What would it take for Britain to build its first trillion-dollar company — and ensure the benefits of its success are shared more widely?
In this episode of Oxford+, host Susannah de Jager speaks with Eva Barboni, Executive Director of Enterprise Britain, about the ambition, capital and talent needed to turn promising British start-ups into global companies that stay and grow here. Eva explains why public attitudes towards success matter, how decades of policy have steered households and pension funds towards safer assets, and why British capital backing British businesses can help keep jobs, investment and decision-making in the country.
Drawing on 20 years across political campaigning, strategic communications and building a business, Eva explores the practical changes that could help close the UK’s scale-up gap. From retail investing and pension fiduciary duty to Series B funding and non-compete clauses, the conversation examines how policy can support companies as they grow. It also considers what AI means for entry-level work, and how universities and regional clusters can spread the gains from innovation beyond established hubs. Against a backdrop of pension providers exploring a fund of more than £1 billion for British scale-ups, Eva makes the case that unlocking capital is only part of the challenge: Britain also needs a compelling public story connecting business growth with shared prosperity.