About the Role
We are seeking an exceptional Entrepreneur-in-Residence ( EIR ) to lead the creation and commercialization of a high potential deep technology venture focused on green nanomaterial synthesis, automated process hardware, and industrial scale delivery of sustainable advanced materials.
The venture is developing science based solutions to address a structural bottleneck in the global nanomaterials industry: the dependence on toxic chemical stabilizers, and the reproducibility gap that has kept green synthesis out of industrial production. Its technology platform combines plant derived biosynthesis with a fully automated hardware system integrating extraction, biosynthesis, UV stabilization, and filtration under programmable process controls to improve consistency, purity, scalability, and commercial viability.
The opportunity builds on promising scientific and engineering capabilities developed in Egypt, with potential applications across cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, agricultural inputs, and advanced materials supply chains. Product and market opportunities will be prioritized based on customer need, technical performance, scalability, manufacturability, cost competitiveness, regulatory feasibility, novelty, protectability, and commercial potential.
Working with university researchers, process and hardware engineers, manufacturing partners, and the M-Empire ecosystem, the EIR will help turn a working prototype into a focused, investable, and market ready company. The role includes shaping the commercial direction, assessing product and market priorities, supporting the IP and licensing strategy, building pilot and market entry partnerships, and preparing the venture for fundraising and growth.
The EIR will also play an important role in evaluating how engineering innovation can be translated into defensible business value. This includes contributing to decisions around novelty assessment, intellectual property filing priorities, licensing readiness, and positioning the venture's core hardware and process know how for long term competitive advantage.
The Market Reality
The global nanomaterials market is facing a regulatory crunch. Toxic stabilizers used in traditional synthesis are under increasing pressure from EU REACH and US EPA TSCA, and industrial buyers are actively seeking sustainable alternatives.
Green synthesis using plant polyphenols is scientifically proven, but manual protocols produce particle size variations of 30% to 50%. Industrial buyers demand variations under 15%. This reproducibility gap has held the sector at Technology Readiness Level 4 for decades, and the equipment required to close it does not exist in any commercial catalogue.
We have secured a hardware platform that automates the full synthesis workflow and uses programmable process controls to solve the reproducibility bottleneck. We need an EIR to take it from a working prototype to a commercial product.
Responsibilities
We are looking for an entrepreneurial, commercially driven leader who wants to build a company not simply manage an engineering project.
You should be able to:
-Shape and execute a commercialization strategy for science based industrial hardware and advanced materials.
-Identify priority applications, use cases, customer segments, and entry markets across cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and specialty materials.
-Translate technical evidence and pilot results into a compelling product proposition and business case.
-Lead the journey from working prototype through pilot deployment, qualification, and market entry.
-Assess the commercial relevance of technical novelty and help define how innovation can be translated into a differentiated and defensible market position.
-Work with technical, legal, and institutional stakeholders on IP-related matters, including invention disclosure, filing priorities, licensing discussions, and alignment between IP strategy and venture strategy.
-Understand, manage, or coordinate relevant regulatory pathways for nanomaterials and advanced materials, including EU REACH and US EPA TSCA requirements and their documentation timelines.
Build partnerships with industrial manufacturers, distributors, contract producers, research institutions, and other strategic stakeholders.
-Work effectively with engineering and scientific teams to prioritize development according to customer need, regulatory requirements, manufacturability, novelty, and commercial potential.
-Develop the venture's business model, operating roadmap, financial plan, investor narrative, and fundraising strategy.
Recruit, lead, and motivate a high performing team in an ambitious and fast moving environment.
Requirements
A scientific or technical background is valuable, but it is not essential. We welcome candidates with strong commercial, entrepreneurial, product development, or sector experience relevant to science based hardware and advanced materials.
Relevant experience may include:
Process engineering, chemical engineering, mechatronics, materials science, nanotechnology, chemistry, industrial automation, or related fields.
Nanomaterials, specialty chemicals, advanced materials, capital equipment, continuous flow systems, programmable logic controllers, or industrial process platforms.
Taking a hardware system, process technology, or science based product from prototype toward pilot deployment, qualification, manufacturing, and commercialization.
Product management, business development, strategy, sales, operations, or venture building in deep tech, advanced manufacturing, industrial automation, or specialty materials.
Assessing technology differentiation, novelty, protectability, and the commercial implications of the IP position in science based ventures.
Exposure to patent filing processes, invention disclosure workflows, university technology transfer, licensing discussions, or IP-supported venture creation.
B2B capital equipment sales, technology licensing, procurement cycles with large manufacturers, and customer qualification processes.
Regulatory exposure involving nanomaterials, chemicals, or advanced materials under EU REACH, US EPA TSCA, or adjacent international frameworks.
A relevant network across industrial manufacturers, distributors, specialty chemicals and advanced materials supply chains, universities, researchers, contract manufacturers, regulators, or strategic partners.
Founding or co-founding a startup in deep tech, advanced manufacturing, hardware, or industrial automation, and holding a C-suite role.
Fundraising, strategic partnerships, licensing university intellectual property, or launching science based ventures.
International commercial experience is highly desirable. The buyers for this technology are in Europe, North America, and Asia, and comfort pitching to multinational corporations and navigating EU and US regulatory frameworks is essential. An MSc or PhD in a relevant engineering or materials discipline is a plus, not a requirement.
Why This Opportunity
Industry needs materials that perform without compromising safety, compliance, or cost. This venture has the potential to address a real, high value bottleneck through automated green synthesis and programmable process control, in a market where regulation is actively pushing buyers toward alternatives that do not yet exist at scale.
This is also an opportunity to help shape not only a product, but a defensible company. For the right EIR, the role offers the chance to connect engineering novelty, intellectual property, licensing potential, and commercial execution in a way that creates lasting competitive advantage.
You will not be joining a mature company with a fixed roadmap. You will help define the products, markets, partnerships, IP pathway, and company from the ground up turning a working prototype into systems that can run reliably on a customer's factory floor.
Egypt offers a compelling base for this journey, with access to scientific and engineering talent, manufacturing capabilities, and a supportive venture-building ecosystem. The ambition, however, extends far beyond Egypt: to build a company selling into Europe, North America, and Asia, and competing with the best in its category globally.
For the right EIR, this is a rare opportunity to combine scientific innovation, entrepreneurial ownership, and commercial ambition to build a venture that creates meaningful value for customers, partners, and investors.
What We Offer
This is an opportunity to build not just join a high-potential deep tech venture with meaningful ownership, early-stage support, and access to the capabilities needed to move from prototype to market.
Founder Ownership: You and your co-founders will retain the majority stake in the venture. We build with founders, not for founders.
Financial Security During the EIR Phase: You will receive a competitive consultancy fee, enabling you to focus fully on validating the opportunity and building the venture.
Pre-Seed Capital: Following Investment Committee approval, initial capital will be provided to incorporate the company and build early customer ready pilot systems alongside the technical, IP, and commercial evidence needed for the next stage.
An Integrated Venture-Building Platform: Access R&D, engineering and manufacturing capabilities, legal support, IT resources, and commercial expertise reducing execution risk, burn rate, and time to market.
Support in IP and Venture Structuring: Work with stakeholders to shape the pathway for technology protection, licensing, and venture formation around promising scientific and engineering assets.
Hands-On Support Beyond Incorporation: M-Empire will remain an active partner as the company grows, supporting fundraising, team building, strategic recruitment, and commercial introductions.
A Chance to Create Real Impact: Build a platform that can remove toxic inputs from global supply chains and make sustainable nanomaterials commercially viable at industrial scale.
If you are ready to turn promising science into a scalable company, this is an opportunity to lead from the front and share meaningfully in the value you create.