OXCCU

OXCCU, a spin-out from the University of Oxford founded in 2021, is a climate tech company developing a cost-effective process to convert carbon dioxide and green hydrogen into sustainable products. The company's core technology centers on a novel, iron-based catalyst that enables the direct conversion of CO2 and hydrogen into jet-fuel-range hydrocarbons in a single step. This patented process is designed to consolidate the traditional, more complex two-step methods, thereby reducing capital costs by an estimated 50% and overall production costs by 25%.

The company was co-founded by CEO Andrew Symes, a climate tech investor with a background at BP Ventures; Dr. Jane Jin (COO); and the scientific team of Professor Peter Edwards, Dr. Tiancun Xiao (CTO), and Dr. Benzhen Yao, whose research at Oxford underpins the technology. OXCCU's business model is to license its catalyst and reactor technology to partners, providing a complete package that includes the catalyst, reactor designs, and engineering support. The primary market is the aviation industry, where there is a growing regulatory demand for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to decarbonize air travel. The technology is also applicable for producing other chemicals and biodegradable plastics.

OXCCU has progressed from the lab to demonstration-scale operations. Its OX1 plant, commissioned at Oxford Airport, serves as the first demonstration of the direct CO2-to-jet-fuel conversion process. The company is now developing a larger OX2 plant at Saltend Chemicals Park, which will scale up production and is expected to be operational in 2026. To finance its growth, OXCCU has raised significant capital, including a $22.7 million (£18 million) Series A round in 2023, with investors like United Airlines, Clean Energy Ventures, Aramco Ventures, and Eni Next.

Keywords: sustainable aviation fuel, SAF, carbon conversion, CO2 utilization, catalysis, green hydrogen, power-to-liquid, Fischer-Tropsch, decarbonization, climate tech, jet fuel, direct CO2 hydrogenation, cleantech, reactor design, carbon capture, hydrocarbons, chemicals production, waste-to-fuel, renewable energy, technology licensing