Co-Founder in Residence, AI/ML Expert Transforming Crop Improvement

Join Us as a Founder in Residence in Agriculture

We're on the lookout for entrepreneurial individuals with technical and commercial domain expertise with keen interest in founding, and building a global scale, impact driven, high growth company from ground up.

We are seeking applications from experienced industry, startup and/or new science or engineering based technology development professionals from anywhere in the world, eager to achieve the high-level outcome of halving the time necessary to identify commercially viable crop varieties.

You’ll work closely with the DSV team to co-found and spin-out a new company. Once the new venture is incorporated with pre-seed investment from DSV, you and your co-founders will own the majority stake in the business, and continue receiving support from the DSV team post-spinout.

The role is full-time, initially remote (can work from anywhere) with possible relocation once the new venture is incorporated.

The Opportunity

The global population will surge to over 9 billion by 2050, and we will need a 70% increase in food production to adequately feed this future global population [1][2]. Crops are essential to meet this need; 55% of the world's crop calories are consumed directly by humans, and another 36% is used for animal feed [3]. Crop breeding has been a primary driver of food security due to the selection of superior cultivars that meet caloric, nutritional, and productivity metrics. However, the acceleration of climate change threatens cultivar selection efficiency since new biotic and abiotic stresses emerge without warning; thus, there is a critical need to accelerate how we breed for future crops.

Plant breeding and biotechnology technologies have helped alleviate yield losses due to climate change, such as drought and pest resistance. However, even in the era of advanced breeding and precise genetic engineering, these technologies have yet to achieve the full potential of crops because fundamental challenges remain unaddressed. To this end, this opportunity area (OA) seeks to reduce progeny time production by 10X through novel florogenesis technologies.

References

[1] https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.1116437108

[2] https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2020-02/apo-nid274256.pdf

[3] https://www.vox.com/2014/8/21/6053187/cropland-map-food-fuel-animal-feed

Our Approach

While traditional speed breeding techniques condense growth periods by environmental queues, our approach leverages the power of data science to pioneer a more nuanced manipulation of plant biology. We can enhance flowering processes and seed formation with unprecedented precision and efficiency by directly influencing the flowering pathway through data-driven AI models and advanced analytics. This methodology promises a transformative impact on crop development cycles and agricultural innovation.

Requirements

Who Should Apply

Your core mission will be to develop and implement artificial intelligence frameworks that expedite rapid florogenesis leading to high-yielding and high-quality cultivars. You will be instrumental in designing innovative hardware systems for robotic plant manipulation and greenhouse automation that will be translated to field applications, employing advanced computer vision techniques to analyze and interpret complex image and video data that can inform the research and development pipeline in the venture. Your responsibilities extend to constructing a robust AI training pipeline tailored to the unique demands of agricultural data but also enabling the design of new tools to expedite faster cultivar development in collaboration with plant biology and crop commercialization experts. Your ability to bridge the gap between technology and biology will pave the way for paradigm shifts in how we approach plant science, food production, and sustainability.

Most suitable candidates will likely meet multiple of the following criteria:

• An advanced degree, or substantial equivalent experience, in a related AI/ML field such as Computer Science, Robotics, or Electrical Engineering, with a special focus on agricultural applications;
• A deep comprehension of AI and ML methodologies, underscored by a demonstrated track record in the development of agricultural technology solutions;
• Experienced in the design and execution of hardware projects, which include robotics for plant manipulation, automated systems for greenhouses, and integrating sensory-driven feedback mechanisms;
• Technical prowess in computer vision, specifically regarding image and video data capture, analysis, and integration into AI training regimens, with an emphasis on agricultural applications;
• Expertise in the deployment and management of AI tools capable of synthesizing data from controlled agricultural environments to inform and direct research efforts in plant biology;
• Industry-specific know-how and commercial knowledge (e.g. forming strategic partnerships, agricultural value chains, procurement, etc.) especially with experience engaging directly with farmers and agribusiness;
• Proven track record of innovation, preferably with experience in startup ecosystems and fundraising;
• Strong entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to translate scientific discoveries into commercial opportunities, ideally with experience conducting techno-economic analyses and market assessments;
• Experience of working in a leadership role, applying project management and collaborative skills with colleagues across different teams;
• Exceptional command of English, with proficiency in additional languages such as Spanish, being advantageous for key markets like tropical agriculture;
• Flexibility and willingness to engage in travel or relocation, given the venture's focus on regions with strategic relevance for tropical and subtropical agriculture, like Costa Rica.

Benefits

Our Offer

By joining DSV, you will be part of a team of operators who have founded companies and led the translation of science at some of the most respected universities, charities, funds, and government agencies. Here’s what we offer:

• Access to optimised, purpose-built, proprietary tools, resources, and processes to help create high-impact ventures from scratch;
• Opportunity area-specific know-how from our network of Partners and Advisors;
• Up to £250k in investment to incorporate the new venture and develop early proof-of-concept data;
• Guaranteed income of £4,166 per month paid as a consultancy fee until the company is launched and the pre-seed investment is secured;
• Majority equity stake in the new company for you and your co-founders;
• Continuous post-spinout support, including fundraising, commercial partnerships, recruitment, and team-building;
• Collaborative support from dozens of Founders currently at DSV across sectors.

About DSV

Deep Science Ventures is creating a future in which both humans and the planet can thrive.

We use our unique venture creation process to create, spin-out and invest into science companies, combining available scientific knowledge and founder-type scientists into high-impact ventures.

We operate in 4 sectors: Pharmaceuticals, Climate, Agriculture and Computation, tackling the challenges defining those areas by taking a first principles approach and partnering with leading institutions.