4. OXCCU OXCCU turns waste carbon into clean, cost-effective jet fuel and chemicals, making pollution the solution. Written by Helena Young Sponsored by Sage Published on January 12, 2026 About the Startups 100 Now in its 18th year, the Startups 100 is the definitive list of the most promising new UK businesses. There's no fee for entry or for inclusion in our index. The Startups team of new business experts judge all our top 100 entrants in collaboration with specialist industry consultants. See our guide to this year’s hottest new businesses and most exceptional founders in the complete 2026 Startups 100 index. Sustainability Award Winner In recognition of a sustainability leader that prioritises the health of the planet as part of its company mission. Go to award Founders: Andrew Symes, Dr Jane Jin, Dr Tiancun Xiao, Dr Benzhen Yao, and Professor Peter EdwardsYear founded: 2021Website: oxccu.comFlying, driving; the activities we rely on every day all come at a carbon cost. In some sectors, the shift to renewables is comparatively simple. But aviation and petrochemicals are trickier. They need high-density fuels and complex molecules; things an EV battery can’t provide.Enter OXCCU. The University of Oxford spin-out is tackling “the urgent need to find alternatives that maintain our standard of living without relying on fossil fuels”, by using world-leading technology to make waste carbon usable.In development since 2010, the researchers filed their first patent in 2020, after the team developed a breakthrough single-step process that combines captured CO₂ with green hydrogen to create jet-fuel-range hydrocarbons.As the founders explain, “most sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) approaches typically rely on land-based resources such as vegetable oil. But these rely on crops and are limited due to land use.” Another issue? Many produce “significant amounts of alcohols as a byproduct.” Most sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) approaches typically rely on land-based resources such as vegetable oil. But these rely on crops and are limited due to land use. In comparison, OXCCU’s process looks considerably more elegant. Its patented iron catalyst converts CO₂ and CO directly into liquid hydrocarbons in a single reaction, avoiding intermediate steps and minimising byproducts. This translates into lower capital costs, lower operating costs, and more competitive prices for SAF.Oh, and of course, this method also reduces lifecycle emissions by up to 90% compared to fossil fuels; a figure which marked it as the clear winner for our 2026 Sustainability Award.Proof of concept delivered, OXCCU formed as a fully-fledged company in 2021. Scaling the science has been a challenge, as with any climate tech. The team has learned that progress depends not just on the lab, but on the right partnerships and policy engagement.The business now counts airlines – including British Airways’ owner IAG and United Airlines – venture firms, and two global energy companies among its supporters.Still, the real proof is in the plant. OXCCU’s OX1 demonstration facility at London Oxford Airport has already logged 1,000 hours producing liquid fuel, with high conversion rates and excellent selectivity for SAF. Following this success, the spin-out closed £20.75m in Series B funding at the end of last year, to further scale its sustainable fuels and technologies.Futuristic tech typically has a long timeline. OXCCU aims to produce 10,000 tonnes of SAF per year before 2030 (for context, a Boeing 787 transatlantic flight uses around 50 tonnes) while exploring applications beyond aviation in chemicals and plastics.The mission goes without saying: enable fuel-guzzling industries to continue doing so, without the climate impact. From lab breakthroughs to commercial demonstrations, OXCCU is proving that waste carbon doesn’t have to be a problem; it can also be the solution.View the full Startups 100 Index for 20261. Omnea2. HIVED3. MAGIC AI4. OXCCU5. Lightyear6. Neuranics 7. Hormona8. Burbank9. Better Dairy 10. Lenkie Technologies11. Userled12. Hoxton Farms13. Rensair14. PulpaTronics15. TradeKart16. 32Co17. Carmoola18. cheqd19. Sightline Analytics20. Adamo Foods21. Bold Bean Co22. Beams Renovation 23. Pan Galactic24. Capi Money25. Spotted Zebra26. ANTHROTEK 27. Unravel28. Perci Health29. Untap Health30. Hair Syrup31. Connect Earth 32. spacebands 33. Unfabled34. Lightning Reach35. STOCKED36. Embeddable37. XR Therapeutics38. Literal Labs39. Scooch40. Openr41. Fibe Limited42. Inicio AI43. Peachies44. Better Nature 45. Ctrl Alt46. Resting Reef47. Nila48. ROXFIT49. Finmile50. NavLive51. Volunteero52. Inntelo AI53. Zonova54. A&B Smart Materials55. Ethicronics56. Treeapp57. kennek58. Soil Benchmark59. Vox Aeris60. Asan Cup61. Nuuri62. Mindstone63. MYNDUP64. Enbiosis Biotechnology65. JUX Food66. Danu Robotics67. Wylde Market68. Air Aware Labs69. Mimicrete Ltd70. ALYVE71. Happl72. Living Things73. Grub Club Pets74. Mealia75. PetProov76. Lylo Products77. Chest78. ZIM Connections79. Uptime Labs80. Teal81. Zero Fintech82. Micro Thermal Energy 83. Kanjo 84. Merlin Cloud85. My Skin Feels86. Eleria87. Cashblack88. RevvedUp89. Cosysense90. SuperFi91. Loom92. Legacy Compass93. Meshed94. SWURF95. Main Squeeze96. Sampl Technologies97. Over the Moo98. Pioneering People99. Bikebook100. Recondition Share this post facebook twitter linkedin Tags 2026 Written by: Helena Young Deputy Editor Helena is Deputy Editor at Startups. She oversees all news and supporting content on Startups, and is also the author of the weekly Startups email newsletter, delivering must-know SME updates straight to their inbox. From interviewing Wetherspoon's boss Tim Martin to spotting data-led working from home trends, her insight has been featured by major trade publications including the ICAEW, and news outlets like the BBC, ITV News, Daily Express, and HuffPost UK. With a background in PR and marketing, Helena is particularly passionate about giving early-stage startups a platform to boost their brands. That's one reason she manages the Startups 100 Index, our annual ranking of new UK businesses. Sponsored by: Sage Startups 100 Index Sponsor 2026 Sage exists to knock down barriers so everyone can thrive, starting with the millions of Small and Mid-Sized Businesses served by us, our partners and accountants. Customers trust our finance, HR and payroll software to make work and money flow. By digitising business processes and relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, banks and governments, our digital network connects SMBs, removing friction and delivering insights. Knocking down barriers also means we use our time, technology and experience to tackle digital inequality, economic inequality and the climate crisis.