Entrepreneur in Residence for a Chip Cooling Spin-off

Business Operations
- Leuven | Just now
- We are looking for a hands-on entrepreneurial EIR who has experience of successfully leading and scaling deep-tech companies. The EIR will turn lab-proven tech into a venture: shape the roadmap, win-over early investors, and build a team that can ship. You are at home in chip cooling, semiconductor technology, advanced packaging, and 3D integration and you love moving fast from prototype to pilot to product.
- We are looking for a hands-on entrepreneurial EIR who has experience of successfully leading and scaling deep-tech companies. The EIR will turn lab-proven tech into a venture: shape the roadmap, win-over early investors, and build a team that can ship. You are at home in chip cooling, semiconductor technology, advanced packaging, and 3D integration and you love moving fast from prototype to pilot to product._ The assignment / De opdracht
- Translate imec’s direct-to-die cooling technology into a compelling venture thesis, defining the product vision, technical milestones, development roadmap, and early manufacturability path, building on imec’s lab‑validated results and integration know‑how.
- Lead early customer and partner discovery with hyperscalers, GPU/AI accelerator vendors, semiconductor foundries/OSATs, and system integrators to validate problem-solution fit, identify high‑value use cases (e.g., AI/HPC chips, advanced packaging, 2.5D/3D), and translate feedback into product and business requirements.
- Drive fundraising preparation and execution (pre‑seed/seed), including developing investor‑ready materials, shaping the commercial narrative, and engaging with VCs/CVCs alongside imec.xpand and venture partners.
- Build the foundational venture team, identifying and attracting key technical and business talent needed for early venture formation and establishing the initial operating model of the company.
- Steer early productization and risk‑reduction activities, coordinating with imec technical teams to validate performance claims (e.g., CHF/HTC, wicking behavior), explore integration paths, and ensure that the technology matures toward pilot‑ready prototypes aligned with customer expectations. Required knowledge and skills / Vereiste kennis en skills
- Deep mastery of chip thermal management, including two‑phase cooling, advanced packaging (2.5D/3D, chiplets, interposers), and semiconductor device integration.
- Proven experience translating early‑stage hardware technologies into products, including defining requirements, derisking architecture choices, and coordinating technical validation with R&D teams.
- Strong customer and ecosystem fluency across hyperscalers, AI/HPC system vendors, foundries/OSATs, and datacenter cooling players; able to extract insights and convert them into product and venture strategy.
- Track record in early‑stage venture building, including fundraising preparation, investor engagement, business modelling, and forming high‑performance founding teams.
- Ability to work hands‑on in highly technical, ambiguous environments, structuring experiments, assessing feasibility, and making data‑driven decisions at low TRL.

What we offer
/ Wat bieden wij

We offer
you an exciting temporary assignment in which you will be part of a community that makes the impossible possible. Together, we shape the technology that will define the society of tomorrow.
- Duration of the assignment: 6 months, extension possible
- Desired start date: 15/02/2026
- Work regime: fulltime Location/ Locatie
- We provide the flexibility to work both from our office premises and remotely from home. This to maintain a healthy work-life balance while being an integral part of our team.