Someone should buy Oxford City Hall and build a founder space.

Oxford is packed with talent, innovation, and groundbreaking research.

But for all its potential as a venture hub, the city has a problem: founders struggle to find space to build.

Small lab facilities and bench space are limited, office space is overpriced, and there’s nowhere for software founders to work or hardware founders to build.

Many startups leave for London or beyond as soon as they gain traction.

There’s a perfect site in the center of Oxford for an independent ‘founders space’ - the old Country Hall on New Road across from Westgate.

The property is currently up for sale…

Oxford needs something like Scale Space in London or Station F in Paris, independent and unaffiliated to create an open space for founders, private capital, and accelerators.

With over 91,000 square feet of centrally located space, the County Hall site has the scale and potential to transform Oxford’s startup ecosystem.

If it were me, I’d call it Flywheel: a founder-friendly space to code, try stuff, and connect.

Here’s the pitch: buy the County Hall building and turn it into a purpose-built space for founders to create, experiment, and grow their companies—right in the heart of the Golden Triangle.

I think this could kickstart the UK’s venture flywheel and position the city of Oxford as a founder-friendly space to build (and keep building) startups.

The Rationale

Oxford consistently delivers on research and innovation. The city’s university spinouts have pulled in £2.5 billion in external investments over the last decade.

Yet the infrastructure founders need to stay and build startups that aren’t spinouts simply isn’t there. Instead of spinning out the next generation of global tech companies locally, promising startups are pushed to relocate.

This isn’t just an Oxford problem—it’s a missed opportunity for the UK’s entire venture ecosystem. A space like the County Hall would keep talent in Oxford and accelerate the city’s role as a key player in the Golden Triangle.

The Timing

• The UK government revived the Oxford-Cambridge Arc to boost growth.

• The Oxford-Cambridge railway line is being built.

• Oxford had a bumper year for Y-Combinator, and Oxford’s student and alumni-managed fund backed them.

• City government’s West End strategy builds momentum.

• Pioneer group partners with The Crown Estate and Oxford Science Enterprises to transform Oxford retail site into life sciences hub

• University of Oxford student startup sold for record return

• Oxford and Cambridge are too small.

• How Labour can unshackle Britain’s most innovative region.

The Opportunity

County Hall is a one-acre site between the Westgate Shopping Centre and Oxford Castle Quarter, making it prime real estate in a high-traffic area. Currently home to Oxfordshire County Council, the building is available for sale today with a leaseback condition meaning it is set to become vacant by 2027. With 91,421 square feet of built accommodation, it’s an ideal candidate for redevelopment or reimagining.

The vision: modern labs for biotech and deep tech startups, hardware workshops for prototyping, and flexible office spaces designed to grow with companies. Pair that with common areas to encourage collaboration and you’ve got a functional, community-driven hub for innovation. Think ScaleSpace or Station F, but for the city of Oxford.

The Proposal

My idea is simple (but massively hard and possibly crazy): acquire and redevelop County Hall into a dedicated, independent startup space. To make it sustainable and impactful, the project needs buy-in from key players across the ecosystem and to bring in private capital and connect the ecosystem to other hubs:

• VCs: Offer venture funds free office space for 12 months to encourage them to set up a footprint in Oxford. This gives local startups easier access to funding and incentivizes VCs to build stronger ties in the region, as well as strengthen the capital depth in the city.

• Ecosystem Partners: Bring in organisations like UKRI as well as independents like Conception X, 5050, Nucleate and Wilbe to provide on-site support, mentoring, and resources to founders, as well as local organizations like MakerSpace to support local entrepreneurship. This also helps to thicken the tapestry of existing entrepreneurial supports offered by the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes, and the excellent work by the local council.

• Oxford-Affiliated Startups: Provide discounted space for startups linked to the university or local ecosystem. Lower overhead costs would make staying in Oxford a no-brainer compared to pricey London coworking spaces (not to mention living costs and quality of life in London) - and would likely encourage some to relocate from London depending on their stage and life circumstances.

• Affordable, size-appropriate lab space: rent bench time, or lease small-scale lab space under <10k square foot. Coworking models for lab use like in SF - Bonneville Labs, Focus, or J&Js lab incubator. There are models that work. Founders need a size appropriate, affordable lab access - having a model like this could even attract science founders up from London (and other hubs) to build in the city of Oxford.

The mix of founders, investors, and support organisations would support the flywheel effect for the UK—driving collaboration, cross-pollination, and new venture activity across the region. This flywheel would be for Oxford but also plug into the Oxford-Cambridge Arc & Golden Triangle (Oxford-London-Cambridge) that is ultimately the UK’s venture flywheel.

Alignment to the City’s Priorities

The proposal aligns with the City of Oxford’s priorities:

• Strong, Fair Economy – a dedicated, founder friendly space would fuel Oxford’s economic growth by supporting founders, attracting venture capital, and possibly keep more high-growth companies in the city during their early stages.

• Thriving Communities – This project fosters a collaborative environment where founders, researchers, and investors can connect. It ensures equal access to startup infrastructure, empowering local talent, and supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs. A shared space lowers barriers for early-stage founders, unlocking innovation beyond traditional university spinouts.

• Zero Carbon Oxford – Redeveloping County Hall with sustainability in mind could set a benchmark for green construction in the region. Think sustainable building materials, energy efficient installations, low emission facility use informing design.

• Good, Affordable Homes – A mixed-use development incorporating affordable housing and accommodation tailored for young founders would help retain talent in Oxford while alleviating housing pressures. Providing living space for entrepreneurs building companies that create local jobs strengthens the city’s long-term economic and social fabric.

We don’t need another hotel…

By transforming County Hall into a founder-friendly hub with integrated housing, Oxford builds on its strengths in research and innovation while addressing economic, housing, and sustainability goals.

And if the Oxford County Hall is already set to become another Hotel, there are other spots that could work.

The Ask

Oxford’s startup ecosystem is thriving but can feel fragmented.

Founders need infrastructure to stay competitive.

Talent and capital density provide for collision opportunities and pollination.

The County Hall property is an opportunity to create an independent gravity well—a central space for talent, ideas, and capital to converge - to kickstart the flywheel and catalyze the existing efforts in the city.

This isn’t a property play; it’s a strategy to accelerate Oxford’s growth and strengthen the UK’s role in global tech.

If we invest in a hub like this ‘founder’s space’ now, we’re investing in the startups and industries that will define the future.

If you think this is a good idea, sign the petition here.

If you know deep pockets that might support this idea, let me know.