Oxford is one of the leading UK startup hubs, ranking 4th in the UK and 21st in Western Europe. The University of Oxford has created 205 spinout businesses since 2011, the leading UK universities. To streamline your search, we've made an extensive list of venture capital investors and handpicked the top 10 firms in Oxford for you. Here's a table that summarizes the overall VC data for a quick overview:
| VC Firm | Ticket Size | Stages | Founding Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford Capital | £500K - £5M | Early-stage to growth-stage | 1999 |
| Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE) | £500K - £10M | Early-stage | 2015 |
| Oxford Impact Capital | Varies depending on the opportunity | Early-stage | Not Disclosed |
| Oxonian Ventures | Not publicly disclosed | Early-stage | 2016 |
| Longwall Ventures | Up to £2 million initially, with follow-on funding | Seed and early-stage | 2008 |
| Oxford Technology Management | Typically up to £500,000 | Seed and early-stage | 1983 |
| Parkwalk Advisors | £500K - £10M | Early to growth-stage | 2009 |
| Molten Ventures | £1M - £20M | Series A | 2006 |
| Business Growth Fund (BGF) | £1 million to £15 million | Growth Stage | 2011 |
| IQ Capital | £500K - £10M | Seed to Series A | 2007 |
1. Oxford Capital
Oxford Capital, based in Oxford, has been investing in UK entrepreneurs since 1999 and has invested over £500 million in 100+ companies. They invest in pre-seed to Series A startups and scale-ups afterwards. With a founder-first approach, they invest in technology and science growth startups. To make things easier for you, we have made an exhaustive list of West Virginia venture capital investors, and our experts have handpicked the top 10 West Virginia venture capital firms for you. You can find more about investment opportunities here.
- Founding Year: 1999
- Website: oxcp.com
- Investment Range: £500K - £5M
- Stage: Early-stage to growth-stage
- Sector Focus: Technology, Science
- Geography: UK-wide, with a focus on Oxford
2. Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE)
Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE) turns Oxford’s best ideas into real-world solutions, backing over 100 companies in life sciences, health tech, and deep tech since 2015. With £1 billion in investments, they partner with the University of Oxford to fund and scale groundbreaking startups from day one to exit.
- Founding Year: 2015
- Website: oxfordscienceenterprises.com
- Investment Range: £500K - £10M
- Stage: Early-stage
- Sector Focus: Life Sciences, AI & Software, Healthcare, Deep Tech
- Geography: Primarily Oxford
3. Oxford Impact Capital
Oxford Impact Capital empowers visionary entrepreneurs tackling climate challenges with revolutionary solutions. Founded by entrepreneurs with a mission, they invest in startups that are developing renewable energy, carbon capture, and sustainable tech. With active guidance and a net-zero focus, they help businesses scale rapidly making a material impact in a matter of years.
- Founding Year: Not publicly disclosed
- Website: oxfordimpactcapital.com
- Investment Range: Varies depending on the opportunity
- Stage: Early-stage
- Sector Focus: Climate Tech, Renewable Energy, Circular Economy, Carbon Capture, Sustainable Transportation
- Geography: UK-wide, with a focus on Oxford
4. Oxonian Ventures
Oxonian Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in innovating entrepreneurs across the globe with a particular focus on companies developed by Oxford University alumni. Their investment range isn't disclosed publicly, but they fund ventures in a variety of industries, benefiting from the networking and experience present within the community at Oxford. Based in the UK, Oxonian Ventures attempts to enable entrepreneurs who possess quality entrepreneurial and educational backgrounds.
- Founding Year: 2016
- Website: oxonianventures.com
- Investment Range: Not publicly disclosed
- Stage: Early-stage
- Sector Focus: Various sectors
- Geography: Global, focusing on Oxford alumni-founded companies
5. Longwall Ventures
Longwall Ventures invests in UK-based early-stage companies solving global problems with frontier science. With a focus on health, resilience, and sustainability, they back disruptive B2B life sciences, space, and security technologies. Longwall is committed to responsible investment and encourages diversity, backing female founders to scale up breakthrough solutions.
- Founding Year: 2008
- Website: longwallventures.com
- Investment Range: Up to £2 million initially, with follow-on funding available
- Stage: Seed and early-stage
- Sector Focus: Science, Engineering, Healthcare
- Geography: UK-wide, with a focus on Oxford
6. Oxford Technology Management
Oxford Technology invests in early-stage technology through its SEIS and EIS funds, which provide tax relief and capital growth benefits. Its SEIS Start-Up Fund invests in 8 start-ups within a three-year period, and the EIS Development Fund invests in 6 more established companies. By combining investment with follow-on investment, high-growth start-ups are able to grow while optimizing investors' returns.
- Founding Year: 1983
- Website: oxfordtechnology.com
- Investment Range: Typically up to £500,000
- Stage: Seed and early-stage
- Sector Focus: High-tech startups
- Geography: Oxford and surrounding regions
7. Parkwalk Advisors
Parkwalk is the UK's leading university spinout investor, backing life-altering technology from world-class research universities. Having invested in 180+ businesses of over £500m, it invests in deep tech, life sciences, AI, cleantech, and beyond. Its funds, both those run by universities as well as the EIS fund, translate cutting-edge research into business success, while delivering investors extremely strong returns.
- Founding Year: 2009
- Website: parkwalkadvisors.com
- Investment Range: £500K - £10M
- Stage: Early to growth-stage
- Sector Focus: Technology, IP-rich companies
- Geography: UK-wide, with investments in Oxford
8. Molten Ventures
Molten Ventures is a leading European VC firm, backing visionary tech entrepreneurs from Series A and beyond. Formerly Draper Esprit, they invest in high-growth, disruptive technology companies, providing patient capital, international networks, and decades of experience. With a portfolio that includes Revolut, UiPath, Trustpilot, and Ledger, Molten Ventures is committed to fueling innovation and building the future.
- Website: moltenventures.com
- Founding Year: 2006
- Investment Range: £1M - £20M
- Stage: Series A
- Sector: Cloud, Enterprise, SaaS, AI & ML, Deep Tech, Hardware, Healthcare, Health & Wellness, Consumer
- Geography: Ireland, United Kingdom
9. Business Growth Fund (BGF)
BGF is the most active investor in Irish and UK mid-sized and smaller companies. They have £4B invested across 600+ companies, long-term and minority investing to support companies to grow without giving up control. Invested in by top UK banks, BGF invests founders with capital, expertise, and a huge network to fuel lasting growth and long-term success.
- Website: bgf.co.uk
- Founding Year: 2011
- Investment Range: £1 million to £15 million
- Stage: Growth Stage
- Sector Focus: Diverse Sectors
- Geography: UK and Ireland
10. IQ Capital
IQ Capital invests in ambitious Deep Tech founders at seed to growth. With deep industry knowledge and strong global connections, they invest in breakthrough technologies with defensible IP and global ambition. Their PhD-heavy team assists AI, quantum, cyber, space-tech, and other start-ups in scaling and dominating their markets. IQ Capital is a long-term partner, guiding companies from early days to successful exits.
- Website: iqcapital.vc
- Founding Year: 2007
- Investment Range: £500K - £10M
- Stage: Seed to Series A
- Sector: Deep tech, AI, and SaaS
- Geography: UK-wide
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
- Is VC high risk?
Venture capital is a type of investment that can be risky but has the potential for high returns. However, there is no guarantee of success. Investing in startups is always uncertain, and you might lose your money. Even though VC firms try to minimize risks, investing in startups is always uncertain, and you might lose your money. - What is the best country to set up a VC fund?
If you’re looking to set up a VC fund, many people think the United States has the best venture capital (VC) funds worldwide. This is because the US has a big economy, lots of money available, and many successful startups. - What cities have the most VC investments?
The top five cities for venture capital investment are San Francisco, New York City, Boston, San Jose, and Los Angeles. These cities together receive more than two-thirds (67.5%) of all venture capital investments. - What is the minimum amount for a VC fund?
Venture capital funds usually ask for a minimum investment of $250,000 to $500,000, and sometimes even more. Investing a small amount of money can still cost a lot. These funds are usually only open to wealthy people and big organizations that have a lot of money. - How do I choose a VC fund?
To choose a VC fund, check how much experience and success the venture capital firm has had before. Look at the companies they’ve invested in before to see if they match what your business does. This can help you figure out if they’re a good match for you.
Best of luck with your amazing ventures.
Please note that this list is filtered by various metrics, and all the data are collected through various third-party websites, mostly the VC website. Since data such as ticket size or industry may change, you are requested to visit the official website given in the blog for the latest and updated information.