Co-Founder in Residence, Zero Emission Steel (Open Application)

Job title:

Co-Founder in Residence, Zero Emission Steel (Open Application)

Company

Deep Science Ventures

Job description

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 ClimateWe’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 global challenge of zero emission steel production.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 Area: Zero Emission SteelAncient and remarkably versatile, 2 billion tonnes of steel is manufactured a year, requiring some of humanity’s most complex engineering. It makes up critical parts of our buildings, cars, ships, machinery, factories, bridges, appliances and more. Meanwhile, producing it from raw iron ore burns 1 billion tonnes of coal, emitting around 3.5 billion tonnes of CO2 into our atmosphere each year. An equivalent sum of CO2 to all the exhaust fumes of every flight on Earth, four times over.Bringing this CO2 emissions number to zero is essential for avoiding climate change. There are three methods of attack: * Switch off as many polluting plants as we can, in other words, reduce or substitute demand for steel.

• Change facilities that already exist to become carbon neutral through fuels, or capturing emissions.
• Build new plants using novel technologies to create a new best-in-class technology.

The first route has limited potential and might be better solved by regulations. The second route suffers from difficulties in plant shutdown, high-volume carbon sourcing, and retrofit complexity. The third route of fully renewable steelmaking offers the most promise.Partial electrification is already possible; 25% of steel is produced via Electric Arc Furnaces with many new technologies such as Hydrogen DRI, Molten Electrolysis and Alkaline Electrolysis undergoing development. Yet, with current technologies, direct emissions continue to be high because fossil carbon is still used for slag foaming, anode construction, or rapid process heating. Next to that, indirect emissions have not been solved, as running continuous processes of steel making using intermittent renewable energy sources would depend on expensive energy storage.Electric ironmaking is facing significant challenges across the space, from energy storage for renewable power to sourcing high quality net-zero alternative carbon and utilising low-quality iron ores.Our ApproachWe’re currently building an , working backwards from the desired high-level outcomes: a steel plant that is fully compatible with intermittent renewable electricity and heat and ensure steelmaking uses fully-renewable carbon sources for alloying. Some of the options to do this are to commercialise and integrate renewable heating, medium-temperature processes, alternative energy storage systems, and alternative carbon sources such as biochar and CO2 graphitisation. We also need to find ways to process low grade ores and find cheaper chemical reductants.RequirementsWho Should ApplyMost suitable candidates will likely meet multiple of the following criteria:

• PhD or equivalent industry R&D know-how focused on metallurgical engineering, material sciences, process design, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, or a relevant field;
• In-depth knowledge of state-of-the-art (SOTA) technologies and constraints in at least one of the following areas: metals processing technologies such as smelting of metals, electric arc furnaces, thermal or electrolysis processing of metal oxides;
• Experience with the development of novel electrochemical and/or thermochemical cell and reactor design is a plus;
• Broad knowledge in steelmaking technologies and processes;
• Industry-specific know-how, commercial knowledge (e.g. strategic partnerships, manufacturing, procurement etc.) and network within the steel industry and related industries;
• 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).

BenefitsOur OfferBy 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 DSVDeep 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.This opportunity is funded by the Decarbonisation Ventures team of leading global mining company , as part of the company’s efforts to unlock and accelerate climate positive innovation through investment and industry collaborations. This opportunity is in particular aligned with Anglo American’s ambition to cut its Scope 3 emissions – which derive primarily from the use of its iron ore production in steelmaking – by 50% by 2040.

Expected salary

Location

London

Job date

Sat, 22 Jun 2024 22:49:03 GMT

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