Backing Founders from Seed Stage and Beyond
Nine part Q&A with David Mott, Founder Partner, Oxford Capital
4. What makes the Oxford-Cambridge Arc such an attractive place to invest in?
This is a very simple answer: outside of London, the Arc has created more unicorns than any other region. This is not only because of the Arc’s incredibly successful universities, it’s also where the value has been created for investors. Oxford and Cambridge are probably the top destinations for UK and international venture capital looking to invest outside of London. Foreign investors might land in London, and then head to Oxford and Cambridge. The Arc is incredibly important as a magnet for foreign investment.
5. What are the key challenges for start-ups and spinouts in the Arc when securing investment?
They’re the same challenges that all start-ups face: securing capital, finding talent, and potential customers. Housing and transport links may represent small challenges, but in the world of start-ups, particularly digital start-ups, the challenges are the same as everywhere else. We ultimately need more talent, more capital, more entrepreneurs in the Arc, but we also need more start-ups, because that means more successes over the long-term. We need to make the Arc as an environment even more favourable as a place to start a business.