The first ever Oxford Climate Ventures programme successfully completed its first cycle at the end of January 2026.
The 12-week programme supported innovators working on the energy transition, climate mitigation or adaptation to develop new business ideas or explore ‘spinning out’ a solution from their research.
Participants benefitted from weekly sessions covering topics such as entrepreneurial finance, Intellectual Property and assessing startup feasibility, as well as an introductory bootcamp weekend. The bootcamp provided a practical introduction to starting a climate venture as well as networking opportunities, and mentorship and inspiration from a “Meet the Entrepreneurs” strand.
[Oxford Climate Ventures is] “exactly the kind of programme I wish had existed when I was at Oxford – a place where brilliant technical founders get the right mix of venture support, technical diligence, commercial coaching and corporate pathways to accelerate adoption and real-world deployment.” Dr Charlotte Kirk, Venture Capital Investor
The programme led up to a final pitch night held on 28th January where each of the best 10 participants and groups had the opportunity to showcase their business plans with cash prizes available. This year’s overall winner was the team behind “Apka Shakti”, an off-grid hybrid, solar-powered desalination and cooling system.
Members of the inaugural Oxford Climate Ventures programme came from across Oxford University including the Department of Engineering Science, the School of Geography and the Environment, the Department of Biology and the Saïd Business School, and they worked up ventures in a huge variety of areas including battery optimisation, crop treatments, flood analytics and community engagement.
The programme was produced by the ZERO Institute with collaboration, support and expertise from Breakthrough Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation and the Oxford Said Entrepreneurship Centre.
