Commercial Co-Founder of a Deep Tech Startup in Advanced Materials & Chemistry- Serial Entrepreneurs & Operators

About the job Commercial Co-Founder of a Deep Tech Startup - Serial Entrepreneurs & Operators for DEEP Pioneers Not a Job Ad- call for applications DEEP Pioneers- Where world-class research meets serial execution You have built or scaled businesses around complex technology. You understand long sales cycles, technical buyers, and why deep tech fails or succeeds far before product market fit. DEEP Pioneers is looking for commercial co-founders with real industry experience to form scalable deep-tech spin-offs in (Advanced Materials, BioMaterials & Chemistry), alongside world-class scientists and protected IP. About the Role Become a commercial co-founder of a scalable deep tech spin-off through DEEP Pioneers. Through our modular venture builder, we match experienced entrepreneurs with (Advanced Materials, BioMaterials & Chemistry) IP in the DACH region, developed by world-class scientists and research institutions. This role is designed for founders who already understand how to commercialize frontier technology and are ready to apply that experience from day zero. You will be backed by experienced venture coaches and a venture-building process focused on forming high-performing, venture-backable founding teams. Next cohort kicks off in Oct 2026 -apply today! (Rolling selection, limited seats per cycle, apply early to be considered for the next cohort!) What is DEEP Pioneers DEEP Pioneers, the venture-building program at ESMT Berlin’s Institute for Deep Tech Innovation (DEEP), matches the top 10% of breakthrough IP and world-class scientists from Germany’s leading universities and tech transfer offices with seasoned entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs to create high-performing, venture-backable deep-tech companies -fast, early, and right. Our mission is to fix the biggest bottleneck in deep tech - founding teams - by embedding business talent at the source and systematizing the human layer of spin-offs. We work with top TTO’s like Max Planck, Fraunhofer, TUM, Aachen,Tu Berlin, CISPA, ISTA and VC’s like First Momentum, HTGF, Heal Capital, Planet A, Vsquared and more across the DACH regions. How the Programme Works Scouting Curated pipeline of breakthrough IP + seasoned founders (DEEP Pioneers) Matching Workshop A 2-day, in-person, off-grid session where we test different constellations, run psychometric profiling, and test co-founder chemistry with experienced team coaches. 6-Month Coaching 2 × 90-min virtual sessions per month to derisk team & market(modular to each team) Outcome Venture-backable, high-performing deep-tech founding team. Timeline — next cohort Applications on a rolling basis- you can express interest for the cohorts in the application. Next Cohort- in Oct 2026, APPLY today as there are limited seats. If shortlisted, you’ll receive a lookbook of the top 10 technologies and scientists in the cohort. You’ll review, rank, and show commitment to your preferred ventures — then at the offsite, we’ll test different co-founder constellations to find the best fit. This follows a matching retreat will in person (Berlin or Munich area) And the Minimum Viable Teams get up to 6 months of high-performing coaching afterwards Time investment after the retreat: ~3 h/month coaching and founder work Why Participate Curated pipeline: Direct access to a vetted portfolio of top (Advanced Materials, BioMaterials, green and circular manufacturing & Chemistry) innovations with demonstrated market pull Access tech with moat: IP protected or protectable with international edge (FTO-checked, clear tech transfer, transparent equity, and skin in the game) with max 2 years to spin-off readiness Embedded network of VCs, TTOs, and seasoned coaches to accelerate from minimum-viable team to venture-backable, plus access to DEEP / ESMT / CDL networks Deep tech native, sector-agnostic, and modular for you startup journey : only 2 in-person days; the rest remote You Are a Fit If You Are a seasoned entrepreneur, operator, or intrapreneur with 5–10+ years in venture-backed environments Have hands-on experience in (Advanced Materials, BioMaterials, green and circular manufacturing & Chemistry) Think in first principles, market narratives, and “Why now / Why this” framing Are a low-ego, high-conviction, data-driven collaborator Enjoy building in complex and regulated environments What You’ll Do Co-lead company formation with the principal scientist and the technology, shaping strategy, go-to-market, and fundraising from day zero Own customer discovery and craft the business model that turns cutting-edge science into scalable impact Drive investor conversations, leveraging DEEP’s network and your own relationships Ready to Be a Pioneer? Click “Apply” on LinkedIn → you’ll be redirected to a short Airtable form (less than 5 min) to share your track record and sector passions. Questions? Reach out to deep.pioneers@esmt.org or DM Ali Alam, Managing DEEP Pioneers LinkedIn Learn more about our program here. Ready to turn frontier science into category-defining companies - together? Let’s build the human layer deep tech deserves!