Oxford+

What would success look like if Oxford turned more of its scientific discoveries into lasting businesses? In this Oxford+ in Brief episode, Susannah de Jager puts a series of quick-fire questions to Oxford Nanopore co-founder Gordon Sanghera. His answer starts with homegrown companies that remain independent and create jobs and wealth in the UK. He distinguishes independence from ownership, leaving room for overseas investors without abandoning that ambition. Gordon describes an Oxford innovation ecosystem with growing energy, pointing newcomers towards OX Tech Week and the Lamb & Flag. But he also argues that Oxford recognises promising technologies too slowly and should commit investment more quickly when a breakthrough appears credible. Looking towards 2050, Gordon imagines stronger late-stage development support in Oxford, drawing on the Fraunhofer model. His final proposal is more focused collaboration across fragmented research and spin-outs, organised around selected areas where Oxford could build stronger technology businesses. Gordon Sanghera: Dr Gordon Sanghera CBE is the co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Nanopore Technologies. He helped build the business from its formation in 2005 through to its 2021 London Stock Exchange listing. His background combines bioelectronics, product development and manufacturing, including earlier roles at MediSense working on blood glucose testing systems. In October 2026, IP Group confirmed that he had joined Matter Machine, a University of Liverpool spin-out developing AI-powered materials discovery technology, to lead its commercialisation strategy. His experience of turning university research into a commercial business informs his views on Oxford's funding and company-building challenges. Susannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital. Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn and Subscribe to the Oxford+ Newsletter for Exclusive Content Oxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Mishcon de Reya and HSBC Innovation Banking. Produced and Edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford, UK.

What does it take to build a global deep tech company without leaving the UK? Oxford Nanopore co-founder Gordon Sanghera joins Susannah de Jager on Oxford+ in partnership with Mishcon de Reya to explain how an Oxford spinout became an international sequencing business. From his earlier work at MediSense to Nanopore’s London listing, Gordon describes the decisions that shaped the company and the gaps that still hold UK founders back. His account challenges cautious fundraising and the habit of proving a technology before planning its manufacture. He explains how honest budgets attracted patient capital, why building production capacity helped speed up development, and how employee share sales supported continuity through years of growth. The conversation comes as British Business Bank research published on 29 September reports UK venture funds matching US pooled total-value returns for 2002–2021 vintages. Fund performance and access to growth funding remain different questions, a distinction that runs through Gordon’s argument. Gordon also considers technological sovereignty and AI in genomics. His case is for continued investment in biology, chemistry and electronics, with AI helping researchers make better use of the data those fields produce. (00:00) - Welcome to Oxford+ (01:51) - Oxford’s Progress and the Scale-Up Funding Gap (04:39) - From MediSense to Oxford Nanopore (08:08) - Choosing the Hardest Technical Challenge (13:02) - Finding Patient Capital through Honest Budgets (17:26) - Building Manufacturing into the Strategy (21:35) - Choosing London over NASDAQ (25:30) - Employee Equity and Private-Market Liquidity (29:18) - Ambition, Culture and Technological Sovereignty (33:44) - AI and the UK’s Scientific Strengths (37:23) - Genomic Data and the Next Opportunity Gordon Sanghera: Dr Gordon Sanghera CBE FRS is a co-founder of Oxford Nanopore Technologies and its technology innovation adviser. He led the company for 21 years, from an Oxford spinout to its London Stock Exchange listing in 2021. His work centres on bioelectronic technologies, including blood glucose monitoring and DNA sequencing. Earlier roles at MediSense covered research, manufacturing process development and worldwide marketing, experience that informed Nanopore’s approach to production and commercial growth. Gordon was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2026. Susannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital. Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn and Subscribe to the Oxford+ Newsletter for Exclusive Content Oxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Mishcon de Reya, HSBC Innovation Banking, and James Cowper Kreston. Produced and Edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.

What would it take for Britain's best ideas to grow into global companies that stay here? In this Oxford+ in Brief episode, host Susannah de Jager puts a set of quick-fire questions to Eva Barboni, Executive Director of Enterprise Britain. Eva describes success as more scale-ups choosing to stay in Britain, creating jobs and reinvesting in their communities, with more Britons investing directly in the country's most exciting businesses. She argues that the UK is strong on innovation, with world-leading universities producing spin-outs in frontier technologies, but weak at backing those companies to commercialise and grow here. The gaps she identifies are capital to scale, a culture that champions success and access to talent. Eva Barboni: Eva Barboni is Executive Director of Enterprise Britain, where she campaigns for policies that help British companies grow and share the gains more widely. She has spent 20 years working across policy, communications and stakeholder engagement. Eva began her career on political campaigns in the United States, starting with Howard Dean’s 2003 to 2004 presidential campaign, before working on campaigns in the UK and other countries. She later founded and led Atalanta, a strategic communications consultancy ranked among PR Week’s top five ESG consultancies. Her experience combines political campaigning, public narrative and first-hand knowledge of building a business in the UK. Susannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital. Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn and Subscribe to the Oxford+ Newsletter for Exclusive Content Oxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Mishcon de Reya and HSBC Innovation Banking. Produced and Edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.

What would it take for Britain to turn promising start-ups into global companies that stay and grow here? In this episode of Oxford+ in partnership with Mishcon de Reya, host Susannah de Jager speaks with Eva Barboni, Executive Director of Enterprise Britain, about the ambition, capital and talent needed to close the UK scale-up gap. Eva explains why public attitudes towards success matter, how decades of policy have steered households and pension funds towards safer assets, and why British capital behind British businesses can keep jobs, investment and decision-making in the country. The conversation covers retail investing, pension fiduciary duty, Series B funding, non-compete clauses, AI and entry-level work. It also asks how universities and regional clusters can spread the gains from new businesses more widely. The timing is apt. A September analysis from the UK Business Angels Association notes that UK-managed venture capital funds returned 13.3% a year over ten years, as pension providers explore a fund of more than £1 billion for British scale-ups. Eva’s case is clear: policy reform needs a public story that links business growth to shared prosperity. Eva Barboni: Eva Barboni is Executive Director of Enterprise Britain, where she campaigns for policies that help British companies grow and share the gains more widely. She has spent 20 years working across policy, communications and stakeholder engagement. Eva began her career on political campaigns in the United States, starting with Howard Dean’s 2003 to 2004 presidential campaign, before working on campaigns in the UK and other countries. She later founded and led Atalanta, a strategic communications consultancy ranked among PR Week’s top five ESG consultancies. Her experience combines political campaigning, public narrative and first-hand knowledge of building a business in the UK. Susannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital. Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn and Subscribe to the Oxford+ Newsletter for Exclusive Content Oxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Mishcon de Reya and HSBC Innovation Banking. Produced and Edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.

What will it take for Britain to turn its research strengths into companies that stay, scale and list at home? Gordon Sanghera takes listeners through Oxford Nanopore's rise and its decision to list in London. Eva Barboni of Enterprise Britain argues for shorter non-competes to free up talent, and Acorn co-founder Hermann Hauser asks how Europe can fund its next generation of global companies. Conversations with the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Immunocore and Genomics follow. The timing matters. UK university spinouts raised £1.3bn of venture capital in 2025, down from £2.2bn in 2024, according to Dealroom's Spotlight on Spinouts report. The ideas are here. Season Five asks what it will take to build on them, starting 29 September. Susannah de Jager: Susannah is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital. Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn and Subscribe to the Oxford+ Newsletter for Exclusive Content Oxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager and supported by Mishcon de Reya and HSBC Innovation Banking. Produced and Edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.