Nurturing Founder-Driven Ventures in Oxford with Peter Crane, Co-Founder of Caeruleus Genomics

In this episode of Oxford+, host Susannah de Jager is joined by guest Peter Crane, the co-founder and CEO of Caeruleus Genomics, an Oxford University life sciences spin-out.

Peter shares his perspective as both a founder and an investor in Oxford and beyond, and also discusses why he chose to come back to Oxford to found his business, highlighting the city's abundance of great research and academic talent. From this, they consider the challenges and opportunities of building enduring, founder-driven companies in Oxford, including the need for a diverse investor base that supports founders rather than replacing them.

(0:12) Introduction
(0:54) Returning to Oxford
(6:05) Personality Bias and Business Success
(13:06) The Challenges Faced in Oxford
(28:24) Founding Caeruleus Genomics

About the guest:
Peter Crane is the co-founder and CEO of Caeruleus, a tech-enabled biotech company he spun out of Oxford’s Medical Sciences Division in late 2022. The company is founded around foundational work in the single-cell long-read sequencing space, and combines this with the latest machine learning tools to develop differentiated BIC therapies across a range of chronic and rare diseases.  He’s previously worked in both therapeutics and biology-software companies and has also invested as a VC investor in the UK, EU and US into start-ups and spinouts across life-sciences tools, diagnostics, therapeutics, and deep technology companies. He earned a DPhil in Chemical Biology from Oxford and has been involved in the entrepreneurial community here for over 10 years.

Connect with Peter on LinkedIn

About the host:
Susannah de Jager is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in UK asset management. She has worked closely with industry experts, entrepreneurs, and government officials to shape the conversation around domestic scale-up capital.

Connect with Susannah on LinkedIn

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Oxford+ is hosted by Susannah de Jager, supported by Mishcon de Reya and produced and edited by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford.