Oxford, UK, July 2025 - Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE), the independent investment company created to find, fund, and build transformational businesses from the University of Oxford’s world-leading research, today announced a new partnership with Tokyu Land Corporation (TLC) to join the SAKURA DEEPTECH SHIBUYA (SDS) accelerator programme in Tokyo as a global strategic partner.
The programme will fast-track market entry and connect cutting-edge technologies with strategic partners and business opportunities across Japan. As part of our partnership, Oxford-based startups will gain access to workspace, mentorship, and connections to Japan’s thriving innovation and investor networks, while OSE will provide coaching for the accelerator program. It marks OSE’s first step toward building international launchpads to help Oxford’s high-growth companies scale globally.
The SDS programme, run by Scrum Studio in partnership with Tokyu Land Corporation, supports Deep Tech startups in fields like AI, robotics, and climate tech. Backed by a group of world-class mentors, the programme gives startups access to state-of-the-art facilities, expert guidance, and the resources of Tokyu Land’s Shibuya Sakura Stage innovation complex. Participating partners include professors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT), NTT Docomo, NTT East, and other leading institutions looking to accelerate collaboration with frontier technology startups.
The program, which kicked off in June 2025, began with the selection of ten Deep Tech startups from around the world. Over the course of six months, the programme will focus on facilitating each startup’s entry to the Japanese market and partnerships, receiving support from a global network of mentors, culminating in a ‘Demo Day’ in December.
Ed Bussey, CEO of Oxford Science Enterprises, commented: “At Oxford Science Enterprises, we’re focused on scaling the most advanced science and technology innovations into companies tackling the world’s toughest challenges. With this partnership, we begin our engagement with Japan’s vibrant innovation ecosystem and create new opportunities for collaboration between Oxford-linked startups, Japanese industry, and government.”
The agreement is part of a broader strategy from OSE to create the right conditions for portfolio companies to scale, not only within Oxford but across key global innovation ecosystems.
About Oxford Science Enterprises
Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE) is an independent, billion-pound investment company that finds, funds and builds transformational science and technology companies emerging from Oxford’s world-leading research. Our portfolio of companies is focused across three high-impact sectors – Deep Tech, Life Sciences, and Health Tech – with the ambition of tackling some of the world’s greatest challenges. To date, OSE has collaborated with over 300 international investors, collectively investing over £2.5 billion in more than 100 groundbreaking companies.