Co-founder in Residence, Insecticides and Pest Control

Role Overview

• 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.
• 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.

Requirements

• You are highly motivated by unsolved challenges in insect pest control, and driven to challenge the status quo in agrochemicals.
• You are impact driven, take the initiative, make things happen, and think from a first principles perspective to figure out what’s really needed.
• You have clear entrepreneurial spirit and mindset, demonstrated through impactful innovation, and an ability to work in ambiguous, unstructured but fast-paced, demanding and pressurised environments.
• Collaborative nature, with the ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams.
• Previous Founder experience.
• Previous C-suite experience.
• Previous fundraising experience (from VCs).
• Commercial & BD expertise (licensing, partnering, collaborations).
• Strong track record of building and leading successful teams.
• Preferred experience (nice-to-have)
• Core science depth (PhD or equivalent industry R&D know-how) in genomics, molecular biology, entomology, plant pathology, virology (or similar), with breadth across technological areas relevant for next generation pest control such as:
• Biological modes of action (e.g. RNA design, stability, formulation/delivery);
• Behavioural and life cycle manipulations (e.g. semiochemicals biosynthesis/bioprocess scale-up, deployment/mating disruption);
• Safer small molecule discovery and screening (e.g. molecular glues, PFAS replacement)
• Microbial or in-plant expression of biocontrols (Bt and beyond);
• IPM design & field implementation with measurable on-farm outcomes.
• Translational execution: e.g. taking traits/actives from discovery to field efficacy, managing CRO/CDMO programs, building regulator/investor/customer-ready data packages; and/or partnership development (growers, CROs/CDMOs, suppliers) and scalable IP strategy.
• Cross-functional ownership across: R&D
• Product
• Regulatory
• IP, evidenced by shipped results (trial outcomes, submissions, patents, launches); and/or EPA/EU experience and GLP study planning/oversight; or design of pivotal field trials supporting registration.

Benefits

• We provide optimised, purpose-built, proprietary tools, resources and processes to help create high-impact ventures from scratch, using our venture creation methodology.
• DSV and Grantham Foundation's extensive network incl. leaders of biotech VCs, technical & commercial domain expertise, and wide-ranging portfolio company capabilities.
• We jointly provide an initial £250k (~$340k / €290k) investment governed by our Investment Committee to incorporate the new venture and develop early proof-of-concept data that is often needed to attract high profile non-venture studio VCs. This funding is also key for obtaining grant funding, which often needs to be matched with private investment.
• You and your co-founder(s) together will own the majority equity stake in the company.
• We provide minimum guaranteed income of £4,166 per month (fixed), paid to each Founder as a consultancy fee until the company is launched and pre-seed investment is secured.
• We provide continuous support post spin-out, including fundraising, commercial partnerships, recruitment and team-building (amongst other things).
• Other Founders currently at DSV across sectors working collaboratively and supporting one another
• a unique resource to draw on.