Two deeptech start-ups expand Oxford’s Wood Centre for Innovation community

Start-ups Densix and Pure Capture Innovations have taken space at The Oxford Trust’s Wood Centre for Innovation in Headington, bringing the total number of companies based at the centre to ten and further reinforcing its role as a growing hub for science and deeptech innovation.

Densix is a University of Oxford spinout founded by Anders Hakfelt, Professor Dan Rogers, Dr Kawsar Ali and Dr Aleks Ristic-Smith. The company is developing a new class of ultra-dense power converters aimed at transforming how electrical power systems are designed, built and deployed.

Its proprietary technology enables higher efficiency and greater flexibility in power system design, with potential applications spanning data centres, renewable energy infrastructure, EV charging networks and national grid systems.

As demand accelerates for AI computing, electrification and clean energy, power density has become a critical constraint across both digital and physical infrastructure. Densix is targeting this bottleneck by improving the performance and scalability of power conversion technologies. Earlier this year, the company raised $4 million in seed funding, led by Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE) with participation from Parkwalk and the University of Oxford Innovation Fund.

Alongside Densix, Pure Capture Innovations has opened its first materials research and water analysis laboratory at the Wood Centre for Innovation.

Founded by Dr Mark Wild and Dr Usman Shoukat, the start-up is developing advanced adsorbent materials and molecular filtration technologies for use in water and air purification systems.

Its technology is designed to capture a wide range of emerging contaminants, including PFAS ‘forever chemicals’, dyes, hormones, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals and microplastics in water, as well as CFCs and carbon dioxide in air. With global concern rising over persistent pollutants, the company is initially focusing on solutions for the water industry.

Pure Capture Innovations is supported by Carbon13 and is currently raising a pre-seed funding round to accelerate development of its technologies.

Steve Burgess, Chief Executive of The Oxford Trust, said: “We are delighted to welcome Densix and Pure Capture Innovations to the Wood Centre for Innovation. Both companies are tackling major global challenges with advanced technologies, and their arrival further strengthens our growing community of ambitious science and technology businesses.”

Densix Chief Executive Anders Hakfelt said: “The Wood Centre for Innovation provides an excellent environment for us to grow our team and accelerate development of our power conversion technology. We are excited to be part of such a dynamic innovation community.”

Pure Capture Innovations Chief Executive Dr Mark Wild added: “Establishing our materials research and PFAS water testing capability at the Wood Centre for Innovation marks an important milestone. The facilities and collaborative environment will help us advance our purification technologies and address urgent environmental challenges.”

Densix and Pure Capture Innovations join eight other companies in the Linden Building at the Wood Centre for Innovation, including Bioarchitech, Helio Display Materials, Lumai, DJS Antibodies, PicturaBio, Newrotex, Exogene and Jack Fertility, further strengthening the Headington science and innovation cluster.

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