Medhesion wins StEP Ignite 2025 as students showcase the future of innovation
30th July 2025
From biotech to quantum and AI-driven music tech, this year’s StEP Ignite cohort proved that Oxford’s next generation of innovators are building bold solutions for real-world challenges.
After four weeks of entrepreneurial training, mentoring, and venture development, ten student teams from the University of Oxford took to the stage at Christ Church College on 24 July to pitch their startups to an audience of investors, mentors, and peers. The occasion marked the final event of StEP Ignite 2025, Oxford’s student entrepreneurship programme, delivered by Oxford University Innovation, Oxford Edge, and EnSpire Oxford.
Taking first place was Medhesion, a biotech venture tackling the problem of internal scarring in surgery. While post-operative adhesions are common and can lead to chronic pain or life-threatening complications, they remain poorly addressed in clinical practice. Medhesion aims to change that. Their science-driven approach is based on advanced biomaterials designed to prevent scar tissue from forming after surgery. Judges praised the team’s technical clarity, strong evidence base, and compelling commercial proposition.
“Being part of StEP Ignite has been an incredible experience – intense, inspiring, and deeply rewarding. The programme challenged us to approach our work through the lens of real-world impact, venture building, and collaboration. Winning is an honour, but what we’re most excited about is taking Medhesion forward and making a genuine difference in patient outcomes.
“We’re fortunate to have a team with deep expertise, including a surgeon, a medic, and an IP specialist, which has been instrumental in shaping our approach and ensuring it’s grounded in both clinical need and commercial potential.
“It’s encouraging to see such a strong ecosystem at Oxford that supports student-led innovation in healthcare and beyond. We’re deeply grateful to the mentors, organisers, and fellow teams who made this journey so inspiring, and we leave the programme with not just a stronger venture, but also a community we’re proud to be part of.” – Medhesion team
In joint second place were Entangled and Autotone, two very different but equally ambitious ventures.
Entangled is working to remove the bottlenecks in connections between qubits, one of the fundamental elements of quantum computing. Their solution is designed to release the full capability of the technology to transform complex processes such as drug discovery, cybersecurity and space exploration. Their work combines physics and engineering to tackle a truly complex challenge.
Autotone, by contrast, is focused on music technology. Their software solution uses artificial intelligence to analyse recordings and extract the exact guitar tone used in a song. Players can then plug their guitar into their computer and play through the same sound, replicating professional tones without needing expensive amps or pedalboards.
Throughout the month-long programme, students participated in workshops involving product development, storytelling, and pitching. They also received guidance from experienced mentors.
Cath Spence, incubator manager at OUI, said: “Every year, we are amazed by the ambition and creativity of Oxford students. What stood out this year was the level of technical expertise across the board. Medhesion delivered an elegant and deeply needed solution, and they did so with professionalism and clarity.”
We congratulate all of the finalists and look forward to seeing where their ventures go next. Explore more about the programme at unistep.org
