THE OXFORD FOUNDRY COHORT 2: AUTUMN 2018 - SUMMER 2019
SUPPORTED BY SAID BUSINESS SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD
H o u s e d a t t h e A m e r s i Fo u n d a t i o n A c c e l e r a t o r S p a c e L.E.V8 AT THE OXFORD FOUNDRY
1
WELCOME
ANA BAKSHI DIRECTOR OF THE OXFORD FOUNDRY
L.E.V8 AT THE OXFORD FOUNDRY
2
Our new cohort of OXFO L.E.V8 ventures are here! From a total of 235 teams who applied, we selected these ten outstanding ventures, who will be resident in the Amersi Foundation accelerator space from November 2018 until June 2019. We are excited to be supporting them through our intensive and tailored L.E.V8 accelerator programme, and to seeing their businesses develop and their leadership skills grow. These ventures span an impressive array of industries: we have pioneers in digital-first primary healthcare, champions of diversity in children’s book publishing and social ventures intent on empowering people of all abilities to greater social engagement, and on establishing networks of affordable, reliable solar charging stations in rural India. We have producers of all-natural, organic skin care products, and a team working on powering electric vehicles with the cheapest and greenest electricity. Over 70% of the ventures have already raised seed funding, and 45% of them are already generating revenue and demonstrating traction with customers and partnerships. At least a third of the businesses are committed to effecting positive social and economic impact, feeding into the Foundry’s core mission. The cohort includes entrepreneurs of 7 different nationalities, and it is gratifying that 50% of the teams contain women, and 30% are led by women. However, there is more work to do. Diversity is crucial to building strong teams and broadening opportunities for all. We know that the strongest teams are those that demonstrate a full mix of genders, disciplines and cultural backgrounds. Recent reports
L.E.V8 AT THE OXFORD FOUNDRY
show that 93% of European venture capital investment in 2018 went to start-ups with all-male founders, and that women and minorities are underrepresented at every level of the tech and start-up ecosystem 1. Having established our L.E.V8 women programme for female leaders and founders in 2018, we are now planning further initiatives for 2019, geared towards increasing the number and visibility of people of colour and minority groups on boards and in leadership positions, and workshops to ensure that those students who will be future venture capitalists are conscious of implicit bias around female founder investment. A company’s culture is pivotal to its success, and with the right culture in place – one where respect, innovation and creativity live and breathe - a company can enhance its productivity, efficiency, its impact and its profitability. Whether it’s a question of making the right hires, ensuring employees are motivated and incentivised, or in instilling shared values through its stated vision and purpose, it is this culture that will set the company’s foundations from day one. Through L.E.V8, we support our ventures to establish their culture, to learn from one another, and to stay true to - and focused on - their core purpose and principles. These teams are about to experience what happens when their already-impressive businesses are exposed to our Foundry network of respected industry experts, venture capitalists, angel investors and entrepreneurs. We look forward to sharing their progress with you in the months ahead! Warm wishes, Ana Bakshi
1 ‘The State of European Tech 2018’, published by atomico.
3
EMPOWER ENERGY “CONNECTING RURAL INDIA TO THE MODERN ECONOMY”
Ronit Kanwar, CEO BA Economics and Management, Keble College Gideon Laux, COO MSc Economics for Development, Somerville College James Dickson, Chief of Data & Impact MBA (2018), MSc Evidence-based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation (2017), Green Templeton College @EmpowerNRG
empower-energy.co.uk
Empower Energy is creating a distribution network outright, villagers can simply rent LED lamps or battery packs from their local shop, without across India, leveraging existing technology to any upfront costs and they never have to worry solve energy access in remote communities. about maintenance. 240 million Indians have no access to reliable electricity, forcing them to use unhealthy By serving the lighting needs in communities, Empower is quickly able to establish trust and alternatives such as kerosene for lighting and to walk to the nearest town to charge mobile phones. a local presence in thousands of villages. Their franchisees then relay additional needs of their Living without electricity excludes them from the modern economy. Existing solutions are unreliable communities which Empower Energy then serves and unaffordable, for those living below $2 a day, through its distribution network. due to high upfront costs or costly maintenance. The company already has over 300 customers, Empower Energy works with village shopkeepers is impacting the lives of thousands of individuals (micro-franchisees) to solve their community’s and were 1 of 6 Hult Prize Global Finalists who energy needs by equipping them with Solar presented at the United Nations in September Charging Stations. Instead of buying solutions from over 100,000+ entrants. L.E.V8 AT THE OXFORD FOUNDRY
4
auraire AURAIRE “ERADICATING ALL EXCUSES NOT TO SCALE ON DATA.”
Frederic Krahforst, CEO & Co-Founder MSc Information and Software Security, Kellogg College Tobias Nendel, CTO & Co-Founder Michael Bücker, Operating Partner Prof. for Data Science in Münster
auraire.com
The world is growing rapidly. Rapidly volatile, rapidly on data. Over the last 24 months the world’s data doubled again. AI and data analytics methods and tools are advancing rapidly, while their adoption is lagging far behind. Companies face a lack of expertise and personnel to run efficient data operations. At the same time, global emerging markets have
L.E.V8 AT THE OXFORD FOUNDRY
an abundance of bright and highly qualified experts who are currently not considered by companies due to a trust and transparency barrier. Auraire is connecting the global on-demand experts market, by setting a new standard in distributed data collaboration – harmonizing how companies and experts around the world connect and cooperate in a convenient, secure and trusted environment.
5
INTELLICHARGE “POWERING ELECTRIC VEHICLES WITH THE CHEAPEST AND GREENEST ELECTRICITY WHILE HELPING GRIDS BALANCE”
Pam Liu, Co-Founder and CEO BA (Hons), Mathematics and Statistics (2008), Keble College Ling Li, Co-Founder and CTO
intellicharge.co.uk
Intellicharge develops a SaaS platform for energy suppliers to utilise EV charging flexibility to increase trading profit. Intellicharge is developing a SaaS platform for energy suppliers to crystallise the financial benefit of flexible electric vehicle (EV) charging, which is about £150-200 per EV per year. The UK is expected to have 600,000 EVs in 2020, representing an EV flexibility market
L.E.V8 AT THE OXFORD FOUNDRY
worth around £100m in just 2 years. Using the IoT approach, Intellicharge connects EVs and EV charge points with multiple energy market dynamics and their algorithm works out the best course of charging actions & implements to individual EVs. They have already integrated with EV and charge point brands, run consumer trials and signed HoTs with a leading renewable energy supplier to pilot flexible EV charging.
6
LANTANA PUBLISHING “BECAUSE ALL CHILDREN DESERVE TO SEE THEMSELVES IN THE BOOKS THEY READ.”
Dr Alice Curry, CEO and Co-Founder BA, English Language & Literature (2005), St Hilda’s College Katrina Gutierrez, Chief Communications Officer Caroline Godfrey, Non-executive Director & Education Adviser BA, English Language & Literature (2005), St Hilda’s College
@lantanapub
Lantana publishes diverse and inclusive children’s books that celebrate the 14% of the UK population that identifies as Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME). Lantana publishes outstanding writing for young readers. By giving new and aspiring BAME authors and illustrators a platform to publish and by working with much-loved authors and illustrators from around the world, Lantana shows children of colour that they deserve to see themselves in the books they read and authors of colour that their stories matter. Lantana’s award-winning titles have been described as ‘dazzling’, ‘delectable’, ‘stunning’
L.E.V8 AT THE OXFORD FOUNDRY
lantanapublishing.com
and ‘exquisite’ by bloggers and reviewers. They have been nominated for a Kate Greenaway Medal (six times), been voted a Kirkus Best Picture Book of the Year (twice), been longlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award, shortlisted for the North Somerset Teachers’ Book Award and Sheffield Children’s Books Award, and won the Teach Early Years 3 Star Award and Children’s Africana Best Book Award. In an industry where only 4% of all children’s books feature a BAME character, Lantana is proud to bring UK children’s publishing one step closer towards achieving a more inclusive children’s book landscape for the next generation of young readers.
7
INFOGRID “MAKING BUSINESSES, BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT MORE EFFICIENT WITH USER-FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGY”
William Cowell de Gruchy, Founder & CEO BA History (2009), New College Simon Shillaker, Technical Architect MSc Physics (2010), Keble College
infogrid.io
Infogrid makes “non-smart” buildings and equipment “smart” - simply, instantaneously and at low cost. Infogrid’s turnkey solution combines physical hardware and a proprietary software platform, allowing clients to retrofit their businesses and generate efficiency-enhancing data immediately. Users can view this data and receive alerts in real time, from anywhere in the world. Infogrid helps remove repetitive, menial tasks from the workload, allowing staff more time to focus on their core jobs. Such data also helps to prevent waste, avoid equipment failure
L.E.V8 AT THE OXFORD FOUNDRY
and monitor operations in real time. The result is clear, quick ROI and a more efficient world. Infogrid are already supporting the NHS (over 100 sites), GVA (international), ABM Facilities Management, Eurotunnel and many more businesses. Use cases are myriad, but include cold-storage monitoring, leak detection, fire door monitoring, preventative maintenance, space occupancy and beyond. Infogrid’s solution is applicable to any industry, and the simple platform means that even nontechnical staff (as well as management) can get started immediately.
8
N Y E H E A LT H
“PUTTING COMPASSIONATE RELATIONSHIPS AT THE HEART OF PRIMARY CARE”
Alexander Finlayson, CEO Imran Mahmud, COO BMBch, Biochemistry (2011), St Catherine’s College Chris Tan, Operations @meetnye
We all aspire to a happy and healthy life, which lasts until a ripe old age. Nye is on a mission to help people get closer to achieving that goal by building the kindest community on earth.
L.E.V8 AT THE OXFORD FOUNDRY
nye.health
Nye Health works with primary care practices and communities to make it easier for patients to access the best local digital first healthcare. Nye puts relationships between patients and care providers back at the heart of care. So far, the team have partnered with 10 primary care clinics covering hundreds of thousands of patients and deep integration into local communities and powerful medical datasets.
9
OXWASH “CIRCULARISING THE LAUNDRY, LINEN AND GARMENT CARE ECONOMY.”
Kyle Grant, CEO DPhil, Synthetic Biology (2018), Wadham College Aron D’Souza, Chairman Zara French, COO Joe Haddock, Logistics Manager Jamie Qualter, Operations Ben Towler, Operations Lucinda O’Kane, Logistics & Operations Advisor @oxwash
OXWASH makes laundry and dry cleaning truly sustainable by uniquely combining the latest in renewable technology, nextgeneration logistics and biodegradable detergent chemistry. Partnering with outstanding businesses from market leading chemistry experts at Ideal Manufacturing, to renewable energy solutions
L.E.V8 AT THE OXFORD FOUNDRY
oxwash.com
from Tesla has enabled OXWASH to drive towards true sustainability this is a market and industry first. Even as an early stage company OXWASH is disrupting a traditional industry, winning national recognition and awards as well as gaining clients such as a national broadcaster, the UK military and a worldleading university.
10
S E E-T H R O U G H SCIENTIFIC “ENABLING EARLIER GENOMIC ANALYSES OF TUMOURS, AND PERSONALISED, TIMELY TREATMENT OF CANCER.”
See-Through Scientific’s mission is to classify and isolate rare cells in suspension. More specifically, they aim to capture live circulating tumour cells (CTCs) from patient blood. This is done using a novel device that sorts particles based on their 3D shape. Achieving this would be an important
L.E.V8 AT THE OXFORD FOUNDRY
Irwin Zaid, Co-founder DPhil, Theoretical Physics (2013), Lady Margaret Hall, Junior Research Fellow, Physics (2012 - 2016), Christ Church College, Lecturer, Computer Science (Present), Christ Church Oliver Harriman, Co-founder DPhil, Condensed Matter Physics (2013), Hertford College
step towards early and regular sampling of tumours in a cancer patient, thereby enabling genomic analyses for personalised and timely treatment. They have been awarded grants by Innovate UK (twice) and Cancer Research UK to support their development.
11
SOCIABILITY “EMPOWERING PEOPLE OF ALL ABILITIES TO GREATER SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT”
Matthew Pierri, CEO MPP (Dist) (2016); MSc Social Science of the Internet (2017) Lincoln College Dr Andrés Noé, COO MSc International Health & Tropical Medicine (Dist) (2016); DPhil Candidate, Clinical Medicine (2018), Green Templeton College Kaleem Hawa, Chief Strategic Officer DPhil Candidate, Public Health (2018), Lincoln College @sociabilityapp
SociAbility is mainstreaming accessibility information to empower people of all abilities to socialise with greater confidence, purpose and ease. Through the SociAbility app, any smartphone user can easily search or contribute information about the accessibility of local social venues for free, on-the-go,
L.E.V8 AT THE OXFORD FOUNDRY
sociability.app
anywhere, at any time. Forget broad, vague statements of accessibility, SociAbility gives you the detail you need to make the right decision every time. Having recently been featured on BBC Radio and this year’s #startedinoxford campaign, SociAbility is building more than an app - they’re building a movement.
12
WOW YOU! “AFFORDABLE, CRUELTY FREE, NATURALLY POWERED SKINCARE FOR THE MILLENNIAL CONSUMER”
Ella Carlsen-O’Connor, Co-founder MEng, Materials Science, Corpus Christi College Leo Greenaway, Co-Founder
@wowyoubeauty
wowyou.com
Helping customers get the best out of their skin and feel “WOW” with naturally powered beauty products.
clean, non-toxic beauty driven by millennial consumers who value ethical roots and strong customer interaction.
WOW YOU creates naturally powered, cruelty free skincare products with clean, effective ingredients. Their products encourage selfcare and self-confidence, and contribute to improved mental wellbeing. Natural ingredients such as pineapple and green tea provide real, targeted results. The product and brand caters to an emerging market in
WOW YOU launched to customers in August 2018 and have since sold their products to customers all over the world including UK, USA, Australia, Taiwan, Sweden, Aruba, and Mauritius. They have signed off on their first purchase order with a major US retailer, and are in talks with other large retailers in the UK and USA.
L.E.V8 AT THE OXFORD FOUNDRY
13
GET INVOLVED
We’d love to hear from angel investors, experts and mentors who are interested in contributing their time and knowledge as part of L.E.V8. Please reach out to us, and we’ll be in touch with next steps. info@oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk oxfordfoundry.ox.ac.uk @oxfoundry @oxfordfoundry facebook.com/oxfound linked.com/in/oxford-foundry
L.E.V8 AT THE OXFORD FOUNDRY
14
AM E R S I FO U N DAT IO N
With thanks to the Amersi Foundation for the Amersi Foundation Accelerator space. L.E.V8 AT THE OXFORD FOUNDRY
15
L.E.V8 AT THE OXFORD FOUNDRY
16
