Application Guide

How to Apply for Commercial Co-founder, Grid flexibility and virtual power plants

at Deep Science Ventures

🏢 About Deep Science Ventures

Deep Science Ventures focuses on building ventures from scratch to solve critical climate challenges, with a mission to restore ecosystems and reverse global heating. They offer a unique opportunity to co-found a high-impact company with deep scientific and commercial support, rather than joining an existing startup.

About This Role

As Commercial Co-founder, you will lead the go-to-market strategy, customer acquisition, and partnerships for a venture that scales virtual power plants (VPPs) beyond current technical limits. Your work directly enables distributed energy resources to participate in grid markets at scale, driving the renewable energy transition.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve meeting with potential utility partners to discuss pilot programs, analyzing market data to refine pricing strategies, and working with the technical team to align product features with customer needs. You'll also spend time on fundraising pitches and building the initial sales pipeline.

🚀 Application Tools

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Deep Science Ventures Is Looking For

  • Proven track record in energy markets, grid flexibility, or VPP operations, ideally with experience in commercial roles (e.g., business development, sales, trading).
  • Strong network within the utility, ISO/RTO, or renewable energy industry to secure early pilot partners and customers.
  • Entrepreneurial mindset with experience in early-stage startups or founding teams, comfortable with ambiguity and building from scratch.
  • Deep understanding of the technical challenges in VPP scaling (e.g., optimization, data privacy, cross-market coordination) and how commercial models can overcome them.

📝 Tips for Applying to Deep Science Ventures

1

Highlight specific examples of commercial deals or partnerships you've closed in the energy sector, especially related to distributed energy resources or grid services.

2

Demonstrate your understanding of the VPP scaling problem by referencing the technical limitations mentioned in the job description (e.g., combinatorial growth, forecast horizons).

3

Tailor your application to show how your network can be leveraged to accelerate market entry, naming potential partners or customers you could approach.

4

Since this is a co-founder role, emphasize your experience in building teams, fundraising, or setting company strategy, not just your operational skills.

5

Include a brief vision statement on how you would approach commercializing a novel VPP technology, showing strategic thinking and market insight.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your passion for climate impact and how this venture aligns with your personal mission.', 'Specific commercial achievements in energy markets, such as revenue growth, market share gains, or successful pilot programs.', 'Your understanding of the VPP scaling bottleneck and your ideas for commercial solutions (e.g., new pricing models, partnership structures).', 'Your readiness to co-found and your complementary skills to the technical co-founder (e.g., sales, fundraising, regulatory navigation).']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Study Deep Science Ventures' venture creation model and previous ventures to understand their approach and expectations for co-founders.
  • → Research the latest developments in VPP technology and market trends, especially in the US and EU, to identify potential early markets.
  • → Look into the specific technical approach mentioned (e.g., decentralized coordination, multi-market optimization) and think about how it changes the commercial model.
  • → Identify key competitors in the VPP space (e.g., Autogrid, Stem, Enel X) and understand their strengths and weaknesses to position your venture.
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you design a go-to-market strategy for a VPP platform that targets both residential and commercial assets?
2 Describe a time you navigated complex regulatory or market rules to launch a new energy product.
3 What are the key barriers to scaling VPPs today, and how would you prioritize solving them commercially?
4 How would you approach building a sales team and securing first customers from scratch?
5 What is your experience with fundraising, and how would you pitch this venture to investors?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing only on technical aspects without demonstrating commercial acumen; this is a commercial co-founder role.
  • Being too vague about your network or past deals; provide concrete examples and names (where appropriate).
  • Underestimating the challenges of building from scratch; show resilience and a track record of overcoming obstacles.

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Deep Science Ventures!

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