HighTechXL is the Netherlands’ leading deep-tech Venture Builder. We build entrepreneurial teams around breakthrough technologies originating from world-class institutes such as CERN, the European Space Agency, TNO, Philips, PhotonFirst, and other global innovators. 

As ventures mature within our program, we connect them with investors, mentors, and strategic partners to help them grow into scalable businesses. Together with partners including Philips, ASML, TNO, High Tech Campus, and BOM, we challenge and support teams to become Brainport’s next Unicorns. 

Due to the rapid growth of HighTechXL and its venture portfolio, we are expanding our tech team and are looking for an experienced Technology Scout Manager to help identify, assess, and transfer cutting-edge technologies into new venture opportunities. 

The Role 

As a Tech Scout Manager, you will operate at the intersection of deep technology, entrepreneurship, and venture building. Working closely with colleagues in the tech team and the Tech Discovery Board (experts from our shareholder companies and industry), you will engage with leading research institutes and universities to identify technologies with strong commercial and societal potential. 

Your work will include: 

• Scouting and evaluating breakthrough technologies from renowned institutes and corporate R&D labs 

• Deep diving into a broad range of technologies to understand fundamentals, maturity, and differentiation 

• Assessing technologies across key dimensions such as IP strength, TRL, application fit, ecosystem alignment, and venture potential 

• Facilitating the transfer of selected technologies into HighTechXL’s co-founder pool 

• Support venture teams during onboarding of the technology and validating technical feasibility 

• Network with stakeholders and organizing events to introduce the technologies to potential cofounders 

Experience & Background 

You have around 5 years of relevant experience, for example in: 

• Technology scouting, R&D commercialization, or technology transfer 

• Deep-tech startups or scale-ups 

• Corporate innovation, applied research, or advanced engineering roles 

You bring: 

• A master's degree in physics, Engineering, Electronics, Photonics, or a closely related field 

• Solid experience working with complex technologies and translating them into real-world applications 

• The ability to act as a technology generalist: comfortable across disciplines, curious, and quick to grasp new concepts. 

Who you are: 

• You are highly proactive and take full ownership of your work 

• You thrive in ambiguity and are comfortable shaping your own scope and priorities 

• You are willing to contribute where needed, collaborate closely with others, and move fast when opportunities arise 

What We Offer 

• A six-month contract for 32/40 hours per week, with extension possibilities  

• Direct access to a prominent leading deep-tech venture builder 

• A front-row seat to cutting-edge innovation, seeing breakthrough technologies move from lab to market 

• Exposure to a unique ecosystem of entrepreneurs, investors, corporates, and top-tier research institutes 

• The opportunity to apply deep technical knowledge in real-life, venture-driven settings 

• A fast-growing, high-impact environment where your work directly contributes to building the next generation of deep-tech companies