OXFO Impact Report 2017-18 by oxfordfoundry

A CENTRE FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL GROWTH ONE YEAR ON: 2 0 1 7 / 1 8 I M PA C T R E P O R T

Cover image: Simphiwe Laura Stewart (DPhil candidate, Geography & the Environment, Linacre College) and Rebecca Wang (BA student, Materials Science, Trinity College)

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

INTRODUCTION

WELCOME

FOUNDRY GOVERNANCE

ABOUT THE OXFORD FOUNDRY

W H AT I S T H E O X F O R D F O U N D R Y ?

OUR COMMUNITY

WHY DOES OXFORD NEED THE FOUNDRY?

THE OXFORD ENTREPRENEURIAL ECO-SYSTEM

OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT

STUDENT PROFILE - ESTHER AGBOLADE

OUR STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD

UPSKILLING AND LEARNING

ENHANCING STUDENT FUTURES

STUDENT PROFILE - ALEX CHEEMA

A I I M PA C T W E E K E N D

LEV8 WOMEN

STUDENT PROFILE - SARA KHALID

V E N T U R E A C C E L E R AT I O N

A C C E L E R AT I N G V E N T U R E S

STUDENT PROFILE - JASON LACOMBE

O U R F I R S T D E M O D AY

LOOKING AHEAD

W H AT â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S T H E F U T U R E AT T H E F O U N D R Y ?

SUPPORTING THE OXFORD FOUNDRY

CONTENTS

The Oxford Foundry

www.oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk

@oxfoundry

@oxfound

@oxfordfoundry

Peter Tufano, Dean of Saïd Business School, the Oxford Foundry opened its doors in October 2017. We have spent the past year building our extended communities, listening to our students and creating a vibrant programme of learning and engagement opportunities that reflect our students’ needs. This report highlights our growth and impact from 2017/18, our inaugural year. I am truly delighted to share our story so far with you. This isn’t a top-down initiative. Oxford students themselves are building the Foundry into what they want and need. In under 12 months, we have had a physics student deliver a coding course to over 100 of his fellow students; we have supported a water science policy graduate student whose social enterprise will enable cost savings and supply chain improvements for rural dairy farmers in Uganda; we have listened to the president of Oxford’s Afro-Caribbean society, who

ANA BAKSHI DIRECTOR THE OXFORD FOUNDRY Welcome to the Oxford Foundry, the University of Oxford’s new entrepreneurship centre. Almost 50% of the world’s population is under the age of 30. That’s a whole new generation of opportunity that can only be realised if young people are equipped to be resilient, resourceful and purpose-driven leaders. Faced with a working landscape increasingly driven by new technologies, our students need to understand how these will impact their respective futures. How can we use blockchain technology to make

highlighted how we can use our platform to promote access, diversity and equal opportunity within our community. And 19 ventures, involving over 50 Oxford students and alumni, have been supported through the Foundry’s pre-accelerator and accelerator programmes. So far, we have had over 2,300 students of more than 87 nationalities use the Foundry facility. Our footprint is already global.

My message to all students is: be your own superhero

finance universally accessible? What role can AI play in improving the quality of - and access to - education?

At the Foundry, we provide a space for all, for

How can we ensure AI reflects diversity? How can big

scientists and classicists, historians and engineers

data improve outcomes in healthcare? And what are

to connect and explore, to develop fresh ideas and

the ethical considerations associated with each of

to make those ideas a reality. We focus on people

these challenges? These are some of the questions

first, fostering a culture of empathy, understanding,

of our age, and the Foundry is committed to working

collaboration and building better self awareness - our

collaboratively within Oxford’s vast intellectual

community listens, and collectively we support our

ecosystem to support our students to explore these

students to practise peer-to-peer learning, and to

new terrains.

use their own initiative to achieve their own goals,

Established under the determination of Professor

[1]

whatever they may be. We work collaboratively within the University’s vast ecosystem, including at college,

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

divisional and departmental level, to co-create

exchanging knowledge, sharing best practice and

and deliver tailor-made programmes with divisions

providing access to our networks and resources to

and to further our shared goals of embedding

organisations and individuals far beyond Oxford.

entrepreneurialism within the student community,

We are incredibly grateful for inputs from our network

and as such, we are actively contributing to fulfilling

of inspirational advisors, entrepreneurs, industry

the vision of One Oxford, described by the Vice

experts, mentors and ambassadors. Our impact

Chancellor in her Oration to the University in October

to date is due to their time in kind, their financial

2018.

support, access to networks and, most importantly, their considered guidance. This has enabled us to be

The Oxford Foundry is itself a start-up, with big

one of the few centres in a higher education setting

ambitions for the future: we want to grow our

that is strategically led by entrepreneurs, for aspiring

community, to increase diversity amongst our members and supporters, to build more ventures and

entrepreneurs.

develop a self-sustaining ecosystem of entrepreneurial

My message to all students is, be your own

thinking.

superhero. Upskill yourself, be open to learning

As a centre, we aren’t confined to our geographical

beyond your niche, and be far more afraid of not

location. In line with the University’s strategic goal of

trying than failing.

contributing to social and economic impact, we’re committed to bringing together a network that

To us, anyone can be an entrepreneur, and what an

provides international opportunities to all Oxford

‘entrepreneur’ means is relative. We hope you will

students and entrepreneurs, while making our practical

all join us on our journey as we pursue our mission

enterprise education offering truly accessible in nature;

to make entrepreneurship – its mindset, skills and benefits – accessible to all.

The Oxford Foundry

www.oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk

@oxfoundry

@oxfound

@oxfordfoundry

PROFESSOR LOUISE RICHARDSON VICE-CHANCELLOR UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

A MESSAGE FROM THE VICE-CHANCELLOR The Oxford Foundry is one of the Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest

The speed with which the Foundry has captured the

inspire and advance the entrepreneurial instincts of

appetite there is here for entrepreneurial learning.

and most exciting ventures. Its ambitious aim is to students across all departments of the University. The Foundry is a more than a centre for

entrepreneurship. It is also a thriving community

where students can collaborate and exchange ideas at the same time as acquiring skills in technology, leadership and personal resilience. To succeed in

imagination across the University speaks to the strong Through its events and programmes, which have

already engaged more than 1200 students in the first

10 months, the Foundry is helping us realise our goals

as articulated in our current strategic plan, focused on

contributing to social and economic impact, both locally and globally.

todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rapidly changing workplace, our graduates

The Foundry is an invaluable resource and one which

experiences and attributes.

months and years to come.

will need these skills as well as a broad set of

I look forward to watching grow and develop in the

#ONEOXFORD [3]

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

P R O F E S S O R P E T E R T U FA N O PETER MOORES DEAN, SAÏD BUSINESS SCHOOL

DISCOVER YOUR ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT Entrepreneurship - the pursuit of opportunity beyond the resources under your control - is much more than starting up new businesses. It’s a mind-set developed through a willingness to learn, a desire to create, and a readiness to embrace uncertainty. These qualities can be taught, shared, and cultivated. They can be seeded through new connections and grown through collaboration. They are useful for start-ups, scale-ups, intrapreneurs, and much more. That’s why the Oxford Foundry is close to my heart and a major priority of mine.

I am delighted to provide the seed financing that will help connect the people and the resources of Oxford with the students who are eager to learn entrepreneurship and create new opportunities. Industries and career paths are rapidly transforming, and I believe the many future jobs will come through blitzscaling entrepreneurship. The Oxford Foundry is a place to engage, nurture, and inspire the talented students who will go on to solve the problems and build the institutions of the future. It is an honour to be on part of this journey with Oxford University. REID HOFFMAN, CBE CO-FOUNDER, LINKEDIN BOARD MEMBER, MICROSOFT FOUNDING DONOR TO THE OXFORD FOUNDRY

The Oxford Foundry

www.oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk

Oxford students, this is for you. Whether you’re a fresher or a doctoral student, whether you’re studying engineering or humanities, whether you’re from Balliol or St Benet, you’re all welcome here. This is neutral territory. It’s a place where everybody can come together to be inspired by each other and to discover their entrepreneurial spirit. The Oxford Foundry was made possible through the generosity of donors who recognise the power of entrepreneurship. With the Oxford Foundry, now that power is yours!

The University of Oxford continues to attract the very best students from across the world. Most of these individuals want to make the world a better place for everyone. They are determined to use their energy and intellect, to translate their creative ideas into benefits for society. The Oxford Foundry with the support of Saïd Business School, has created a forum for such students to work across disciplines, learn from each other, be guided by mentors, and be inspired by world-leading entrepreneurs and industrialists. I hope one of these young stars will create the next trillion dollar company, preferably in Oxfordshire! PROFESSOR CHAS BOUNTRA PRO-VICE-CHANCELLOR FOR I N N O VAT I O N

@oxfoundry

@oxfound

@oxfordfoundry

[5]

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

FA S T FEARLESS [ P R O V O C AT I V E ] RESOURCEFUL I M PA C T F U L P L AY F U L FRESH INCLUSIVE

F O U N D RY G O V E R N A N C E

OXFO Leadership & Governance We are grateful to all our external, academic and student advisors who give their time and expertise to help set our direction, support our progress and deliver our ambitions.

THE FOUNDRY ADVISORY BOARD – including luminaries from the world of technology, entrepreneurship and investing.

Chairman: Brent Hoberman, CBE.

Reid Hoffman, CBE Co-Founder LinkedIn

Brent Hoberman, CBE

Executive Chairman, Founders Factory, Founders Forum, firstminute capital

Pete Flint

Founder, Trulia,

Managing Partner at NFX

Jeff Wong

Global Chief

Innovation Officer, EY

Alexsis de Raadt St James Managing Partner, Merian Ventures [7]

Peter Tufano

Dean, Saïd Business School

Mohamed Amersi Chairman,

The Amersi Foundation

Biz Stone

Co-founder, Twitter, Medium & Jelly

Toby Coppel

Phil Libin

Mosaic Ventures

Evernote & All Turtles

Co-founder & Partner,

Jørn Lyseggen

Founder & CEO, Meltwater

Co-founder,

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

THE ACADEMIC STEERING COMMITTEE – drawn from the academic divisions and colleges of

the University of Oxford. The committee makes sure

that all our activities and programmes meet the high

standards of the University, and align with its strategic goals.

Chas Bountra

Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Innovation

THE STUDENT ADVISORY BOARD

Peter Tufano Dean, Saïd Business School

Matt Perkins CEO of Oxford University Innovation

– including society presidents from 34 student societies. This

Professor of Entrepreneurship at Saïd Business School

the co-creation and delivery of our learning programmes.

board meets termly, to ensure that we are truly student-led in

Thomas Hellmann

Miles Young Warden, New College, and Chair of the Conference of Colleges Development Panel

Karen O’Brien Head of the Humanities Division Matthew Wood

Deputy Head of the Medical Sciences Division – Innovation

Lionel Tarassenko, CBE Head of Engineering Paul Martin

Associate Head of the Social Sciences Division – Education

Head of Industrial Research Partnerships in the

Mathematics, Physics and Life Sciences Division

Jim Wilkinson CFO of Oxford Science Innovation Mark Bramwell

Saïd Business School

Oxford Union Society

Oxford Cortex Club

Effective Altrusim Society Judo society Kickstart

Law Society

Boat Club (men’s) Boxing Society

Students’ Union A.I. Society

Director of Finance and Administration

Biological Society

Chemistry Society

Computer Society

Fintech & SmartLaw Society Music Society

Physics Society

Psychology Society

Oxford University Sport

Women in Computer Science Society

OxRAM (Robotics &

Climate Society

Science Innovation Union (&

Oxford Entrepreneurs

Women in Business Student

Finance Society

Saïd Business School

Medical Students’ Society

African & Caribbean Society

Coding Society

Jo Harris

www.oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk

Changemakers

Biotech Society

CIO & Director of Professional Services,

Geography Society

Capitox

Boat Club (women’s)

Christopher Jones

The Oxford Foundry

Blockchain Society

@oxfoundry

@oxfound

Additive Manufacturing) Vincent’s Club)

Society (OxWIB)

@oxfordfoundry

[9]

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

ABOUT T H E O X F O R D F O U N D RY

W H AT I S T H E OXFORD FOUNDRY?

The Oxford Foundry (OXFO) is a centre for entrepreneurial growth, embedded in the 800-year-old

University of Oxford. It is a unique, cross-university initiative, dedicated to building a diverse, studentled community. We’re a facility dedicated to extracurricular, practical learning, where individuals are encouraged to embrace differences, share challenges, overcome difficulties, and be playful in their quest to learn.

Located in the heart of historic Oxford, we’re a home for

immersive entrepreneurial learning, for early-stage venture

acceleration, and a welcoming space for all members of the

Oxford University student community to meet, connect and

feed their entrepreneurial curiosity, no matter what they are studying, or what they wish to do or become in their postOxford careers.

FERTILE GROUND FOR LEADERS AND ENTREPRENEURS

Oxford University was ranked as the world’s

The Foundry is about people and their futures.

#1 university in the THES University Rankings for 2018, and it’s no secret that we have an extraordinary concentration of bright and

curious minds here. Oxford is a global influencer, through world-leading research and extensive networks of engaged leaders, and across all sectors of society. It has a well-established

history of innovation and entrepreneurship that provides fertile ground for new ventures.

The Foundry’s launch is a natural evolution of this history. More than 30 years ago, the University established a technology transfer

company, Oxford University Innovation, which

has assisted in the formation of more than 70 University

spin-out companies, valued at over £2 billion. Oxford Science Innovation provides commercial and financial support to

Oxford spin-outs, and most recently, the University named a new Pro Vice-Chancellor for Innovation, Professor Chas

Bountra, to champion Oxford’s innovation activities. We are an impact-driven centre, and we consistently monitor and evaluate our work, its efficacy and its long-term value.

At the Foundry, we focus on advancing students through

entrepreneurship. Here, people can connect, find their tribe, and unleash the best of themselves to succeed. Success

means different things to different people, and our mission is to help give all 24,000 Oxford students the personal insights, entrepreneurial skills and practical tools they need to define their own destiny. More than anything, that’s what the Foundry is about: people and their futures.

[11]

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

Purpose, passion and people are the real keys to undertaking a successful entrepreneurial journey. The Oxford Foundry provides a space to bring these things together, to empower individuals and set them on course to success. BRENT HOBERMAN, CBE EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN F O U N D E R S FA C T O R Y, F O U N D E R S F O R U M F I R S T M I N U T E C A P I TA L CHAIR OF THE FOUNDRY ADVISORY BOARD

Purpose, Passion and People are the real keys to undertaking a successful entrepreneurial journey

For more than 800-years, Oxford’s innovation story has been one of countless scientific discoveries, technological advancements, and research enquiries that have changed the world. The University has become a world leader in its ability to take discoveries and turn them into companies and technologies that have impact on people’s lives around the globe. At OUI, we will be collaborating more deeply with the Oxford Foundry to generate productive and positive outcomes from students’ and alumni ideas and ambitions. M AT T P E R K I N S , CEO, OXFORD UNIVERSITY I N N O VAT I O N

The Oxford Foundry

www.oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk

@oxfoundry

@oxfound

@oxfordfoundry

FA S T FEARLESS P R O V O C AT I V E RESOURCEFUL I M PA C T F U L [ P L AY F U L ] FRESH INCLUSIVE

[13]

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

Klaudia Krawiecka, DPhil Student, Cybersecurity (Keble College), President of the Oxford Women in Computer Science Society

OUR COMMUNITY STRONG IN ITS DIVERSITY

“Find people to work with who are not like you.” – This is the advice that Apple CEO Tim Cook gave to would-be founders and entrepreneurs at the Foundry’s opening in October 2017. His meaning was clear – there is strength in diversity, and much value to be gained from building a team drawn from diverse academic disciplines and cultural backgrounds, with experiences and skill sets that complement each other. In the Foundry, we’re building a community that sets up some perfect opportunities for diverse minds to meet, and planets to align. Through our skills workshops and events, our student outreach activities, and our venture acceleration programme, we offer the chance for engineers to connect with philosophers, for medics to work alongside historians – and for some substantial ideas to tumble out and take shape.

[15]

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

Entrepreneurship does not happen in isolation. It depends on connectivity. Oxford as a university has an unparalleled breadth and depth of academic specialisms, but it is not always easy to make the connections and leaps of faith which produce entrepreneurial ideas and innovations. The Oxford Foundry has provided students with a forum in which to do this, giving them both the confidence and the courage which come from thinking and working together in a sympathetic environment.

I love the way that you can meet people from different disciplines who you may not otherwise bump into. It’s an invaluable addition to student life at Oxford, whether you’re looking for a support for your venture, a place to learn and develop your skills, or somewhere to find like-minded people to bounce ideas with. THEOPHINA GABRIEL PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY STUDENT HUMANITIES DIVISION R E G E N T S PA R K C O L L E G E

With OXFO, Oxford has now established its own centre of entrepreneurial gravity. I’ve been coming to Oxford for years as a Silicon Valley speaker and a contributor to the ecosystem here, and now Oxford has a centre of innovation that is going to be self-reinforcing, and that will only get stronger and stronger. I’m glad to be a part of it.

MILES YOUNG WARDEN, NEW COLLEGE CHAIR OF THE CONFERENCE OF COLLEGES DEVELOPMENT PA N E L .

BIZ STONE CO-FOUNDER, TWITTER, M E D I U M A N D J E L LY,

Find people to work with who are not like you TIM COOK CEO, APPLE

The Oxford Foundry

www.oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk

@oxfoundry

@oxfound

@oxfordfoundry

Our community: the first 10 months 58% MALE 41% FEMALE 1% NON BINARY

15%

H UMANI T I E S

47%

SOCI A L SCI EN CE

2300+ MEMBERS

100+

ENTREPRENEURS AND INDUSTRY EXPERTS HAVE VISITED THE FOUNDRY TO CONTRIBUTE THEIR TIME AND KNOWLEDGE TO OUR STUDENTS

[17]

50%

UNDERGRADUATES

50%

POSTGRADUATES

28%

10%

M ATHS, PHY SI CS, LI F E SCI EN CES

M EDI CAL SCI EN CES

NATIONALITIES

COLLEGES AND

PRIVATE HALLS REPRESENTED

Plans for 2019 include creating tailor-made learning programmes with the academic divisions, in particular further outreach and engagement with Medical Sciences and Humanities.

WHY DOES OXFORD NEED THE FOUNDRY?

We know that the landscape of work and employment is changing rapidly. The acceleration of technological change, climate instability, and political uncertainty are all having huge impact on jobs and careers, and raising important questions about the learning priorities for today’s students and tomorrow’s employees and leaders. Reports from recent studies by Nesta,

Deloitte, the World Bank and EY, to name just a few, describe transformations in the way organisations function, how

they prioritise their operations, and what skills they need among the labour force to survive the disruptions ahead. Our students and recent graduates must

be prepared to enter and thrive in this

rapidly evolving employment landscape. Perhaps in recognition of this, we are

seeing a growing demand from Oxford’s students for opportunities to enhance

their employability skill sets. They know

that they can’t absorb these skills through the academic curriculum. Global forces

are bringing new vulnerabilities to their

futures, and they want to minimise those

risks and take control of their own careers whenever and however possible. DEVELOPING AN

ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET And yet, there is enormous potential

in this fast-changing world to harness technology for social and economic

good, invent different frameworks for

the way we operate, and generate new opportunities at every level of society. That’s where entrepreneurship and

the entrepreneurial mindset come in.

Entrepreneurship is a set of attitudes,

skills, and behaviours that students need to succeed academically, personally and

professionally. Whether you want to work for a global organisation, start your own

business, become an academic, or devote

yourself to public service, cultivating

your skills in entrepreneurship is essential

preparation for entering the world of work in the 21st century. This is about firing-up and future-proofing student prospects,

and that’s what we’re committed to at the Foundry. [19]

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

The world’s biggest challenges are rooted in complexity and uncertainty, and we all need to be prepared for a lifetime of learning to continually adapt. I know from my undergraduate studies how Oxford stimulates and rewards students’ curiosity. Operating in this environment, the Oxford Foundry is a catalyst to translate that curiosity into real empowerment for students to define their own futures.

How do you build a better, safer, more inclusive and prosperous world? Government, business and civil society all have roles to play. But it’s those individuals who approach challenges with an entrepreneurial mind-set – who imagine alternative futures, and are fearlessly drawn to new opportunities – who can most positively shape our societies. That’s why the Oxford Foundry exists, and we are so proud to support it!

TOBY COPPEL CO-FOUNDER OF MOSAIC VENTURES

MOHAMED AMERSI CHAIRMAN, T H E A M E R S I F O U N D AT I O N ,

we are

firing-up and future-proofing student prospects

The interest in entrepreneurial endeavour among Oxford’s students is growing: the Careers Service’s annual survey of incoming undergraduate and graduate students revealed that an increasing proportion of them have expressed an interest in starting their own business as a career choice. This measure increased from approximately 15% of all students in 2016 to 18.5% in 2017. J O N AT H A N B L A C K DIRECTOR OF THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY CAREERS SERVICE

The Oxford Foundry

www.oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk

@oxfoundry

@oxfound

@oxfordfoundry

AN ECOSYSTEM OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN OXFORD

Oxford is a thought-leading institution, and is already

host to a variety of initiatives that encourage, support and promote entrepreneurial activity, including the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and the

Entrepreneurship Centre at Saïd Business School, and the Enterprising Oxford online portal and activities. There is the Harwell BioEscalator for innovations in

life science, OUI’s accelerator, and Begbroke Science Park with its Centre for Innovation and Enterprise. The Oxford Foundry, though, is unique. We are

departmentally neutral, and we aim to collaborate across the entire collegiate University to build a

thriving community of students and scholars who

are entrepreneurial in outlook and action. Through

this community, and our innate agility, our goal is to

contribute to a self-sustaining innovation ecosystem

at Oxford, that generates that generates knowledge, creates wealth, stimulates growth and delivers wide social benefits.

Being an entrepreneur means being able to think differently, act boldly and develop new ideas into successful businesses. I am delighted to join the Foundry in nurturing these qualities in Oxford students. ALEXSIS DE RAADT ST JAMES M A N A G I N G PA R T N E R MERIAN VENTURES

Our focus is on establishing the networks, engaging the people, and delivering the learning that will inspire and support students to think and act more entrepreneurially. We aim to weave the

entrepreneurial mindset into the fabric of Oxford life in three main ways:

OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT

ensuring that students across Oxford’s academic

divisions, departments and colleges are inspired and

encouraged to join the Foundry’s community, and can engage with peer-to-peer learning opportunities.

UPSKILLING AND LEARNING

delivering creative and immersive learning

opportunities that attract, engage, inform and equip all members of the OXFO community with the skills they’ll need for the future.

V E N T U R E A C C E L E R AT I O N

providing a programme of intensive business

building, tailored learning and personal development to accelerate the growth of early-stage ventures with a University of Oxford connection.

[21]

No matter what their field of study, more and more students are actively seeking ways to turn their intellectual pursuits into positive solutions for social, political and economic challenges. The Oxford Foundry is helping students improve their entrepreneurial capacity and turn their thoughtful, creative endeavours into high value business initiatives. KAREN O’BRIEN HEAD OF HUMANITIES DIVISION

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

The Oxford Foundry rightly places strong emphasis on the importance of diversity as a catalyst for success, as well as on building crucial communication and problem-solving skills. It gives Oxford’s students - who are already incredibly smart, articulate and global in outlook - a place to come together and explore fresh entrepreneurial ideas. It’s a pleasure to be a part of it. PHIL LIBIN CO-FOUNDER OF EVERNOTE AND ALL TURTLES

College life at Oxford provides students with wonderful opportunities to find communities of people beyond their departmental affiliations. And now the Oxford Foundry offers a place where they can gather with purpose, to grow their ideas with like-minded people, eager to apply their talents to enterprising initiatives. I am pleased to see so many Somervillians seize the chance to be a part of this new entrepreneurial community.

The Foundry’s programmes have broadened Oxford’s capacity to offer hands-on entrepreneurial learning to a wide array of students across the University. This is an important complement to our academic learning programmes. It ultimately gives our students a more well-rounded education.

J A N E T R O YA L L B A R O N E S S R O YA L L O F B L A I S D O N P R I N C I PA L SOMERVILLE COLLEGE

THOMAS HELLMANN PROFESSOR OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP SAÏD BUSINESS SCHOOL

Since our first investment in November 2015, OSI has been helping Oxford scientists address some of the world’s toughest challenges, from infectious disease to sustainable energy. We’re excited about working with the Oxford Foundry, and building on our long-term partnership with the University of Oxford, to create an entrepreneurial ecosystem where the best ideas can fulfil their transformational potential. JIM WILKINSON C F O , O X F O R D S C I E N C E I N N O VAT I O N

The Oxford Foundry

www.oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk

@oxfoundry

@oxfound

@oxfordfoundry

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O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

SEEK OUT THE STRENGTH

T H AT DIVERSITY BRINGS Diamor Marke, MMath student, Mathematics & Statistics (St Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College)

OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT

Can everyone be entrepreneurial? We believe they can, if ‘entrepreneurial’ means embracing risk, and adopting a creative, purpose-led and agile approach to your future, whatever you wish to be or do. At the Foundry, we believe that the psychology of entrepreneurship is relevant to all our students at Oxford, no matter what they’re studying, and through our outreach programme we work hard to make sure that everyone feels welcome, included and valued for their inputs and perspectives. A major part of our outreach plan has been our mission to establish a Student

1000+ Oxford students actively participated in our student outreach activities

Advisory Board, which currently includes the Presidents of 34+ different student societies – we’re aiming to increase this to 40 members, who will serve an annual term on the Board. With representatives of societies ranging from AI, Blockchain and Robotics societies to the Afro-Caribbean Society and Women in Computer Science, all are supporting the Foundry to create and deliver its programmes. With them, we create impactful, student-led, and collaborative workshops, masterclasses and speaker series that reflect the true needs of our diverse student body.

34+ student societies are currently on the Foundry’s Student Advisory Board

In addition to our speaker events, OXFO roadshows and knowledge exchange initiatives to increase our reach, we’re also establishing a network of Entrepreneurial Student Ambassadors (ESAs), who will provide peer-to-peer coaching for members of the Foundry, and who will champion entrepreneurship within their own Colleges.

SPOTLIGHT BLOCKCHAIN CODING WORKSHOPS

In the spring of 2018, the Foundry collaborated with the Oxford Blockchain Society to create and deliver a series of student-led workshops, which focused on aspects of blockchain, both general and specific. Over 100 Oxford students participated, from all across the University. [27]

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

What’s the best way to make sure that you’re giving students the skills and learning that they need for their future? Include them in the process of creating and delivering the skills workshops! That’s the approach we knew we had to take at the Foundry, and that’s why our Student Advisory Board meets termly to ensure that we’re keeping our programmes fresh, impactful and relevant.

Of the 112 students who participated in the Blockchain workshops: 66% said the workshops had improved their Blockchain coding skills

The Oxford Foundry

www.oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk

97% said that as a result of these workshops, they now understand the background to Blockchain, how it works, and how it can be applied to a number of different industry sectors. @oxfoundry

@oxfound

@oxfordfoundry

FA S T FEARLESS P R O V O C AT I V E RESOURCEFUL I M PA C T F U L P L AY F U L FRESH [INCLUSIVE]

[29]

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

L-R: William K. Larsen (DPhil student, Statistics, St Anneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College), Favour M. Nyikosa (DPhil student, Machine Learning, Somerville College), Simphiwe Laura Stewart (DPhil student, Geography & the Environment, Linacre College)

Meet Esther Agbolade POLITICS, PHILOSOPHY & ECONOMICS STUDENT ORIEL COLLEGE, SOCIAL SCIENCES DIVISION PRESIDENT OF THE AFRICAN & CARIBBEAN SOCIETY

[31]

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

Since coming to Oxford, I’ve realised the importance of access and outreach initiatives for making everyone feel included, and this is something I’m passionate about. As President of Oxford African & Caribbean Society (ACS), I have had the honour of facilitating and overseeing outreach initiatives on a relatively large scale – and the Foundry has already made this easier for me and others like me. The Oxford Foundry is much more than just an entrepreneurial centre. It is a space that explores the unconventional, and emphasises the importance of collaboration. Being a part of the OXFO Student Advisory Board, I have been able to see first-hand how student-centric the Foundry is. Our input as students has been used to shape the Foundry and deliver its programmes, and I believe that this is what makes it so distinctive and impactful.

Here, we can explore pathways for our future that we may never otherwise have considered. The team at the Oxford Foundry have been so supportive of Oxford ACS: they’ve aided us with our events, and they have also helped me personally to develop my skills as a leader. The work the Foundry does is so special to me, because I see it as an internal channel for access and outreach. The message constantly conveyed is that anybody can be an entrepreneur, regardless of their background or field of study. It helps break down the common narrative that as Oxford students, our career options are centred only around the corporate world. It allows us to explore pathways for our future that we may have never otherwise considered.

The Oxford Foundry

www.oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk

@oxfoundry

@oxfound

@oxfordfoundry

t rd n e oa d u t B S y r or u O dvis A The Foundry fills a niche in Oxford, providing entrepreneurial inspiration and expanding our education beyond the academic. Here, we can get familiar with the building blocks that are crucial for personal development – becoming more emotionally intelligent leaders, growing our creativity and working in teams. C L A U D I A H AV R A N E K PRESIDENT OF OXFORD UNIVERSITY W O M E N ’ S B O X I N G S O C I E T Y, DPHIL STUDENT IN PLANT SCIENCES, MAGDALEN COLLEGE.

boat club Being a part of the student advisory board, I have been able to work alongside a number of phenomenal societies and their leaders to further the mission of Oxford ACS. This role has also allowed me to see first-hand how studentcentric the Foundry is. ESTHER AGBOLADE PRESIDENT OF AFRO-CARIBBEAN S O C I E T Y A N D 2 N D Y E A R P P E S T U D E N T, ORIEL COLLEGE.

[33]

robotics Being part of the Oxford Foundry’s Student Advisory Board has been a great way for OxRAM soc to increase our visibility, and grow our membership. It’s also an invaluable way to meet people from other student societies, so we’ve already been talking to some of them about collaborative events for this academic year. This has been a real boost for the society, and I’m looking forward to collaborating with the Foundry team to create more events that will bring our activities to the attention of students across Oxford in the year ahead. H A R RY O R C H A R D P R E S I D E N T, O X F O R D R O B O T I C S & A D D I T I V E M A N U FA C T U R I N G S O C I E T Y ( O X R A M ) , A N D D P H I L I N M AT E R I A L S SCIENCE.

3D printing

The Foundry hosted a wonderful leadership day for the SAB at Blenheim Palace, to further our understanding of leadership, negotiation and strategic planning. It was so valuable and enjoyable! I plan to run a similar event for CapitOx’s educational curriculum for Consulting, Investment Banking and Asset Management. SAMUEL WHITE PRESIDENT OF CAPITOX, 3RD YEAR M AT H E M AT I C S & S TAT I S T I C S S T U D E N T, B R A S E N O S E COLLEGE

[35]

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

UPSKILLING AND LEARNING

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T FEAR FA I L U R E

FEAR NOT T RY I N G Simphiwe Laura Stewart, DPhil candidate, Geography & the Environment (Linacre College)

ENHANCING STUDENT FUTURES What is it really like to take on the adventure of an entrepreneurial journey? What hurdles will you encounter? What tools and tactics will you need to overcome them? How do you manage your time, fight off your insecurities, or handle the pressures of the unknown? It is questions like these that we all need to be able to answer if we want to achieve personal and professional success.

2600+ hours of immersive learning delivered so far

Through working with students and thought leaders across different industries, we are developing immersive learning programmes that enable students to get hands-on experience and build valuable skills. We’ve held workshops on coding and emerging technologies such as blockchain and AI. We’ve organised idea-generation competitions, hackathons, and team-building exercises. These opportunities equip OXFO members with the skills and tools they need to be creative, resilient and purposeful leaders who are able to generate meaningful impacts in their

1200+ students participated in our learning programmes

future careers. Plans for 2019 include producing tailor-made programmes in partnership with the University’s academic divisions, through which we expect to see student engagement numbers increase significantly.

THE ‘F-WORD’ At Oxford, we don’t traditionally have much

30+

truck with the notion of Failure. Excellence,

events and workshops

high-achievers: it’s the possibility that they’d

delivered

But the fact is, we will all meet with failure at some

achievement, success and progress – our students definitely do those. But failure is scary for most rather not think about.

point – probably several times over – whether that’s in our personal or professional lives. There is great value in failing, if you know how to ‘fail forward’, so that you take the lesson into the next phase of what you’re doing, and do better next time. This is one of the things that the Foundry

Making sure that our academic programmes at Oxford are underpinned and complemented by entrepreneurial learning in the form of skills and training is of increasing importance. Via the Foundry, we can enable students to make entrepreneurship an embedded part of their Oxford education, and to carry that rich experience forward into their futures, whatever they wish to do or achieve post-University. PROFESSOR MARTIN WILLIAMS P R O - V I C E - C H A N C E L L O R F O R E D U C AT I O N

[39]

aims to support – the art of fearlessly trying new ideas, of stretching beyond the comfortable, and extending one’s potential to broaden horizons. We’re the sandbox, the safe space that future founders and creatives can use to collaborate and kick around fresh ideas during their time at Oxford. We can’t promise you that you won’t fail – but we can empower you to move past the fear that stops you from trying.

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

building creative, resilient, purposeful leaders

Developme n

Things the learner can do on their own. ca

o with he lp. |

The Oxford Foundry

the lea ings rn

Zone of Pr ox

According to Vygotskyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theory of the Zone of Proximal Development, a student will learn best from a peer with a higher skillset in a given area. At the Foundry, we put this theory in to practice by empowering current students, recent graduates, and early stage entrepreneurs with opportunities to provide our students with the knowledge and practical skills that they can apply to the process of shaping their own futures. We do this through offerings such as start-up internships, peer-to-peer entrepreneurship coaching, and skills workshops delivered by and for students.

www.oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk

@oxfoundry

@oxfound

We insist that undergraduate students in Engineering Science obtain industry experience during their degree course, so that they can develop their skills in a commercial setting. Through internships with its accelerator ventures and through wider industry partnerships, the Foundry provides some of these opportunities for our students. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my belief that these programmes deliver valuable societal and economic benefits for both the students and our industrial partners.

P R O F E S S O R L I O N E L TA R A S S E N K O C B E HEAD, D E PA R T M E N T O F ENGINEERING SCIENCE

@oxfordfoundry

Meet Alex Cheema

B S C P H Y S I C S S T U D E N T, S T H U G H â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S C O L L E G E M AT H E M AT I C A L , P H Y S I C A L A N D L I F E S C I E N C E S D I V I S I O N

[41]

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

Alex is a 20-year-old Physics student, whose engagement with the Foundry has already had a profound influence on his life and career direction. Through his role as President of the Oxford Blockchain Society, the Foundry worked with Alex to co-create a 7-week blockchain coding workshop series, which saw him delivering skills and training to around 100 fellow students at all levels of study, including DPhils and MBAs. He then worked with us to create and deliver a Blockchain Speaker Series in Hilary 2018, bringing in leading experts from industry and academia to enlighten a wide range of students on aspects of blockchain, both general and specific. Alex then had the opportunity to gain valuable work experience with a blockchain-based company by taking up a part-time internship with Veratrak, one of the ventures on cohort 1 of our L.E.V8 accelerator programme

The Foundry’s support has given me the confidence and resilience to take a leap, take a risk, and make things happen. He has now moved to Berlin, and is working for a fast-growing non-profit tech company, Gaming for Good, which uses blockchain to distribute a Universal Basic Income Cryptocurrency to individuals in need, in developing contexts through an appbased gaming platform. Since last October when I found out about the Foundry, I have changed so much as a person, and I think that is due to all the opportunities – community, events, and people I have had access to. Equally significant is the way that my EQ has developed – the Foundry’s support has given me the confidence and resilience to take a leap, take a risk, and make things happen. It’s a life changer.

The Oxford Foundry

www.oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk

@oxfoundry

@oxfound

@oxfordfoundry

[43]

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

FA S T FEARLESS P R O V O C AT I V E RESOURCEFUL I M PA C T F U L P L AY F U L [FRESH] INCLUSIVE

T H E A . I I M PA C T WEEKEND O X F O R D S T U D E N T S V S FA K E N E W S The problem of Fake News is far-reaching, and covers ethical, social and political issues. In recent years we’ve seen how it has skewed our world view, influenced voting behaviours, and put democracy under threat. So is there a way to use emerging technology to diminish its effect – or even eradicate it altogether? 60 STUDENTS 4 ACADEMIC DIVISIONS 10 TEAMS 14 EXPERT ADVISORS

WORKING TOGETHER TO FIND A I - B A S E D S O L U T I O N S T O T H E FA K E NEWS PROBLEM

In May 2018, 60 Oxford students took part in our Foundry A.I. impact weekend, focused on finding AI-based solutions to Fake News. The competition was created in collaboration with the Oxford AI Society and our corporate partners, EY, and was open to all University of Oxford students. In an intense few days, participants formed teams and developed solutions together, collaborating across academic divisions, departments and colleges, while getting some practical, hands-on skills in using emerging tech to address a global problem. Throughout the event, the teams had direct access to a variety of AI and business experts from EY and the University of Oxford. The whole experience wrapped up with a pitch contest, where the top prize was a team trip to California’s Silicon Valley, including visits to the HQs of Twitter and Pinterest, and mentoring sessions with EY’s innovation leaders. W I N N I N G T E A M J U S T I FA I O N T H E I R T R I P T O S I L I C O N VA L L E Y

I was co-chair of the Oxford Business Network for Technology, and part of the team that worked with the Foundry to deliver the AI Impact weekend. It was absolutely the highlight of my time as co-chair. I particularly enjoyed the fact that, through the Foundry, the event became universitywide, involving people from fields such as computer science, education and philosophy. I was also given the chance to be part of the judging panel for the event, together with senior AI industry experts from the industry partner EY. It was a real privilege to learn from these industry experts, and also for my voice to be equally valued in making the final judgements. JOHANNA BEER SAÏD BUSINESS SCHOOL, BRASENOSE COLLEGE

The winning solution was from

Team JustifAI, who created an AI programme to identify claims in

news articles that may be false, by comparing the claims to reliable

news sources on the same topic.

News stories are evaluated through unique metrics and algorithms, and the service would be available via

subscription. The team of five Oxford students (three male, two female)

came from five different countries, all studying different subjects, and

ranging from undergraduate to PhD [45]

students.

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

MEET ODHRAN O’DONOGHUE MEDICAL STUDENT, WADHAM COLLEGE, MEDICAL SCIENCES DIVISION “As a student from the Oxford UNIQ

widening access program, I am not exactly the ‘classic’ Oxford student. When the Foundry opened in my second year of

study at Oxford, it quickly became my

second home. As a centre that champions entrepreneurship at Oxford, regardless

of where in the University it comes from,

Innovation requires a deep level of collaboration between universities, start-ups, governments and business communities. At EY, we believe idea generation, experiential learning and the development of an entrepreneurial mind-set are key to creating an innovation-friendly ecosystem. We are proud to share these core beliefs with Oxford Foundry and support its efforts to foster a spirit of innovation. JEFF WONG, G L O B A L C H I E F I N N O VAT I O N O F F I C E R , E Y

it brings an amazing crowd through its doors. Over the past few months I’ve

made friends for life, just by starting up conversations with the people working next to me.

One of the Foundry’s core values is that of inclusiveness, and, I feel the centre is

already doing a fantastic job of practising what it preaches: the team I formed for the Foundry A.I. Hackathon was half

female, and included members from five different countries, and from across five different subject disciplines.

The AI hackathon was a fantastic example of how the Foundry can enhance the

student experience by bringing in global experts to provide inspiration and

guidance: the event gave all of us access

to an incredible range of mentors to help us shape our ideas and provide business advice. I don’t think I’ve ever learned as

much in 24 hours as I did with this event.

The business insights we gained from the

mentors and experts on hand at the event played a big part in our team’s eventual victory in the hackathon.”

Positive Impact: W H AT D I D S T U D E N T S G E T F R O M T H E E X P E R I E N C E ?

83%

93%

85%

93%

80%

people from

understanding of

understanding

confidence in their

felt more able to

different divisions/

how AI works

of how AI can be

ability to develop a

develop a technical

departments whom

applied to real-

business idea had

solution to a

they had not met

world problems

grown

complex problem,

worked with

improved their

said their

before the weekend

The Oxford Foundry

www.oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk

said that they

enabled by AI

@oxfoundry

@oxfound

@oxfordfoundry

L.E.V8 WOMEN A P R O G R A M M E F O R F E M A L E L E A D E R S A N D F O U N D E R S AT O X F O R D “Showcasing successful female role models in entrepreneurship is so important - it empowers women to pursue their desired ambitions, without the fear of failure or judgement that they may currently experience. As the adage goes, if you can see it, you can be it” Ana Bakshi, Oxford Foundry Director While studies show that businesses with a high number of women in their leadership consistently perform better across the board , it’s a sad fact that currently only 20% of the world’s businesses have a woman at the helm. There are several reasons for this notable gender disparity, many of them relating to restricted educational and financial opportunities for women globally, as well as a big ‘confidence gap’. In July 2018, we launched the OXFO

Showcasing successful female role models empowers women to pursue their desired ambitions

L.E.V8 Women programme for students and alumni in a bid to shake up some commonly held preconceptions about leadership, entrepreneurship and gender. The programme focuses on empowering Oxford’s future female leaders and supporting them to build and grow their ventures, as well as providing leadership skills and personal development frameworks. It includes immersive learning workshops, a suite of learning resources, guidance and advice from industry experts. Crucially, it also provides participants with access to a strong and diverse network of high-profile female business leaders, our L.E.V8 Women Ambassadors.

Participants on the L.E.V8 Women programme reported that their: confidence in pitching their business idea increased from 68% to 92%. confidence to embrace risk increased from 65% to 80%

L . E . V 8 W O M E N P R E - A C C E L E R AT O R PA R T I C I PA N T S , SUMMER 2018

[47]

belief in their ability to achieve success with their business within 3 years went from 58% to 75%

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

Meet the L.E.V8 Women participants Starting a social enterprise requires more than just the right skills - it’s all about meeting the right people and adopting an open mindset. L.E.V8 Women has enabled us to realise our passion for storytelling and education in the financial inclusion space, moving us from idea to implementation in a structured, accelerated manner. Our mentors, fellow female founders, and professors have been an immense source of support and inspiration as we move one step closer to creating the modern classroom.

This has been a hugely enriching experience, and it is an excellent time for me to be part of the programme. We are ready to start raising funding for our venture, Oxomics, and the support that L.E.V8 Women offers will help us to bulletproof our business proposition. D A N U TA J E Z I O R S K A OXFORD UNIVERSITY POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHER, L . E . V 8 W O M E N PA R T I C I PA N T (OXOMICS)

K AT H E R I N E L I CO-FOUNDER B U T T E R F LY F X MBA STUDENT (GREEN TEMPLETON COLLEGE)

From day 1 of the programme, I knew that our venture was going to benefit enormously from the L.E.V8 Women pre-accelerator. Right from the start, we were defining our vision and working on our business action plan. I was especially excited about being paired with the amazing Robin Saunders for 1:1 personal and business mentoring. Just having access to that level of experience and support has been immensely valuable. ZERA ONG OXFORD UNIVERSITY ALUMNA IN LAW L . E . V 8 W O M E N PA R T I C I PA N T ( Z E LTA T E C H N O L O G I E S )

Meet the L.E.V8 Women ambassadors I believe we need to do everything we can to protect the potential, the passion and the talent of the next generation by partnering with talented girls and women and supporting them to be successful leaders. I am excited about the possibilities that entrepreneurship brings for women, because it gives them the control which is still so difficult to garner in the corporate sector. The more companies that are started by women, the more we will start to shift workplace culture and what the organisation of the future will look like.

The economic and societal impact of empowering the next generation of female entrepreneurs and leaders is deep, far-reaching and self-sustaining. As an Oxford alum myself, I’m honoured and excited to be an ambassador for L.E.V8 Women at the Foundry, and I look forward to supporting all the founders in their journey to becoming their best, most successful professional selves. HELEN RILEY C F O AT X

I am delighted to be working with the Oxford Foundry to support, mentor and develop female entrepreneurs. Whilst setting up my own business, BlueBolt, I found that the very best advice I got was reaching out to those that had done it before, there is nothing better than inside advice and guidance. L U C Y A I N S W O R T H - TAY L O R MD AND FOUNDER B L U E B O LT LT D

NICOLE VOLLEBREGT VP GLOBAL WOMEN’S ADIDAS

Helen Riley Oxford alumna (PPE), CFO at X

Farzana Baduel CEO of Curzon PR

Lucy Ainsworth-Taylor MD and Founder of BlueBolt Ltd

Alexsis de Raadt St James Managing Partner of Merian Ventures

Robin Saunders Managing Partner at Clearbrook Capital

Nicole Vollebregt VP Global Women’s at adidas

Claire Davenport CEO at HelloFresh The Oxford Foundry

www.oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk

@oxfoundry

@oxfound

@oxfordfoundry

Meet Sara Khalid

ENGINEERING SCIENCE DPHIL ALUMNA, ORIEL COLLEGE CEO OF TRASHFORMERS

[49]

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

Sara Khalid, a postdoctoral researcher and engineering alum of Oriel College, participated in the L.E.V8 Women pre-accelerator programme in the summer of 2018. Her start-up, Trashformers, is an intelligent platform for transforming plastic trash into compensation for households, benefit for businesses, and data-driven analytics for scientists and policy-makers. Designed to be an intensive introduction to business practices for very early stage start-up founders, the pre-accelerator programme enabled participants to learn from high-profile female ambassadors at successful global companies such as X, HelloFresh and adidas. They also had guidance and mentorship from entrepreneurs on the LEV8 accelerator, giving them insights from people who were a few steps further ahead than themselves.

I came out ready for the startup journey ahead The L.E.V8 Women 4-day intensive in August was just that intense! We had back-to-back coaching sessions, pitch prep, and mentorship from a star-studded cast. I went into the programme a complete entrepreneurship novice, and came out ready for the startup journey ahead.

Meeting Sara and being her ‘entrepreneur-mentor’ for the L.E.V8 Women programme was an enlightening and enriching experience for me. Even though we’re in totally different industry sectors, and at different stages of our entrepreneurial journeys, it was incredibly useful to share insights and experiences. I learned a lot from her very direct and passionate approach to her business, and her questions made me look my own venture with fresh eyes. D R N AV N A G R A FOUNDER AND CEO, D I G I TA L H E A LT H O X F O R D ( O X F O L . E . V 8 C O H O R T 1 )

The Oxford Foundry

www.oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk

@oxfoundry

@oxfound

@oxfordfoundry

[51]

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

VENTURE A C C E L E R AT I O N

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

UNLEASH YOUR

BEST YOU

Hanny Kusumawardhani, MBA student (Mansfield College)

A C C E L E R AT I N G VENTURES Historically, Oxford has always had a strong reputation for commercialising research, but there’s a growing demand and need for non-research-based venture support.

We launched the OXFO L.E.V8 accelerator, hosted in the Amersi Foundation accelerator space, as a core part of our activities, with the intention of providing Oxford’s early-stage start-up founders with the crucial support they need to get serious about developing and scaling their businesses. L.E.V8 is sector-agnostic: we welcome applications from all kinds of ventures, including fintech, healthcare, energy and more. L.E.V8 connects these teams to a valuable ecosystem of peers, experts and advisors who can accelerate them on their journey to scale. The venture founders also get a tailored learning programme that supports them as they evolve into resilient, empathic entrepreneurial leaders, strong communicators and strategic thinkers. We opened the first call for applications in February, and the first cohort of teams joined us in March 2018.

IN JUST 2 WEEKS, WE RECEIVED A P P L I C AT I O N S F R O M 1 3 0 OXFORD VENTURE TEAMS K E E N T O B E PA R T O F T H E N E W O X F O L . E . V 8 A C C E L E R AT O R PROGRAMME! OF THE 27 ENTREPRENEURS W H O PA R T I C I PAT E D I N O X F O L . E . V. 8 C O H O R T 1 :

80% 83% 83%

said that they have significantly improved their leadership and team management skills

OXFO L.E.V8

W H AT ’ S T H E D E A L ? We offer each team a support package worth an estimated £60k, including: •

Office space in our city centre location at the Oxford Foundry

•

A tailored learning programme, including dynamic masterclasses and workshops

•

Access to our network of investors, mentors and partners

•

Financial and legal advice for starting and scaling your business

•

Support in building leadership, resilience skills and an entrepreneurial mindset

•

Direct access to a network of experts who are

said they had developed a

available for 1-to-1 meetings throughout the

develop strategy and business

co-founder of Evernote and MD at All Turtles, and

good understanding of how to

journey, including luminaries such as Phil Libin,

planning

Robin Saunders, Managing Partner at Clearbrook Capital.

have developed a strong

understanding of customer

insight strategies, and how to

position products and services

92%

have grown their ability

100%

showed a significant increase

to assess new market and consumer opportunities

in their self-confidence,

communication skills, and resilience.

[55]

By connecting Oxford’s talented early stage ventures, such as those supported through the Foundry’s accelerator programme, with our network of successful entrepreneur and investor alumni around the world, we are cementing Oxford’s reputation as a global entrepreneurial influencer. PROFESSOR ROBERT EASTON PRO-VICE-CHANCELLOR FOR D E V E L O P M E N T A N D E X T E R N A L A F FA I R S

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

It has been really inspiring to work with the smart and hard-working entrepreneurs on the L.E.V8 accelerator. Oxford University is benefiting from the unique, inclusive take on entrepreneurship that the Oxford Foundry brings.

While I’ve been involved in advising major international businesses for many years, there’s something particularly exciting about being part of launching something completely new. I am thrilled to have been asked to help young entrepreneurs translate their vision, ambition and energy into viable new businesses, and I look forward to seeing them develop personally and professionally through the L.E.V8 programme.

COHORT 1 IN NUMBERS

K A L PAT E L ADVISOR TO THE OXFO L . E . V 8 A C C E L E R AT O R I N V E S T O R , F O R M E R E V P, BEST BUY INC AND CEO BEST BUY ASIA

ROBIN SAUNDERS M A N A G I N G PA R T N E R C L E A R B R O O K C A P I TA L

teams

entrepreneurs

nationalities

different areas of study

£1.2M of funding raised by ventures in cohort 1 so far

£600k of support made

available to teams

G E N E R AT I N G E C O N O M I C VA L U E

Oxford’s entrepreneurial alumni have been keen and willing to lend us their time and support. This year, our L.E.V8 ventures benefited from 1:1’s with Oxford alumni such as Srin Madipalli whose start-up, Accomable was acquired by Airbnb in 2017, and from Husayn Kassai, whose background checking venture Onfido now operates out of four global locations and has over 1500 corporate clients worldwide.

jobs created in six months

in Oxford

in London

in Ukraine

The Oxford Foundry

www.oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk

hours of

learning delivered

£20k

start-up grants provided by

CAE and Fujitsu

in Uganda

200+

jobs created

@oxfoundry

@oxfound

@oxfordfoundry

Meet Jason Lacombe

D P H I L C A N D I D AT E I N P U B L I C H E A LT H , H E R T F O R D C O L L E G E C E O O F V E R AT R A K

[57]

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

Jason is a Co-founder of Veratrak, a venture supported by the Foundry’s OXFO L.E.V8 Accelerator Veratrak is a workflow management platform that uses Blockchain to enable pharmaceutical supply chain companies to communicate sensitive documents and work together with greater efficiency and security. By the end of the programme, they had raised an investment round of £175k, and secured their first paying customers, with proposals for engagement with 10 further customers in the pipeline.

Such growth wouldn’t have been possible without the Foundry The Foundry has accelerated our growth by providing a space devoted to entrepreneurship, giving us access to people with diverse talents and expertise, and to its network of investors. It has been incredible. Such growth wouldn’t have been possible without the Foundry. We are now focusing on raising capital and getting aggressive on sales and marketing. We want to sign ten more customers by the end of the year.

The Oxford Foundry

www.oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk

@oxfoundry

@oxfound

@oxfordfoundry

O U R F I R S T D E M O D AY 25 SEPTEMBER 2018

The teams on our first ever OXFO L.E.V8 cohort all had one common thread: purpose. From providing transparency in the pharmaceutical industry supply chain through blockchain technology, to encouraging affordable healthcare access, to delivering huge cost-savings on energy consumption and storage for agriculture, they were all keen to leave a positive global footprint on the world through their work, and their big ideas.

Albus Health is developing a home monitoring device/medical device that will be able to help predict and prevent asthma attacks. Boresha Tech have developed software that helps key stakeholders in the agricultural supply chain in east Africa to cut costs, increase financial visibility and make payments more efficient. Oxford Digital Healthcare provides a technology solution that helps patients to recover faster following shoulder or knee surgery, and which enables clinicians to track patientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; progress remotely. Ecosync has developed technology to optimise the performance of buildingsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; heating, effecting huge fuel efficiencies and cost savings for building owners Metronome is an energy technology company focused on changing the way energy is used in agriculture, enabling farmers to manage and greatly reduce their energy costs. PodHealth aims to provide patients with convenient access to low-cost, quality, technology-driven healthcare focusing on diagnostics across the UK. Scoodle is a mobile app and web platform that connects people who want to learn with people who can teach. Util provides large asset managers with metrics and data to make more sustainable investment decisions. Veratrak is a highly secure, auditable document-sharing platform that allows supply chain partners to communicate sensitive information more efficiently.

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BIZ STONE, CO-FOUNDER OF TWIT M E D I U M A N D J E L LY, A N D O X F O A D BOARD MEMBER, WAS OUR GUEST D E M O D AY.

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

The room was packed... the ventures pitched... Our first ever Demo Day was an event that showcased the talent, potential, and dedication of the first cohort of Oxford start-ups to go through the OXFO L.E.V8 accelerator programme.

TTER, DVISORY ON

For the nine ventures, Demo Day was the culmination of six

180+ VCs and angel investors attended the OXFO L.E.V8 Demo Day

months of intensive learning, business building, and personal development. It marked the end of their time on the accelerator, and provided them with a golden opportunity to showcase their ventures, and to connect with potential investors and industry influencers. The event, which was opened by Oxford’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Louise Richardson, included a fast-paced, high energy pitching session, where each team on the accelerator delivered their five minute pitch. The next 6-12 months will be pivotal for these teams as they scale and advance their businesses, raise further investment, and put their L.E.V8 learning into practice. The six months we spent on the OXFO L.E.V8 accelerator benefited Pod Health in so many ways: we got the space and support we needed so that we could focus on developing our business; we had access to some brilliant mentors and experts; and we were connected to a group of super-talented and supportive entrepreneurial peers. We learnt so much, and we now feel ready to take our business forward with confidence. DANAE MARAGOUTHAKIS, CO-FOUNDER & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT M A N A G E R AT P O D H E A LT H OXFO L.E.V8 COHORT 1

In just the last few weeks, our pitch deck was reviewed by the cofounder of Pinterest; we received product feedback from the VP of Product at Robinhood; and the former COO of Google Europe gave us advice on how to hire for marketing, and even agreed to help assess prospective candidates before we hire. The most amazing thing is, this didn’t take place in a workshop with 20 other startups - I had direct 1 to 1 access to these individuals. The L.E.V8 accelerator may only last six months, but the benefits go far beyond that. Scoodle has a lot to be grateful for, and I hope that one day we can give back even a fraction of what we’ve received! ISMAIL JEILANI C O - F O U N D E R & C E O AT S C O O D L E OXFO L.E.V8 COHORT 1

The Oxford Foundry

www.oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk

@oxfoundry

@oxfound

@oxfordfoundry

[61]

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

LOOKING AHEAD

The opening of the Oxford Foundry, with Apple CEO

0ur first student-

Tim Cook

led workshop

series: Blockchain

2017 OCT

coding

DEC

FEB

APR

JAN

MAR

Our first workshops

Setting up our

Launch of the

self-branding,

Board

Accelerator

NOV for students, on

Student Advisory

networking,

OXFO L.E.V8

negotiation skills

1 . W I D E N I N G PA R T I C I PAT I O N I N O U R COMMUNITY AND LEARNING PROGRAMMES

What’s the future at the Foundry?

We’re joining up with communications hubs in every department, college and division across Oxford with the aim of enhancing the student experience, and contributing to student recruitment and access. We’re launching our All-Innovate inter-college ideas contest, sponsored by Santander, to encourage ALL students at Oxford, regardless of what they’re studying, to

Things move fast at the Foundry, and we have some exciting plans for the year ahead. As we continue to scale rapidly, we’re focusing on:

generate fresh ideas and build their entrepreneurial skill set. We’re also establishing our Entrepreneurial Student Ambassadors programme to extend our reach within colleges through peer-to-peer coaching and learning.

ONWARD The launch of All-Innovate:

Introducing our

Scaling up our

Rolling out the

Launching the

idea competition, sponsored

internship

workshops:

Booster Grants

2019 pre-

Oxford’s first inter-college by Santander. This is an

evolution of the Tri-innovate contest which was

established by Will Hutton,

Principal of Hertford College, and Pat Nuttall, Fellow of Wolfson College, with a

generous donation from Dr

Gerald Chan, co-founder of Morningside Group.

start-up student programme

skills and learning covering

technology,

initiative

L.E.V8 Women accelerator programme

mindset and idea development delivering 3

student workshops a week

including a hands-

on ‘Introduction to

Design and Making’ series, partnering

with Make Oxford [63]

Oxford Foundry

WHAT’S TO COME

O X F O R D F O U N D R Y I M PA C T R E P O R T

Foundry Freshers Festival - and our

Launch of the

first birthday!

L.E.V8 Women

2018 OCT

programme

JUN

AUG

MAY

JUL

SEP

Our first student

Our first venture

OXFO L.E.V8

contest: the AI