Founder, CEO, Direct Air Capture

**Founder/CEO - Direct Air Capture**

**About Marble** Marble is a climate tech venture studio. Our goal is to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by billions of tons and create a sustainable future. We collaborate with scientists, engineers, and operators to establish new deeptech companies that tackle challenging climate problems, industrial emissions, carbon removal, and work towards cooling the planet. We are proud to be supported by leading climate investors in Europe and the US.

**Solving Direct Air Capture** To combat the severe impacts of climate change, the world needs to achieve net zero by the mid-century. This requires two things: reducing global emissions from 60 gigatons annually to near zero and removing CO2 from the atmosphere on a multi-gigaton scale. The latest IPCC report estimates that between 5 to 16 gigatons of CDR (Carbon Dioxide Removal) will be necessary each year after 2050 to keep global temperature increase as close to 1.5°C as possible. Achieving such levels within a few decades is an immense task that requires multiple approaches. Direct Air Capture (DAC) is a compelling solution due to its low physical footprint, flexible siting near CO2 storage and clean energy, and straightforward measurement. Additionally, there are significant market opportunities and financial support for DAC, including a $3.5 billion scale-up funding in the US, a $1 billion acquisition, and a fast-growing market for CDR credits and carbon-negative products like concrete. However, current DAC technologies are highly energy-intensive, using 1,500 to 3,000 kWh per ton of CO2, which is 10x to 20x higher than the theoretical minimum. At a gigaton scale, these systems would require between 1.3 and 3.4 times the annual US power consumption. We are working on developing a breakthrough process to overcome this challenge, which is crucial for gigaton-scale DAC to become a reality.

**The Opportunity** We have created a groundbreaking hybrid electrochemical process that is 10x more energy-efficient than first-generation DAC and 3x better than the most ambitious second-generation technologies. We estimate the cost per ton to be well below $100 at a megaton scale. Our approach utilizes materials that are inexpensive, abundant, and stable under atmospheric conditions. We leverage components that will experience rapid cost decline through learning rates and have established supply chains for mass production. We have achieved promising lab results, secured key intellectual property, and gathered a team of world-class technical advisors. Now, we are looking for a CEO and Co-Founder to join our team.

**Your Role** As CEO and Co-Founder, your responsibilities will be broad, encompassing product development, sales, partnership building, operations, fundraising, venture capital, team building, supplier management, and industrial scale-up. You will join forces with a stellar CTO and Co-Founder, who holds a PhD in electrochemistry applied to carbon management and has authored two patents in greenhouse gas removal.

**Skills Profile** We are seeking an entrepreneurial individual with a passion for DAC and a strong motivation to combat climate change. You should have experience in some of the CEO-type activities outlined above, exposure in climate tech, and a good understanding of science and engineering. Knowledge of techno-economics, life cycle assessment, and IP management is a plus. Relevant backgrounds could include previous startup founder/operator experience, deeptech or clean tech expertise, industry professionals in CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage), chemicals, or clean energy, or individuals with process/mechanical/chemical engineering backgrounds and a commercial mindset. We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet all the requirements. Above all, we value intelligence, creativity, and founder potential.

**What We Offer** As CEO and Co-Founder, you will partner with a Marble Founder in Residence who has been developing this project and will serve as the CTO in the new company. We offer a monthly allowance of $2,500 during your participation in the program, a $250,000 pre-seed investment upon startup creation if you are successful, and an 80% ownership stake in the company at the pre-seed stage. You will receive full-stack support in our venture creation program, including mentorship, guidance, technology and market research support, access to a vast network of experts, investors, mentors, and suppliers, as well as relevant resources and tools. We also provide seed fundraising support after the program, including introductions to seed investors and assistance with term sheet negotiation. If you wish to relocate to France, we offer Founder Visa sponsorship. Remote participation is possible, preferably from Europe, with regular in-person meetings.

**How to Apply** We are looking for the best candidate, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. You can apply here. If you have any questions, please refer to our website for a full list of FAQs.

We strongly believe that a diverse and inclusive group of minds is essential to solving the climate crisis. We encourage women and people of color to apply. Research has shown that underrepresented candidates are less likely to apply unless they feel they meet every single qualification. If you are excited about this opportunity but your experience doesn't align perfectly, we still encourage you to apply. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and mission-driven founder community.