Dr. DJ Donn Matienzo obtained his Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from the University of the Philippines – Diliman. Then, through the Erasmus Mundus Master Course – Chemical Innovation and Regulation program, he earned a joint master’s degree diploma from the Università di Bologna (Italy) and Universitat de Barcelona (Spain). He then obtained his PhD in Chemistry and Chemical Technology at the University of Chemistry and Technology – Prague (Czech Republic) in 2021 through the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network. Alongside his educational background, he has several research and industrial experiences in various fields such as oil and gas, environmental compliance, water electrolyzer and chlor-alkali systems. He joined a short program for startup founders in Antler Amsterdam, where he underwent several masterclasses, seminars, workshops, and design sprints about tech startups. He recently completed his first long-term engagement as a DOST Balik (Returning) Scientist with the University of the Philippines and the Technological Institute of the Philippines (T.I.P.) as host institutions. He continues to serve as Business Development Head at T.I.P. TechnoCoRe and recently began a second Balik Scientist term in late 2024. He is a co-founding team member and currently the Chief Commercial Officer of Nascent Technologies, Corp., a battery startup in the Philippines, and previously served as an R&D Advisor at the German ClimateTech startup NeoCarbon. His work focuses on accelerating clean energy innovations and commercialising university-based R&D through partnerships, startup building, and technology transfer.
