Scale your business in our thriving community of innovation
Free support from business growth experts
One of our key services is strategic business support from our Innovation Director and the wider centre team to drive your business to scale up sustainably.
We know growing a business can be tough, especially in times of uncertainty, so whether you’ve just started out or you're busy creating change, we're here to support you
Being part of our community is belonging to the Oxford Innovation network, which means we offer you more than just offices and workspace in our Innovation Centre Knowledge Gateway. We offer you a community of like-minded entrepreneurs and the support of our experts.
From questions on the day-to-day running and strategic decision making, through to introductions to potential clients or getting support from experts, our approachable team are always keen to give you a helping hand.
Join a community of like-minded entrepreneurs
Meet our Innovation Director,
Duncan Bird
For three decades, Duncan has operated at the intersection of culture, commerce, and technology—turning ideas into icons and curiosity into campaigns that resonate globally.
Duncan has held game-changing roles, including VP of Marketing at Sony Music and VP of Brand & Digital at Fiverr, where he helped elevate Fiverr to a globally recognised NYSE-listed brand—leading the company to its first Super Bowl campaign a $7M bet that cemented its place in Tech culture.
Fresh off a 17-year stint in New York as an advocate for generative AI, Duncan explores its power to reshape technology, culture, and music through his Substack: A Song Is Anything That Can Walk By Itself, where he asks: Are We Human? Or Are We Dancer?
Now as Innovation Director at ICKG, he continues to push the boundaries of Creativity and Innovation.
Our support for your business includes:
Strategic business planning
1-2-1 business coaching
Innovation planning
Talent management
Finding new customers and growing sales
Marketing strategy
Business growth workshops and masterclasses
Financial planning
Leadership and management
GROWTHmapper
Oxford Innovation has developed GROWTHmapper™ to help high growth businesses achieve their ambitions. This digital diagnostic tool consolidates over 20 years’ experience of nurturing successful high growth businesses and is used to model your business across multiple areas for future strategic growth.
Angel networks
We have proven results in raising funding and we even manage our own Angel Network in OION based in Oxford, plus more local funds such as Angels@Essex and Anglia Capital group that we can refer businesses to. We can help you identify the right funding for your business and connect you to finance providers. For over 30 years, we have developed many corporate relationships which could just give you the leg up you need.
Amazon web service partners
Oxford Innovation is one of 160 official Amazon Web Service Partners worldwide, which means that you may be able to benefit from free support packages. This can include up to $25,000 of credits.
Growing your connections
Our Oxford Innovation network strives to be at the forefront of business support and what we can offer our entrepreneurs, so we have a range of tools and insights to provide your business with the support it needs to achieve your goals.
As well as the support of our helpful team, a busy events calendar and the business support tools we’ve invested in for our centres, we also offer extended network resources, including financial advice and growth planning.
Beauhurst
Beauhurst is a searchable database of the UK’s fastest-growing businesses, plus the funds and accelerators that back them. OI has a subscription to the Beauhurst platform, which lets us track 32,000+ companies across the country, from early-stage start-ups to established scaleups. Using Beauhurst we can find comprehensive information on sources of funding and grants.
What our customers say
Extended Network Resources
Tech Nation empowers ambitious tech entrepreneurs to grow faster through growth programmes, digital entrepreneurship skills, a visa scheme for digital skills, and by championing the UK’s digital sector through data, stories and media campaigns. They are a national network with Entrepreneur Engagement Managers based in 11 regions across the UK. To find out more contact Thea Goodluck, Entrepreneur Engagement Manager for the East of England at theagoodluck@technation.io.
The BEST Growth Hub is a completely FREE and impartial government funded business signposting service. So if you are looking to grow or scale up your business and want to know about all of the business support and funding opportunities then the BEST Growth Hub is your first point of contact
The British Business Bank Finance Hub is designed to help businesses understand the financial landscape and ultimately access the right finance for their growth potential. It’s an independent, impartial digital hub designed to raise awareness of the different types of finance available for growing UK businesses. Explore finance options and find funding to suit your business.
Innovate UK drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas, including those from the UK’s world-class research base. Innovate UK is part of UK Research and Innovation and funds the Enterprise Europe Network, the Knowledge Transfer Network, to provide the advice and support that businesses need to succeed.
Access university connections & resources
Our Centre is on the Knowledge Gateway, University of Essex campus in Colchester. This means that Innovation Centre companies can benefit from short and long-term support of students, academics, equipment and world-class research projects. Through our Innovation Director you can make strong connections with the University and provide opportunities to their students through research and internships as well as access to cutting-edge research, expertise and facilities.
Interested in joining our tech community?
