The Oxford Foundry gives all students and alumni at the University of Oxford, and wider communities, the entrepreneurial and technology skills they need to succeed in their chosen career, and to build and lead purposeful, sustainable ventures that benefit people and the planet.
The Oxford Foundry and FMDQ Private Markets Limited, Africa’s first vertically integrated financial market infrastructure group, have launched a global partnership to accelerate the growth of Nigeria’s start-up ecosystem and nurture a future generation of young Nigerian leaders in entrepreneurship, through knowledge exchange and collaboration.
Following the six month intensive accelerator programme, the 32 startups in cohorts 1-3 have raised £51m+, are valued at over £150m, are operating globally and have created over 210 jobs to help rebuild our economy, with cohort 4 due to complete the programme in early November. Meet these inspirational leaders who are driven by purpose, making the world a better and more inclusive place and using tech for good, preventing societal inequalities from widening and building back better. Explore our venture portfolio to meet the teams, see their traction and what OXFO Elevate has meant to them!
29 University of Oxford students from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic backgrounds have been awarded a Fellowship from our OXFO Entrepreneurial Fellowship Initiative, the first of its kind for the University of Oxford, which was announced in The Times in April.
We’re delighted to announce that Dan Carter, New Zealand All Blacks rugby legend has been appointed as Oxford Foundry Leader in Practice.
In this new role, the first since his retirement, Dan will be providing strategic counsel to OXFO leadership curriculums, launching a flagship new ‘In Conversation series’ with global leaders from different sectors and providing mentorship, skills and training for students, alumni and wider audiences on leading under pressure, developing a growth mindset and building strong, compassionate, resilient teams.
Our community includes 3000 students, staff and alumni from all Oxford's Divisions and Colleges, University of Oxford alumni, and a global network of leading entrepreneurs, advisors and investors.
Launched in 2017 by Apple CEO Tim Cook, and established with support from leading entrepreneurs including Reid Hoffman (co-founder of LinkedIn) and Biz Stone (co-founder of Twitter), the Foundry is an entrepreneurship centre that is able to leverage the strong networks of world-leading academic expertise, established alumni entrepreneurs and industry leaders, and the talent and enthusiasm of Oxford’s exceptional students.
We support all 24,000 students at the University of Oxford, from undergraduates and postgraduates to DPhils and all alumni, to better society through entrepreneurship.
To date, the Foundry has also supported 42 ventures across its accelerator cohorts, generating 200+ jobs and raising over £51 million with ventures valued in excess of £150 million. It has launched a number of experiential, solution-focused programmes and initiatives which address global issues like climate change, the future of healthcare and fake news, and delivers practical learning opportunities to build skills and understanding in areas such as coding, blockchain and AI, with a particular emphasis on peer-to-peer learning and knowledge exchange across academia and industry - both globally and locally.
Later in 2021, the Foundry is also launching its Online Entrepreneurship School, the first of its kind across any Higher Education institution, which provides resources and delivers courses and masterclasses focused on critical training and knowledge exchange on idea development, technology and start-up growth, delivered by world-leading practitioners.