CEO / Business Co-Founder (f/m/d) role at startup PEELBACK

PEELBACK Berlin, Germany | On-site | Co-Founder / Equity | Deep Tech / Battery Recycling & Circular Economy About PeelBack PeelBack recovers battery-grade metals from black mass using a froth flotation process — no acid, no smelting. Developed by Dr. Anna Maria Dominic (PhD Physical Chemistry, TU Dresden) as solo technical founder, the process already reaches 95–99% purity at TRL 3–4 and is co-filing a next-generation patent with Dr. John Warner (US 9,972,830 B2). **The opportunity **With the EU's 2026 battery-recycling deadline creating real urgency, PeelBack needs to move from lab validation to pilot scale fast. As sole technical founder, Anna Maria is looking for a CEO / Business co-founder to lead fundraising and business development while she pushes the technology from TRL 4 towards TRL 5 (Boston lab visit planned). Tasks **What you will own Company build-up & fundraising **- Lead incorporation (GmbH planned) and fundraising strategy, building on the non-dilutive greenCHEM Cohort #1 stipend already secured. - Own investor relations and prepare PeelBack for its next funding round ahead of the EU battery-recycling deadline (Nov 2026). **Business development **- Convert existing interest into signed LOIs and pilot agreements with EU recyclers and battery manufacturers. - Own commercial strategy as PeelBack moves from pre-pilot validation to recycler-scale proof. Operations & partnerships - Build the operational and commercial foundation of the company alongside Anna Maria Dominic (CTO/technical founder). Requirements **What you bring Core experience **- Business development and fundraising experience, ideally in deep-tech, climate-tech or industrial/circular-economy startups. - Comfort working against a hard regulatory deadline (EU battery regulation, Nov 2026) and translating technical validation into commercial traction. **Especially valuable **- Existing network among EU recyclers, battery manufacturers or materials-recovery buyers. - Experience with accelerator/incubator environments (PeelBack has been through two startup accelerators). - Familiarity with IP-heavy, patent-protected deep-tech ventures. Benefits Why join PeelBack - A technology already validated at 95–99% purity, with a next-gen patent co-filed with a recognized green chemistry expert (Dr. John Warner). - Real regulatory tailwind: the EU 2026 deadline makes PeelBack's solution urgent, not speculative. - Founder equity: an indicative ~50% co-founder stake has already been discussed, to be finalized in the term sheet. PeelBack welcomes co-founder candidates regardless of gender, age, ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, sexual identity, or any other characteristic. This is a search for the right partner to build the company with, not a conventional hire. Find Jobs in Germany on Arbeitnow