provide optimised, purpose-built, proprietary tools, resources and processes to help create high-impact ventures from scratch, using our venture creation methodology. Read more about one of our key tools here.
• We draw on opportunity area specific know-how provided by our network of Partners and Advisors;
• We provide £250k investment governed by our Investment Committee to incorporate the new venture and develop early proof-of-concept data that’s needed to attract high profile non-venture studio VCs. This funding is also key to get grant funding, which most often needs to be matched with private investment;
• We provide guaranteed income of £4,166 per month paid to each Founder in Residence as a consultancy fee until the company is launched and the pre-seed investment is secured;
• You and your co-founders will own a majority equity stake in the company;
• We provide continuous support after post spin-out, including fundraising, commercial partnerships, recruitment and team-building (amongst other things); plus
• There are dozens of Founders currently at DSV across sectors working collaboratively and supporting one another - a unique resource to draw on.

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.