Job Opportunities API

Join us to build a new venture eliminating off-target toxicity from agrochemicals by scaling next generation insecticides and pest control. We’re seeking an experienced entrepreneur to found and spin out a company with us focused on species-targeted, durable pest control without off-target ecological or human health impacts. The role is full-time , remote initially until venture incorporation and spin-out (circa end of Q1 2027), location TBD. ABOUT DSV Deep Science Ventures (DSV) is on a mission to create a future in which both humans and the planet can thrive. We use our unique venture creation process to create, spin-out, and invest in science companies, combining available scientific knowledge and founder-type scientists into high-impact ventures. Operating in four sectors—Pharmaceuticals, Climate, Agriculture, and Computation—we tackle the challenges defining these areas by taking a first principles approach and partnering with leading institutions. OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE GRANTHAM FOUNDATION Driven by mutual conviction in the huge unmet need to eliminate off-target toxicity from agrochemicals, DSV has partnered with the  Grantham Foundation  to accelerate the development of non-toxic alternatives to pesticides (herbicides and insecticides). To learn more about the collaborative work that led to this opportunity area, please see report - "The Invisible Tsunami" . ABOUT THE ROLE We are looking for future Founders: entrepreneurially-minded individuals with deep technical and commercial domain expertise, who are eager to solve urgent unmet challenges through venture building. This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the forefront of agtech, leading a company solving challenges in off-target toxicity from insecticides. You will join DSV’s venture creation programme as a Co-founder-in-Residence and work closely with the DSV and Grantham Foundation teams to spin out the new company. During the programme you will refine, improve and complement existing scoping work on: The technical thesis for pest control that is scalable, durable and effective without off-target effects (neglect and technical tractability); Commercial neglect (IP strategy, differentiation, competition); Value proposition (market, value capture, techno-economics); Regulatory strategy & positioning; Fundraising strategy & pitching; Optimising company strategy for the most rapid and derisked path to Series A. Preparation for Investment Committee (IC) will involve fulfilling our investment criteria, recruiting advisory and co-founding team members, and parallel fundraising for additional expansion funds. Assuming success at IC, you will receive pre-seed investment from DSV and Grantham Foundation, and spinout the company in 2027. You and your co-founders will own a significant stake in the business and continue receiving support post-spinout. THE OPPORTUNITY Conventional insecticides - spanning from neonicotinoids to organochlorines - are a double-edged sword. They play a vital role in shielding crops from pests but can wreak havoc beyond their targets. Pollinators like bees and butterflies, vital to 75% of global food crops, are in free fall - some bee populations have declined by over 43% in high-insecticide regions due to lethal and sublethal exposures that impair navigation, immunity, and reproduction. Pest resistance to widely used small molecules is also a growing phenomenon, straining our available toolkit for safeguarding yields. This threatens both global food security and biodiversity. Beyond ecosystems, these chemicals can also cause acute intoxication, cancer, neurodegeneration, infertility, and hormonal disruptions in humans, driven by oxidative stress, DNA damage, and systemic inflammation - a problem being increasingly recognised especially in exposed rural populations. The transferability of these insecticides - spreading through soil, water, and trophic chains - amplifie