Oxford University Innovation breaks spinout records

Oxford University Innovation has created 31 new spinout companies over the past fiscal year, setting a new record for company creation at the University.

And companies created through OUI  have raised over £1.1 billion during the period, a 29 percent increase from 2020’s previous record.

The figure puts Oxford University firmly into the number one spot for company creation in the UK, compared to peer universities.

Globally, based on preliminary research based on most recently published figures for company creation from peer tech transfer organisations by OUI, Oxford is presently ranked number two, second only to Switzerland’s ETH Zurich with 34.

In addition, the IPO of Oxford Nanopore marked the most successful IPO exit for a UK spinout to date, and fifth-largest globally for any spinout, according to data from Global University Venturing.

Oxford University Innovation has published its annual review of a year which it says has also been its most challenging ever.

The review is dedicated to the memory of Oxford University Innovation’s Dr Jamie Ferguson, who died from Covid-19 in August 2020.

Matt Perkins, Chief Executive Officer, said: “OUI’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic is testament to the resilience, passion and commitment of our staff.”

“Collectively, we have sought to inculcate a culture that embraces our company values of integrity, collaboration and empowerment, and in unprecedented times such as the last year, it has been heartening to see our colleagues displaying these values daily and overcoming adversity without losing momentum.”

Adam Stoten, Chief Operating Officer, added: “Since the pandemic began, we have witnessed a surge in demand for support from colleagues in Licensing and Ventures, who have helped academics developing Covid-19-related technologies such as world-leading vaccines, novel diagnostics and low-cost ventilators.

“Covid-19 specific activity has also figured prominently in our Consulting Services and Investments groups, while our business support groups – operations, marketing, finance and HR – have not only kept the OUI machinery running during lockdown, but have ensured the transition to remote working has been as painless as possible.”

Among the success stories were PepGen, which is using enhanced delivery cell-penetrating peptide technology to develop treatments for Duchenne Muscle Dystrophy and related conditions.

The company attracted £45 million to accelerate their development.

And Evox Therapeutics, a company working on using exosomes to develop a new class of therapeutics, attracted funding of £69.2 million, to further develop its DeliverEX platform and significantly boost its intellectual property portfolio and R&D capabilities.

The annual review can be read at https://annualreview2020.innovation.ox.ac.uk/financial-report/

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