Co-Founder in Residence, Commercial – Reinventing Crop Nutrition & Weed Control

Deep Science Ventures

. Co-create a venture to revolutionise weed control through crop nutrient delivery .

Posted 9/18/2026full-timeSan Diego • California • United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 £4,166 per monthWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates significant commercial leadership in agri-inputs and biologicals, with a proven track record in negotiating strategic agreements and raising capital. Capable of developing and executing market strategies while building and leading commercial teams in fast-paced environments.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Commercial Leadership ExperienceTrack Record in Crop InputsExperience Raising FundingStakeholder CommunicationFirst-Principles Thinking

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Financial LiteracyTechno-Economic Model DevelopmentCommercial Due DiligenceNegotiation of Strategic AgreementsMarket Strategy Execution

Soft Skills

Entrepreneurial MindsetImpact-Driven InitiativeAdaptability in Ambiguous Environments

Industry Keywords

Agri-InputsBiologicalsCrop ProtectionFertiliser IndustryDirect-To-Farmer Channels

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Co-create a venture to revolutionise weed control through crop nutrient delivery
Partner with the technical founder to take the venture from pre-incorporation/pre-seed to Series A and beyond
Turn relationships with major agri-input companies into commercial agreements
Solve the route to farmer adoption
Raise capital to scale the company
Build the commercial infrastructure for a durable business
Develop and convert relationships with major fertiliser and agri-input companies into commercial partnerships
Develop and execute the route-to-market strategy
Translate manufacturer partnerships into farmer adoption
Develop and validate the techno-economic and commercial business models
Lead commercial due diligence, build investor relationships, and close funding rounds
Develop company strategy as a core founding-team member
Build and lead the commercial team as the company scales

Requirements

What you’ll need

Significant commercial leadership experience in agri-inputs, biologicals, crop protection, or adjacent science-led/regulated industries
Strong preference for direct agricultural experience
Track record of taking crop inputs to market through retail or direct-to-farmer channels
Direct experience through retail, agronomist/adviser, or farmer channels highly desirable
Track record personally negotiating and closing material licensing, distribution, supply, or other strategic commercial agreements
Experience co-founding or commercially leading an early-stage startup
Experience raising funding and closing early deals
Successfully sourced non-dilutive grant funding
Strong financial literacy and ability to build, interrogate, and communicate financial models
Excellent stakeholder communication with customers, investors, and technical co-founders
Exposure to the fertiliser industry is a significant advantage
Entrepreneurial, impact-driven, and comfortable taking initiative in ambiguous, fast-moving environments
First-principles thinking and willingness to adapt as the venture evolves

Benefits

Comp & perks

Guaranteed income of £4,166 per month paid as a consultancy fee until the company is launched
£250k inception capital from DSV and the Grantham Foundation
Founding team collectively holds a majority equity stake
Salary negotiated as part of the spin-out
Continuous portfolio support after launch, including fundraising, partnerships, and recruitment
Remote-first work arrangement
Potential to evolve into CEO or another C-suite position
Pre-seed investment and ongoing support from Deep Science Ventures and the Grantham Foundation