Advisory Panel: Reforming Agro-Industrial Nitrogen-based Fertilizers

About DSV

Deep Science Ventures (DSV) is on a mission to create a future in which both humans and the planet can thrive. We use our unique venture creation process to create, spin-out, and invest in science companies, combining available scientific knowledge and founder-type scientists into high-impact ventures. Operating in four sectors—Pharmaceuticals, Climate, Agriculture, and Computation—we tackle the challenges defining these areas by taking a first principles approach and partnering with leading institutions.

Join Our Advisory Panel: Understanding & Reforming Agro-Industrial Nitrogen-based Fertilizers

DSV is seeking visionary and experienced professionals to join our Advisory Panel for a new set of Opportunity Areas (OAs) related to Understanding & Reforming Agro-Industrial Nitrogen-based Fertilizers. This is an opportunity to engage closely with our venture creation process and gain early access to groundbreaking innovations. As an advisor, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the ventures built within this topic, providing strategic insights and potentially transitioning into a long-term Advisor role for one of the high-impact companies that is subsequently built.

The Opportunity

Modern agriculture relies heavily on synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilization to increase crop yields, yet this practice has long been unsustainable. Most N-based fertilizers are produced via the energy-intensive Haber-Bosch process, which centralizes production and makes global agriculture—and thus food security—highly vulnerable to disruptions from geopolitical events, trade issues, and natural disasters. Additionally, poor nitrogen uptake and use efficiency result in significant environmental damage due to over-application and runoff, exacerbating terrestrial, atmospheric, and aquatic impacts, as well as economic inefficiencies in our food system.

To illustrate the magnitude of this problem, 2.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the synthetic nitrogen (N) fertilizer supply chain. Of these emissions, 38.8% are from production and 58.6% are from field emissions. Additionally, more than half of the world's synthetic nitrogen fertilizer is produced in just five countries: China, the USA, India, Russia, and Indonesia. Furthermore, an alarming 57% of the agricultural nitrogen applied worldwide is not utilized by crops, leading to wasted resources and compromising food security. This inefficiency results in an estimated $157 billion in annual environmental and health damages due to excessive nitrogen losses and poor agricultural practices.

To transform the synthetic N fertilizer supply chain, we envision four key themes that must be addressed, each containing multiple potential Opportunity Areas (OAs):

Theme 1: Hyper-Efficient Biological & Agro-ecological Cycling for Enhanced Nitrogen Use Efficiency. Create an agro-industrial landscape where nitrogen cycles seamlessly between input, utilization, and recycling, in which every gram of nitrogen maximizes productivity without ecological harm.

Theme 2: Reformed N-fertilizer Manufacturing for Clean and Autonomous Production: Revolutionize synthetic N fertilizer production through the implementation of green technologies that could bypass traditional ammonia synthesis entirely and enable the decentralization of fertilizer production, addressing the vulnerability of food security to supply chain disruptions.

Theme 3: Action-Oriented Measurement Systems to Optimize Nitrogen Inputs in Field: Harmonize the fusion of advanced sensing technologies, AI, and robotics to form intelligent underground and aboveground networks that process real-time data on soil health, crop needs, and weather patterns, allowing the deployment of nitrogen at pinpoint accuracy. The entire system facilitates the implementation of robust MRV frameworks, ensuring sustainability, regulatory compliance, and potentially unlocking new incentives for farmers.

Theme 4: Nitrogen Management Industry Formation to Incentivize and Enable Action by Agri Stakeholders: Leverage policy, technological and societal tactics to create a push-pull dynamic in the sustainable nitrogen management space. This will ensure that stakeholders are not just mandated (push) but also equipped, willing, and motivated to adopt sustainable practices/technologies

Deep Science Ventures aims to fully map the current technology, investment, and research landscape to highlight opportunities for innovation, investment, and the development of high-impact solutions aimed at maximizing nitrogen use efficiency, re-use, measurement, and production sovereignty.

Your Impact

• Provide expert advice and validation throughout the pre-scoping and venture creation phases for OAs related to Understanding & Reforming Agro-Industrial Nitrogen-based Fertilizers (see themes 1-4 above).
• Establish and nurture connections with our recruitment teams to enhance the recruitment of Founders in Residence (FiRs) within this OAs.
• Collaborate with DSV associates to attract strategic and sponsor clients.
• Engage with our network, offering valuable insights and potentially converting into key roles within new agricultural ventures.

Requirements

Who Should Apply

We are looking for dynamic individuals with the following profiles across the 4 different themes:

• Proven expertise in fields relevant to the production, use and measurement of Agro-Industrial Nitrogen-based Fertilizers, including but not limited to:
• Theme 1: Hyper-Efficient Biological & Agro-ecological Cycling for Enhanced Nitrogen Use Efficiency
• Theme 2: Reformed N-fertilizer Manufacturing for Clean and Autonomous Production
• Theme 3: Action-Oriented Measurement Systems to Optimise Nitrogen Inputs to the Field
• Theme 4:  Nitrogen Management Industry Formation to Incentivise and Enable Action by Agri Stakeholders
• Comprehensive understanding of the policy landscape affecting nitrogen use, including familiarity with current regulations and potential for policy innovation.
• Experience in designing or implementing market-based mechanisms that could be adapted to nitrogen to incentivize sustainable practices.
• Strong track record of strategic advisory roles or senior leadership positions in the agricultural industry or academia.
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, with a passion for innovative agricultural science and technology.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with the potential interest to transition into a long-term Partner role in agricultural ventures.

Benefits

• Be at the forefront of agricultural innovation and sustainability.

• Gain a first look into DSV's unique venture creation process and upcoming high-impact agricultural ventures.
• Build and expand your professional network with DSV's partners, advisors, and founders.
• Contribute to the development of sustainable agricultural solutions with a lasting impact on global food security and environmental health.

Apply Now

If you are eager to make a significant impact on the future of agriculture and are interested in leveraging your expertise to support us on Reforming Agro-Industrial Nitrogen-based Fertilizers, we invite you to join our Advisory Panel. Help us shape the future of agriculture and create a thriving world for humans and the planet!

Or if this opportunity is not the right fit, but you are interested in contributing to our venture creation process more broadly, check out our job description for our sector-wide Agricultural Advisory Council.