10 startups to watch in Oxford

Oxford’s entrepreneurial attitude and large network make it a great place for small businesses to start. Healthtech and medtech are both industries particularly developed in Oxford: some of the most revolutionary discoveries are being made here, including treatments for cancer and HIV. Maddyness selected some of the most innovative businesses operating in Oxford.

Oxford VR was born in 2016 in Oxford University built on the work of Prof Daniel Freeman who has been developing effective VR-based mental health treatments for 15 years. Led by CEO Barnaby Perks, the startup develops evidence-based automated VR therapy to treat mental health conditions with significant impact on patients, the health system and wider economy.

Diffblue has the goal of automating traditional coding tasks: bug fixing, test writing, finding and fixing exploits, refactoring code, translating from one language to another, and creating original code to fit specifications. The startup’s vision is to make its products ubiquitous, to make code safer, better and cheaper to produce.

Founded by Wolfgang (Chris) Wild, Retronaut seeks out and shows archive pictures that disrupt the way we see the past. As a child, the idea of the past, of different versions of ‘now’, captivated the founder. He says he was “especially spellbound by the opening sequence of the BBC children’s programme ‘Bagpuss’, in which the eponymous cloth cat was able to collapse time, transforming the sepia of the Edwardian world into a bright and colourful now.”

Bodle Technologies developed SRD®, the world’s first solid-state reflective display technology, based on phase-change materials. Bodle aims to provide vivid colour and video-capability, with zero energy use for static image storage. Its technology is suited to address the issues of poor outdoor readability and high power consumption associated with transmissive and emissive displays.

Cycle.land created a community of bike sharers to connect people who need a bike with people who have a bike available. These bike sharers can then easily generate a bit of extra money. Not only are bikes an awesome way to get around, but there is also the community benefit of meeting people who are passionate about cycling, sharing and travelling.

Sitryx is a biopharmaceutical company co-founded by a leading academic at Trinity College Dublin, Luke O’Neill, along with Houman Ashrafian, Jeff Rathmell, Michael Rosenblum, Jonathan Powell and Paul Peter Tak. Sitryx focus on regulating cell metabolism to develop first-in-class disease-modifying therapeutics in immuno-oncology and immuno-inflammation.

Oxford Space Systems builds satellites, including deployable antennas and structures. Oxford Space Systems (OSS) is a multi-award-winning, venture capital-backed space technology business that is developing a new generation of deployable antennas and structures that are lighter, less complex and lower in cost than those in currently available.

Founded in 2014 by Ingmar Posner and Paul Newman, Oxbotica is developing the next generation of autonomous vehicles, creating the software that powers them. Recently, the company struck a deal with Addison Lee to see its fleet of 4,800 vehicles in London transition to feature more autonomous vehicle technology by 2021.

Founded in 2012 and headed by Patrick Newton, Rezatec applies data science to satellite imagery and geospatial data to deliver cloud-based analytics to its global customers. The company uses its proprietary algorithms and advanced machine-learning techniques to deliver strategic, commercial and actionable insights for customers. Rezatec customers today are spread across the water utilities, agriculture, energy, urban infrastructure and forestry sectors.

Founded in 2016 by Prof Adrian Hill and Prof Sarah Gilbert and created in the University of Oxford’s Jenner Institute, Vaccitech is focused on developing a universal flu vaccine, and a number of other novel drug products. The company has been formed around two viral vector vaccines, one to prevent influenza and the other to treat prostate cancer. Viral vector vaccines are particularly good at treating some of the most recalcitrant illnesses.