The Oxford Female Investment Network (OFIN) Conference returned to Oxford on Wednesday 2 July 2025 to inspire, support and celebrate female-led investment and entrepreneurship across Oxfordshire – setting a powerful example for other regions.
Building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, this free conference at Inventa gathered together over 80 business founders, investors, would-be investors and industry experts to share practical advice, knowledge and real-life experiences on raising investment and becoming an investor.
The conference is a collaborative initiative led by innovation experts from Advanced Oxford, Barclays, James Cowper Kreston, Longwall Ventures, Mishcon de Reya LLP, Oxford Innovation Finance, Oxford University, and Oxford University Innovation (OUI).
Oxford Innovation Finance were proud to be able to host this event for Oxfordshire alongside these dedicated partners. We had a fantastic line-up of speakers, which included female investors from our own OION angel network, who shared their own insights and experiences.
For aspiring investors, the event offered the opportunity to find out what it’s really like to invest in early-stage businesses, with practical guidance on how to get started. For business founders, sessions focused on the investment process, what investors look for and insights from peers who have successfully raised finance.
A highlight of the afternoon was an empowering keynote address by Hannah Bernard OBE, Head of Business Banking at Barclays and Co-Chair of the Invest in Women Taskforce – an industry-led government-backed initiative with a mission to accelerate investment into female-powered businesses in the UK.
Hannah Bernard said: “It’s truly inspiring to see the energy and ambition at the Oxford Female Investment Network. Unlocking the UK’s full economic potential means creating more initiatives like this – that back women by connecting them to capital, networks and visibility.
“At the Invest in Women Taskforce, we know real change happens when women are at the table making investment decisions. This network is exactly the kind of ecosystem-level intervention that can help shift the dial. We need more of this sort of action across the board. We cannot afford to rest on our laurels if we are going to capitalise on the potential of female founders for the UK economy.”
OFIN’s mission to support female founders and attract more women into angel investing is an economic issue not just a gender one. The Rose Review, an independent review of female entrepreneurship, found that a £250 billion boost could be added to the UK economy if women started and scaled their businesses at the same rate as men. While, on the investment side, women represent just 14 per cent of angel investors in the UK, according to data from the UK Business Angels Association (UKBAA).
To register your interest in the Oxford Female Investment Network and its future events, please email OFIN@oxin.co.uk
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Published: July 2025.