By Hugo Sousa, Senior Director
Having been part of the OakNorth team for over 3 years now, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing firsthand how we’re redefining business banking in the UK. Our Mission isn’t just about providing innovative financial solutions—it’s about creating a dynamic, supportive ecosystem for ambitious businesses and the private equity or venture capital firms who back them.
At OakNorth, we understand that success in business goes beyond numbers and balance sheets. It’s about connections, insights, and opportunities—and that’s why we’ve made it our priority to go the extra mile for the entrepreneurs we serve.
A different kind of Business Bank
Entrepreneurs and their investors are at the heart of everything we do. Our approach is built on a deep understanding of their needs: fast, flexible, and straightforward banking solutions that save time and drive growth. But what truly sets us apart is our commitment to fostering collaboration, valuable connections and knowledge-sharing across the UK’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
In 2025, we’re hosting and partnering a range of impactful initiatives from workshops on scaling businesses to exclusive dinners and thought-provoking panels, all designed to empower entrepreneurs and their backers. These events are not just networking opportunities—they’re spaces where ideas take shape, strategies are refined, and connections are made.
Why this matters
Each of these events represents a core belief at OakNorth: entrepreneurship thrives when great minds come together. We’ve designed these initiatives to deliver practical insights, actionable guidance, and meaningful connections—not just to support the businesses of today but to help shape the industries of tomorrow.
For high-growth and venture capital-backed companies, this is a unique opportunity to benefit from more than just a Business Bank. Alongside dedicated Business Partners, fast-tracked account opening, and market-leading savings rates, our customers gain access to a network of like-minded leaders, inspiring discussions, and exclusive events—all designed to accelerate your growth and success.
Join the OakNorth community
Our commitment to entrepreneurs is woven into everything we do—from our bespoke banking solutions to the relationships we build with our partners and the events we host. Together, we’re fostering a culture of innovation, resilience, and growth across the UK’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
If you’re a venture capital-backed company looking for more than a banking partner, I invite you to learn more about what makes OakNorth unique.
You can reach me at [email protected] or the team at [email protected].
Here’s a glimpse into the partnerships and opportunities we offer our customers
Supporting pioneering businesses in the sustainability sector: with Sustainable Ventures we launched a strategic partnership to provide tailored lending and business banking services to their unique ecosystem of climate tech companies, deepening our commitment to supporting green businesses. Recently, we’ve also partnered with Greenbackers, connecting cleantech entrepreneurs with investors and fostering a collaborative community to accelerate climate innovation. Aligned with this activity, we are also supporting Bright Tide and their Sustain.ai accelerator programme to drive sustainability solutions using AI.
Partnered with The Entrepreneurs Network (TEN) to offer meet-ups at our Soho office. These events provide access to thought-leaders and an amazing platform for collaboration and forward-thinking discussions on scaling businesses in the UK. Working with Boardwave, we aim to support their vision of creating powerful relationships that will transform Europe into a software superpower.
Aligning with The Launch Lab we are empowering female-led startups through bespoke events and are participating in their 2025 incubator programme to drive inclusion and innovation.
And many more: with Founders Capital through joint webinars and exclusive events, we’re offering founders insights into funding strategies, exploring debt, equity, and hybrid models; partnering with the British Design Fund to support purpose-led product businesses at earlier stages with access to tailored business banking products and services, helping them scale and refine their market propositions; and E2E – strengthening our support for UK entrepreneurs through exclusive events and their Ambassador programme.
