Director of Deeptech

Director of Deeptech

Techleap believes Dutch tech entrepreneurship is key to solving global challenges and securing our strategic tech position. But the ecosystem isn't reaching its full potential, while startup formation is slowing, scale-ups remain few, and international competitiveness is under threat.

Now more than ever, we need to accelerate innovation, commercialise knowledge and scale deeptech ventures. Your role is to build a stronger, more coordinated deeptech ecosystem together with the Ministry of Economic Affairs, TNO, Invest-NL, other key partners and your team. We need you to drive this mission forward.

About this opportunity

As our Director of Deeptech you lead Techleap’s deeptech strategy by identifying high-potential ventures, shaping founder-focused programs, and improving the conditions for deeptech companies to scale. You’ll drive our national collaboration with TNO and Invest-NL, own key verticals (starting with the Future of Compute), and turn founder insights into impactful policy.

This role requires strategic vision, hands-on execution, and ecosystem leadership to help Dutch deeptech ventures and your team thrive.

Key Responsibilities

For this role and for your team to become a successful part of the Dutch deeptech ecosystem we see core responsibilities in some main categories.

National Strategy & Vertical Execution

Drive the development and execution of Techleap’s long-term deeptech vision (e.g. Deeptech 2035), ensuring the Netherlands becomes a global force in science-driven innovation.

• Own one or more strategic verticals, starting with Future of Compute and position them as national growth priorities (e.g. semiconductors, photonics, quantum).
• Lead deep ecosystem analysis to identify high-potential ventures, innovation bottlenecks, and untapped strategic opportunities.
• Translate insights into high-impact initiatives, support programs, strategic convening, and ecosystem interventions that accelerate scale.
• Support the development of a national valorisation program proposal.

Founder Engagement & Support

Deeptech founders are the beating heart of this role, you’ll work directly with them to remove barriers and accelerate their journey.

• Identify, support, and build relationships with high-potential founders across sectors and stages.
• Design and evolve founder-first programs (e.g. Pole Position) tailored to the needs of science-based startups and scaleups.
• Connect ventures with critical growth drivers like capital, infrastructure, talent, and global networks.
• Serve as a trusted thought partner to founders, offering strategic guidance and hands-on support.

Ecosystem collaboration

Execute on the national deeptech policy based on real founder experiences and unite (public and private) stakeholders around shared missions and create momentum.

• Collaborate closely with ministries, research institutions, and industry to improve access to IP, funding, and global positioning.
• Mobilise key stakeholders around deeptech verticals, turning fragmented efforts into coordinated action.
• Share key insights and learnings to drive national awareness and international positioning.
• Contribute to national frameworks like the National Technology Strategy, ensuring the voice of founders is front and center.
• Co-lead the strategic alliance with TNO and Invest-NL, aligning shared vision, investment logic, and execution.
• Represent Techleap at key roundtables, coalitions, and policymaking forums.

You might be a fit if you

• Are or recently were deeply embedded in deeptech as a founder, investor, program builder, or ecosystem leader.
• Understand the journey from lab to market, and what it takes to build scalable companies in complex tech.
• Have experience working across public and private domains, and can build coalitions with high credibility.
• Are comfortable with policy and government interaction, and can translate founder reality into institutional language.
• Are a strong communicator and systems thinker, but also focused on execution and delivery.
• Have experience bringing leadership and vision to inspire autonomous teams and thought leadership, fostering a culture of ownership, collaboration, and high performance.
• Are motivated by impact and believe the Netherlands can and should lead in deeptech.

Note: for this role we will only consider people that live in the Netherlands already and hold a valid working permit (VISA or other)!

Why this role

As a member of our core leadership team, you will help lead the next chapter of Techleap. You’ll play a direct role in strengthening the Netherlands’ position as a global technology leader. By supporting founders who are building world-changing technologies, you will drive the implementation of the national technology strategy while staying closely connected to the real-world challenges of execution. You will collaborate with key partners, leading corporates, universities, and ministries. This is an opportunity to join a small, agile team with a national mandate and ambitious global goals.

About Techleap

Techleap is a non-profit organization that supports the growth of Dutch scale-ups by providing access to funding, mentorship, and international networks. Our team is passionate about promoting innovation, diversity and collaboration, and we work closely with stakeholders across public and private sectors to accelerate the development of the Dutch startup ecosystem.