The University of Oxford has once again been recognised as the UK’s leading source of academic spinouts, according to the 2025 Spotlight on Spinouts report, released by the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Enterprise Hub and Beauhurst.
The ranking reinforces the university’s position at the forefront of innovation, reflecting its world-class research base, strong commercialisation expertise through Oxford University Innovation (OUI), and a robust network of investors and partners.
The report shows that just ten universities produce over half of the UK’s spinouts, with Oxford in the lead. It also highlights a positive trend: universities are now taking smaller stakes in spinouts — an average of 16% in 2024, down from 22% the previous year — following government recommendations to better support founders and boost spinout growth.
Oxford’s impact is clear in the recent acquisition of Pilio’s Carbon Footprint & Energy Software by Italian climate tech firm Green Future Project (GFP). Pilio, a spin-off from Oxford’s Environmental Change Institute, developed tools that help businesses track and reduce their energy use and carbon emissions, while meeting strict reporting standards like CSRD and SECR.
Catherine Bottrill, CEO and founder of Pilio is a former researcher working on the ECI’s Energy programme. She said:
We developed these tools to help companies organise, visualise, and report on their energy consumption and carbon emissions, giving them a clear understanding of their priorities on the decarbonisation journey. After years of collaboration with Green Future Project, this acquisition was a natural evolution to unlock the full potential of our software.”
With this acquisition, GFP is expanding its services to offer more advanced tools for sustainability, including automated carbon reporting and up-to-date emissions data. GFP co-founder Briano Martinoni said:
By integrating Pilio’s software, we’re helping companies cut emissions, simplify compliance, and improve their business performance.”
As Oxford tops the national rankings and its spinouts like Pilio achieve global impact, the university continues to turn world-class research into real-world solutions for a greener future.
Read more on this story on the University of Oxford website.