46 Woodstock Road,
Oxford, OX2 6HT
AUG 31, 2023
Oxford, UK – 31 August 2023 – Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE) today announces the appointment of Ed Bussey as Chief Executive Officer. In a further strengthening of its leadership team, OSE has also appointed Jack Edmondson as its first Chief Investment Officer (CIO).
Chris Chambers, Chairman of OSE, said:
“We are delighted by the appointments of Ed and Jack. Ed is a dynamic entrepreneur and business leader with a strong track record of founding and building successful tech-enabled companies, and Jack is a highly experienced investment professional with a deep understanding of the Oxford ecosystem. Together, they bring strong expertise to the team as we continue to accelerate the commercialisation of Oxford’s world-leading science and technology, creating value for all stakeholders.”
A serial entrepreneur, Ed has launched and scaled three venture capital-backed businesses through to successful exits. He is currently an executive chair and investor in a portfolio of early-stage technology companies. Most recently, Ed founded and served as CEO of Quill, a multi-language content platform for e-commerce partners including Google and eBay. After building the business for 10 years, he led the sale of Quill to Jellyfish, a global marketing group, in 2020.
Recognised as a digital thought leader in the UK, Ed has been awarded UK Entrepreneur of the Year, Disruptor of the Year, and twice been included on the Sunday Times’ list of 500 most influential people in Britain. Ed commenced his career in the Royal Navy, followed by national roles in the UK Diplomatic Service. He holds a BA in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge.
Ed Bussey, Chief Executive Officer at OSE, said:
“The University of Oxford is home to the world’s leading scientific research and the opportunity this presents to build businesses that can solve the world’s most pressing challenges is one I could not refuse. OSE’s success to date, in establishing a remarkable portfolio of innovative companies, is a testament to the strength and commitment of its exceptional team. I’m really looking forward to leading the company into its next phase of growth, by building on this momentum to help OSE’s portfolio businesses achieve their full potential.”
Responding to the significant growth in its portfolio over the last eight years, OSE has today also announced the creation of a new role, Chief Investment Officer (CIO), and appointed Jack Edmondson. As CIO, Jack will oversee OSE’s investment process, the Investment Committee, and provide direction on investment strategy.
Jack has over 20 years’ experience in investment management and spent the last 14 years at Oxford University Endowment Management (OUem). As OUem’s Deputy CIO, Jack was integral to growing the fund from £600 million to £6 billion and invested across areas of technology and innovation. He also managed OUem’s stake in OSE.
Jack joined OUem from an investment role at Exponent Private Equity; earlier in his career he worked at McKinsey and Merrill Lynch. He holds a CFA qualification, an MBA from the University of Oxford and a BA from Durham University
Jack Edmondson, Chief Investment Officer at OSE, said:
“I’m thrilled to join OSE at this stage in the company’s journey. I look forward to supporting the team as we continue building OSE’s presence as a world-class investment company founded in the heart of the Oxford ecosystem.”
OSE has established itself as the leading investor in university spinouts in the UK and raised £850 million from blue-chip international investors. Since its founding in 2015, OSE has helped increase investment in Oxford-founded companies from £135 million per year to £1.4 billion in 2022 – representing over half of the amount raised by all UK university spinouts.
Recent OSE highlights include: