Co-Founder in Residence, CEO, Advanced Copper Recycling
Marble
About Marble
Marble is a climate tech venture studio. Our north star is to erase billions of tons from annual greenhouse gas emissions and create a thriving future.
We partner with scientists, engineers and operators to create new deep tech companies that solve hard climate problems — slash emissions, remove carbon from the atmosphere, and cool the planet — while reshaping multi-billion $ industries.
We're proud to be backed by leading climate investors across Europe and the US.
Closing the Copper Supply Gap
Achieving net zero requires the deployment of clean energy technologies at a speed and scale that has no historical precedent. In the transition from fossil fuels to electrified systems, the supply of critical minerals is an acute bottleneck.
Securing a stable and reliable copper supply is a top priority as it is the backbone of electrification in power grids, solar, wind, electric vehicles, and more.
As such, numerous studies forecast copper demand to double by 2050 reaching 57 million tons compared to the 2020 levels of 25 million tons. To meet increased demand, we will need to double our production capacity. However, primary copper production is actually expected to decline as soon as 2028.
With an expected copper supply gap, Europe faces a net deficit between its copper demand and its smelting and refining capacities. To address this, Europe must secure a reliable supply of recycled copper and relocate its copper production industry to achieve self-sufficiency.
We have been working on an innovative process to solve this problem.
The Opportunity
We have developed a wire forming process that produces high conductivity wire without the need for 99.95% pure copper feedstock. This approach eliminates the smelting and refining step, reducing the overall cost of the copper wire production cycle by more than 50%.
Our approach also unlocks several million tonnes of copper scrap that is not currently usable for electrical applications. As a result, it has the potential to transform electrical wire production by maximising the use of recycled copper.
We started to address market and technical risks: a first prototype is on the way, process modelling has been carried out based on proxies found in the scientific literature, an intellectual property strategy has been selected and we have an LOI from a major OEM.
Our work builds on our CTO's PhD research and combines the latest techniques in materials science and metallurgy.
We are looking for CEO and Co-Founder. Your role will be broad, across product, sales, partnership development, operations, fundraising (venture capital and non-dilutive), team building, supplier management, industrial scale-up, etc.
You will join a stellar CTO and Co-Founder, with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering applied to mineral processing and wire manufacturing, and past founder experience.
➡️ Apply Here
Requirements
We are looking for an entrepreneurial individual with a passion for manufacturing and energy transition minerals, and a driving motivation to mitigate climate change. Must have: demonstrated experience and/or potential in CEO type activities listed above, and prior interest in commercialisation of novel technologies.
Nice to have: prior exposure to mineral processing and/or manufacturing sectors, network in the copper value chain, and experience scaling organisations.
We’re primarily looking for someone in Paris or Toulouse (or willing to relocate).
Example of relevant backgrounds:
- Startup founder / operator / investor - climate tech, hardware, manufacturing
- OR Manufacturing expert, with experience bringing new factories online, construction, and building a robust supply chain. Mineral/wire expertise is a plus!
- OR Copper wire industry specialist, with __experience in electric motors, renewables, transmission, and electrification more broadly.
- OR Copper recycling specialist, with experience in recycling operations, scrap trading, collection, sorting, supply chain management, etc
We encourage you to apply even if you don’t feel you meet all requirements. Above all, we value intelligence, creativity and Founder Potential.
Especially if you recognise yourself below:
- You can’t wait to start your own company (or your next one)
- You are a pragmatic optimist on a mission to tackle climate change
- You are outcome focused and action oriented - you make things happen
- You are a great communicator - you can convince others to follow you
- You love to break down ambitious goals into actionable milestones
- You understand that innovation starts with people - not ideas
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 be CTO in the new company. You will have the opportunity to meet him before making any big commitment of course!
We offer (among other things)
- A €3,000 monthly allowance during your participation in the programme
- A €250,000 pre-seed investment on startup creation if you’re successful. You and your team will own 80% of the company at incorporation.
- **Full-stack support in our venture creation programme**Mentorship and guidance at every step of the way Hands on support across technology and market research, landing interviews with experts and customers, techno economics, roadmap and scale up strategy, IP strategy, team building, advisor sourcing, and more Access to an unparalleled network across science, industry, talent, investors, mentors, climate tech founders, curated vendors and suppliers Access to our research insights, knowledge base and resources Weekly check-ins, work sessions in our Paris HQ (or remote) and continuous peer learning with other programme participants
- Seed Fundraising support after the programme. Introductions to the best seed investors from our network and help with term sheet negotiation.
- Founder Visa sponsorship if you wish to relocate to France. Remote participation is possible, preferably from Europe and with regular in-person meetings.
How to Apply
We are looking for the best candidate - so you are welcome to apply as soon as possible.
➡️ Apply Here
We actively welcome candidates of all backgrounds, gender identities and perspectives. We believe our work is strengthened when we bring together people with different lived experiences, cultures and ways of thinking.
Studies have shown that under-represented candidates are less likely to apply unless they feel they meet every single qualification. If you are excited about the opportunity but your experience does not align perfectly - we encourage you to apply anyways.
We are committed to a diverse, inclusive and mission-driven Founder community.
FAQs
For a full list of FAQs, please visit our website.