Job Details
This is an open application for expressions of interest. Hiring for the role will begin later this year.
Join Us as a Founder in Residence in Climate
We're on the lookout for entrepreneurial individuals with technical and commercial domain expertise with keen interest in founding, and building a global scale, impact driven, high growth company from ground up (full-time).
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 on addressing the local long duration energy storage challenge.
You’ll work closely with the DSV team and the current Founder in Residence 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-founders 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.
The Opportunity
Every second of every day we’re using electricity. Even while we sleep industry churns out materials, hospitals care for our loved ones, and data centres protect our treasured terabytes of photos, calendars, and files. As we decarbonise our energy systems, our dependence on electricity is going to increase as we change the way we power transport and create heat. We need to mitigate the 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions from electricity production while at the same time preparing for electricity demand to triple by 2050 under a net-zero scenario, according to BNEF.
But there’s more. Net-zero power production comes with its own challenges. Nuclear fission plants take decades to build and require vast amount of capital expenditure. Some renewables, such as hydroelectric, geothermal, and tidal are geographically constrained. Because of this, many have placed their hopes in solar and wind due to their drastically reduced costs, but even these face the challenge of intermittency, meaning they’re not always available when you need them.
To solve the challenge of intermittency, we can either adjust our electricity demand patterns to match those of renewable generation or we must develop methods to shift power generation in time. Demand response has a role to play in the future energy system, but globally, it will not be sufficient. There will always be certain base loads which will require constant and high power, for example, industrial manufacturing of metals, cement production, and chemical processing, along with other industries.
To give an indication of the scale of this challenge: currently, the global manufacturing of metals alone accounts for 10% of annual greenhouse gas emissions. Many of the processes involved in the production of products, which are crucial to clean future growth, require constant electrical power supply. This electricity demand can be in the order of 10s of MW to GWs. We need solutions which provide reliable and resilient electricity under all circumstances with net-zero emissions.
Our Approach
Long duration energy storage solutions, able to cope with seasonal variations in renewable generation, are needed to enable the integration of renewable energy into industry electricity supply chains.
At DSV, we want to design a long duration energy storage system which can offer reliable, resilient power to high power base load demand. This solution will enable the provision of cost competitive constant clean electricity throughout the year.
In recent years, innovation efforts have been focused on lightweight, short duration batteries (particularly relevant to the electric vehicle industry). Now, some attention is turning to the storage of hydrogen in salt caverns for long duration energy storage. However, we believe there is a gap. Commercial solutions for long duration energy storage and industrial base load power demand are lacking. Thus, we want to work with you to develop a solution, techno-economically suited to the constant high electrical power needs of industry.
Although high power industry is the primary customer, solutions in this space will be applicable to the energy system more generally to afford society year-round reliable electricity.
Requirements
Who Should Apply
Most suitable candidates will likely meet multiple of the following criteria:
- PhD or equivalent industry R&D know-how focused on energy systems and storage, with a background in materials science, chemistry, physics, or engineering;
- In-depth knowledge of state of the art (SOTA) technologies and constraints in at least one of the following areas: flow batteries, alternative battery chemistries, net-zero chemical fuels e.g. hydrogen, or materials for nuclear power;
- You have broad expertise in storage technology options including their current limitations and a understanding of their first principles of operation and/or broad knowledge base on energy storage solutions to draw upon;
- Industry specific know-how, commercial knowledge (e.g. strategic partnerships, manufacturing, procurement etc.) and network within Energy/Utilities/Grid/Renewables;
- Experience in building and scaling new technologies from concept to demonstration;
- Experience in raising funds from early stage investors/VC;
- Experience in building and scaling a high-growth enterprise (leadership/c-suite roles).
Benefits
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 for you and your co-founders;
- 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.
