what we do
OxFounders Global is a nonprofit initiative that works to strengthen innovation ecosystems in emerging markets.
​
When we first started OxFounders, our goal was to connect Oxford’s founder and investor community to innovators in regions often overlooked by global networks. We believed that some of the most exciting ideas were being built in these markets, and that Oxford’s experience, knowledge, and connections could help unlock their potential.
​
In our first year, we travelled across continents to meet young founders, especially those based in universities, helping them share their stories and access the mentors, investors, and resources they needed to grow. The energy and creativity we found were extraordinary.
That experience shaped the foundation of what OxFounders Global is today: not just an events platform, but a bridge - between ecosystems, between governments and entrepreneurs, between research and real-world innovation.
​
Today, our work ranges from university programmes that build student entrepreneurship to government advisory projects that inform national innovation policy. Across all of it, our mission remains the same: to build the systems that help innovators thrive.
OUR BACKGROUND
We launched the Oxford Founders Society as a student entrepreneurship group at Oxford in 2022, to bring together the university’s most entrepreneurial minds.
​
Our goal was to create a space where ambitious students could learn directly from the founders and investors shaping the global startup landscape, and build a meaningful community around that shared spirit.
​
Within a year, OxFounders had become the most active entrepreneurship society at Oxford, hosting more than a dozen events and welcoming speakers such as the founders of Starbucks, Supercell, Nanopore, Moonpig, Bloom & Wild, and Entrepreneur First.
​
Those early experiences - building a community from scratch, learning from world-class innovators, and seeing the power of connection - became the foundation for what would later grow into OxFounders Global.
our Team
​
