About this programme
The Oxford Foundry Elevate Accelerator (OXFO Elevate) was a business accelerator set up in 2018 by the Oxford Foundry, an entrepreneurship centre at the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School. Per contemporaneous press coverage, the Oxford Foundry was an initiative led by Professor Peter Tufano, then Dean of Saïd Business School, with a founding donation from Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn. It supported early-stage Oxford-affiliated ventures with skills training, mentoring, and access to investment.
The programme ran a venture-building and leadership curriculum delivered by entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, thought leaders, and academics. Four cohorts went through the accelerator, in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, each culminating in a demo day and a published venture lookbook.
Across its four cohorts, portfolio companies went on to raise more than £52 million in capital (equity and grants) since joining the accelerator, reached a combined valuation of over £157 million, and hired more than 250 employees, according to the Oxford Foundry's own impact reporting.
The Oxford Foundry has now formally closed. It has merged into the Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Centre, which is the current home for Oxford's university-wide entrepreneurship and innovation programmes.
How it works
OXFO Elevate ran as a cohort-based accelerator: selected ventures went through a structured curriculum covering venture building and leadership, with input from entrepreneurs, VCs, and academics, and access to the Oxford Foundry's mentor network.
Each cohort culminated in a demo day, with portfolio companies and outcomes published in a cohort lookbook (four are archived: 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021).
The official page states the accelerator provided "access to investment" as part of its offering, but does not publish specific cheque sizes, equity terms, or tranche structure for OXFO Elevate itself — the £52m+ raised by portfolio companies reflects capital raised from external sources after joining, not a stated OXFO Elevate investment amount.
The programme is no longer running. There is no current cohort, application window, or accelerator activity under the Oxford Foundry Elevate Accelerator name.
Frequently asked
Is the Oxford Foundry Elevate Accelerator still accepting applications?
No. The Oxford Foundry has formally closed and merged into the Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Centre. OXFO Elevate ran four cohorts between 2018 and 2021 and is not currently operating.
What did the Oxford Foundry Elevate Accelerator offer while it was running?
It provided skills training, mentoring, and access to investment for early-stage ventures, delivered through a venture-building and leadership curriculum with entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, thought leaders, and academics.
What results did OXFO Elevate ventures achieve?
Across its four cohorts, portfolio companies raised more than £52 million in capital (equity and grants) since joining, reached a combined valuation of over £157 million, and hired more than 250 employees, per the Oxford Foundry's impact reporting.
Who runs entrepreneurship support at Oxford now that the Foundry has closed?
The Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Centre, part of Saïd Business School, now runs Oxford's university-wide entrepreneurship programmes, including the Oxford Venture Builder, the Entrepreneurship Project (part of the MBA/Executive MBA), the Venture Capital Lab, the Oxford Catalyst Grant, and Oxford Climate Ventures.
Is there a current equivalent for pre-seed or seed-stage funding for Oxford founders?
The Oxford Catalyst Grant, run by the Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Centre, is described on the Centre's site as equity-free grant funding for pre-seed/seed Oxford founders. It is a separate, current programme from the closed OXFO Elevate accelerator.
How many cohorts went through OXFO Elevate, and when?
Four: Cohort 1 (2018), Cohort 2 (2019), Cohort 3 (2020), and Cohort 4 (2021). Lookbooks for all four cohorts are archived on the Oxford Foundry's legacy page.
How can I contact the team about Oxford's current entrepreneurship programmes?
Email entrepreneurship@sbs.ox.ac.uk, or use the Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Centre's contact form. The Centre also posts updates via its LinkedIn showcase page.
Reviewed 2026-08-16. Programmes change — confirm current eligibility, amounts and deadlines on the official page before you apply. CapEasy is a private consultancy and is not affiliated with any government authority.