Jobs at The Collider (Now Hiring) — 6 open

OPTICMIZING | Real-Time Optical Control for Smart Fermentation

CEO & Co-Founder Opportunity | Deep Tech | Industry 4.0 | FoodTech

Are you looking for an entrepreneurial opportunity to build a deep-tech industrial spin-off, applying advanced optical sensing, AI and Industry 4.0 technologies to transform food manufacturing?

OPTICMIZING is a deep-tech project born in 2024 from more than 10 years of academic research in optical technologies, supported by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). The project is seeking an entrepreneurial CEO to join the founding team and lead the creation of a high-impact industrial spin-off.

As CEO & Co-Founder, you will lead the venture-building journey, driving business validation, industrial pilots, fundraising and spin-off creation together with a highly experienced scientific and technical team.

About OPTICMIZING

Yogurt production still relies on manual and discontinuous pH control, creating significant inefficiencies: Error-prone sampling processes with contamination risk, lack of real-time, continuous data, and poor fermentation control, leading to longer production times, higher energy consumption and non-conforming batches

OPTICMIZING has developed a patented NIR optical sensing technology that enables in-line, real-time monitoring and control of pH and rheological properties (viscosity and elasticity) during milk fermentation.

The solution is:

• Non-invasive and human-intervention free
• Compatible with Cleaning-In-Place (CIP) industrial processes
• Powered by predictive algorithms and machine learning, using high-volume continuous data

For a dairy producer operating at 20,000 liters/hour, the technology can generate up to €500K in annual savings.

The teams vision is to position OPTICMIZING as a new industrial standard for smart fermentation control, enabling more efficient, sustainable and scalable dairy production.

Why OPTICMIZING

• Patented technology: US patent granted (2021) and European patent granted (2025)
• Industrial validation ongoing with two companies in the dairy sector
• More than €300K in competitive public funding secured (AGAUR, DACC and others)
• Recognized as Top 3 Startup at SECPHO Summit DeepTech 2025
• Awarded Best Industrial Project at The Collider Opportunity Validation Programme 2025
• Strong founding team commitment, with a founder ready to assume the CTO role upon spin-off incorporation, ensuring technological continuity and long-term leadership

Your Role as CEO & Co-Founder (Next 6 Months)

You will lead OPTICMIZING through a key execution phase, focusing on:

• Spin-off creation and alignment with the Technology Transfer Office
• Defining the business model, pricing and go-to-market strategy
• Commercializing industrial pilots and securing early adopters
• Leading fundraising efforts (public and private)
• Establishing strategic partnerships with industrial players and integrators
• Building and leading the first commercial and operational structure

Current Founding Team

• Dr. Manuel Castillo – Principal Investigator & CSO
  +30 years leading research in optical technologies applied to the food industry
• Àlex Gómez – Food Technologist & Entrepreneur
  (Future CTO upon spin-off incorporation)

The Offer

• Relevant equity as CEO & Co-Founder upon company incorporation
• €6,000 stipend during validation phase (3 monthly instalments of €2,000)
• Access to The Collider venture-building programme, which includes experts and hands on support in market validation, finance, marketing, IP, Regulatory, fundraising, team formation and company structuring.
• Access to The Collider and MWCapital ecosystem (4YFN, Mobile World Congress, corporate & investor networks).
• Opportunity to access a participative loan of up to €50,000 to finance the first phases of the project.
• Coworking space in Barcelona (Tech Barcelona – Pier 01).
• Last but not least, our venture builder support continues for two years after incorporation, giving founders access to in-kind services, a strong community and portfolio perks.

This Opportunity Is for You If

• You are an entrepreneur with experience in deep tech, industrial tech, foodtech or B2B SaaS
• Previous experience as founder or co-founder is highly valued
• Strong business background (MBA, ADE or equivalent experience)
• Comfortable operating in industrial environments and B2B sales cycles
• Familiar with technology transfer and collaboration with research institutions
• Hands-on leader able to bridge science, industry and business
• Eligible to work in Spain (passport or valid visa required)
• Fluent in English and Spanish (Catalan is a plus)