How to apply for Co-Founder in Residence, Priming plant resilience for climate risks

About Deep Science Ventures

Deep Science Ventures builds and spins out science companies across pharmaceuticals, climate, agriculture, and computation. It takes a first-principles approach and partners with institutions to turn scientific knowledge into high-impact ventures. This role sits within a partnership with Renaissance Philanthropy focused on priming plant resilience for climate risks.

About the role

You join DSV's venture creation programme as a Co-Founder in Residence to build a company addressing climate adaptation for food security and the wider bioeconomy. The role is full-time and remote until venture incorporation and spin-out, expected around the end of Q2 2027. You lead the venture from concept through spin-out, working at the intersection of climate risk, plant biology, and deployable agricultural products.

A typical day

A typical day may involve reviewing scientific literature on plant priming, speaking with potential partners or customers in agriculture, and refining the venture thesis with DSV. You would work remotely and independently, preparing for incorporation and spin-out milestones. Specific routines depend on the venture stage, so ask DSV how the programme structures weekly work and support.

Who Deep Science Ventures is looking for

• Entrepreneurially minded with a track record of building or leading ventures, or clear evidence of founder-type behaviour.
• Deep technical expertise in plant biology, crop science, or a related field relevant to priming plant resilience for climate risks.
• Commercial domain expertise in agtech, agriculture, or the bioeconomy, including understanding of deployable products and market adoption.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and able to work remotely and independently through a multi-year venture creation process.

Tips for this application

• Explicitly connect your technical and commercial experience to the specific challenge of priming plant resilience for climate risks, not just agtech in general.
• Name Deep Science Ventures and Renaissance Philanthropy in your application and explain why this partnership model fits how you want to build.
• Show evidence of venture building or founder-type work, even if early-stage, rather than only academic or corporate roles.
• Acknowledge the remote and time-bound nature of the role, including the expected spin-out around end of Q2 2027, and state your willingness to commit full-time.
• Use concrete examples of how you have combined science and commercial thinking, such as translating research into a product or securing partners.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your specific technical depth in plant biology or crop resilience and how it applies to climate adaptation for food security.', 'Your commercial experience in agtech or the bioeconomy and your ability to identify deployable agricultural products.', "Why you want to co-found a venture through DSV's venture creation process rather than joining an existing company.", 'How you would approach the unmet need for priming plant resilience and what first steps you would take as Co-Founder in Residence.']

Research before applying

• Read Deep Science Ventures' venture creation process and its four sectors, especially agriculture and climate, to understand how it builds companies.
• Look into Renaissance Philanthropy and its stated conviction around priming resilience in crops as a new category of agricultural technology.
• Research the current state of plant priming and climate adaptation in agriculture to speak credibly about deployable products and gaps.
• Check DSV's existing spin-outs and portfolio to understand the stage and type of ventures it creates.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would define and validate the unmet need for priming plant resilience in crops under climate risk.
• Your technical view on the science of plant priming and what is currently deployable versus speculative.
• How you would build a commercial pathway from a scientific concept to a product adopted by growers or the bioeconomy.
• Your experience with venture creation, spin-outs, or working with a venture builder like DSV.
• How you would operate remotely and independently before incorporation, and your plan for the period up to spin-out around Q2 2027.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying with only academic credentials and no evidence of commercial thinking or venture interest.
• Treating the role as a standard job rather than a co-founder position with a spin-out timeline and remote, independent work.
• Ignoring the specific focus on priming plant resilience and climate risks, and instead speaking generally about sustainability or agtech.