Business & Technology
First Indie Oxford Day kicks off with great success
On Saturday, March 21, Independent Oxford hosted its inaugural day which also encourages as many people as possible to shop, celebrate and support small shops, cafes and more.
Annabel Lee, community manager at Independent Oxford said: “Independent businesses reflect the culture and interest of people in Oxfordshire, and what makes us different.
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“They make our towns, villages and city so much more interesting and fun, giving us places to go, great things to buy and a wonderful sense of place.
“When you shop indie, you are supporting local businesses, local jobs and the local community.”
L to R Annabel Lee and Jacqui Thorndyke from Independent Oxford celebrating Indie Oxford Day (Image by Jason Warner Fyrefly Studios) (Image: Independent Oxford)
Set up by Independent Oxford, there were events and promotions across the city aimed at encouraging people to shop local.
The Old Fire Station hosted a ‘Green Day (Not The Band)’ event to celebrate organisations that offer an alternative to buying new and which have a strong ethical and environmental focus.
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Customers at The Market Tap in the Covered Market who said “Indie Oxford Day” were given a £5 pint and were entered into a draw for £50 for the Tap Social Movement.
Anyone who bought two large 250g gift boxed candles at The Herberow Candle Co received a free 180g candle.
And there was a pop-up studio at Kennington Scout Hut where Laura Greene was taking mini portraits for dogs.
Traders in the Covered Market (file photo) (Image: Photo: Ed Nix)
Over the last 11 years, Independent Oxford has supported and championed Oxfordshire’s indie business community.
More than 180 businesses are members including shops, restaurants, cafes, wellbeing and creative businesses.
All independent businesses in Oxfordshire are invited to get involved on Indie Oxford Day.
Jacqui Thorndyke, digital manager at Independent Oxford said: “We’re on a mission to spread the love and celebrate all the brilliant businesses that make Oxfordshire a great place to live and shop.
“Indie Oxford Day is a great reason to share a recommendation, try something new and find out about other brilliant indie businesses in Oxfordshire.”
Oxfordshire residents and visitors have a number of ways to help independent businesses.
That could be shopping locally, choosing an independent retailer for their morning coffee or trying an event at an independent business.
You can celebrate an indie you love by sharing a recommendation, signing up for their mailing list or following them on social media.
A statement issued by Independent Oxford said: “Your money stays local, supporting livelihoods, creating jobs and investing directly in the community.
“Independent businesses bring character and diversity to our high streets. They offer personal service, unique products and experiences you simply won’t find anywhere else.”
Business & Technology
Yoto uses Oracle NetSuite to support global growth
Yoto is using Oracle NetSuite to run its operations, with the children’s audio platform saying the system supports its expansion across several international markets.
The London-founded business adopted NetSuite after rapid growth made it harder to manage operations across disconnected systems. As annual transactions rose into the millions, it wanted a single platform for financial and operational data.
Founded in 2017 by Ben Drury and Filip Denker, Yoto built its business around audio products for children designed to reduce screen time. After launching its first device, the Yoto Player, through Kickstarter in 2019, it expanded into the UK, US, Canada, Australia and France.
Yoto said it passed £100 million in annual revenue in 2025. As the business grew, separate software tools limited visibility across finance, inventory and wider operations.
Unified systems
NetSuite now brings together several previously separate systems into a single suite covering finance, inventory, and planning. According to Yoto, the software has helped automate parts of its global financial processes, improve forecasting, and strengthen supply chain and stock management.
Yoto said its financial management tools have shortened reporting and financial close work, increasing team productivity. It also said inventory management functions have improved product availability by enabling more accurate, responsive stock planning across countries and sales channels.
The deployment also includes NetSuite AI Connector Service, which Yoto said links the ERP platform to a third-party large language model provider. The setup allows the company to define what the AI can access and do through role-based permissions.
Ben Averis, Chief Financial Officer at Yoto, outlined the reason for the move. “As a fast-growing global business, we needed systems that could keep pace with our growth and support increasingly complex operations,” he said. “We chose NetSuite because it is a system capable of scaling and supporting the ambitions we have as a company. NetSuite has helped us operate more efficiently, plan more effectively, and make faster, more confident decisions by giving us a single source of truth for all financial and operational data,” said Averis.
Growth pressure
The changes come as consumer brands face growing demands on inventory planning and reporting as they expand across markets and sales channels. For businesses with physical products, the need to track stock accurately while maintaining financial control has become more pressing as international operations widen.
Yoto’s model combines hardware and audio content for children, placing it in a category that has grown as parents seek alternatives to screen-based entertainment. Expansion into multiple English-speaking markets and France has added complexity to supply chains, local sales activity and financial reporting from a central platform.
Oracle NetSuite said Yoto’s adoption reflects the pressure on growing consumer businesses to replace fragmented software systems with a single operational platform. In its view, this can help companies standardise workflows and improve oversight as they scale.
Nicky Tozer, Senior Vice President for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Oracle NetSuite, said Yoto had used the software to simplify and automate key parts of the business. “Yoto is pioneering a fast-growing category that is resonating with parents and children alike,” said Tozer. “With NetSuite, Yoto has replaced disconnected software systems with a single unified suite, automated critical workflows with embedded AI, and built a scalable foundation to support continued growth and meet rising customer demand,” added Tozer.
Business & Technology
Hyperlayer adds Chan & O’Callaghan after GBP £30m raise
Hyperlayer has appointed Louise Chan and Barry O’Callaghan to its board of directors following the London fintech’s GBP £30 million fundraise in the third quarter of 2025.
Chan already serves on the executive team as Chief Operating Officer, while O’Callaghan joins the board with a background in investment and corporate leadership. The appointments add two senior figures as Hyperlayer looks to expand internationally.
Founded in London, Hyperlayer sells technology to banks launching new financial products while maintaining links to existing core systems. Its platform is designed to help lenders move faster in areas such as digital financial services.
Chan joined Hyperlayer in 2023 and has more than 25 years of experience across banking and payments.
Before becoming Chief Operating Officer at Hyperlayer, she held the same role at Ebury, where she oversaw product, data and operations during the company’s international expansion. Earlier, she was Managing Director for Innovation Capability Development at HSBC and also held senior roles in banking and consultancy.
Capital markets
O’Callaghan is Chairman of private investment firm AKLO Capital. He previously served as Chief Executive Officer of education company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and earlier built digital publisher Riverdeep through a series of acquisitions.
Earlier in his career, he held investment banking roles at Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse, focusing on mergers and acquisitions and capital markets. That experience brings board-level expertise in fundraising, expansion and dealmaking as Hyperlayer builds on its latest investment round.
The board changes were announced by Rob Rooney, Hyperlayer’s co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Morgan Stanley International. He has led the company as it pursues further growth with banks across multiple markets.
Board changes
The addition of an internal operating executive and an investor with capital markets experience points to a blend of execution and financial oversight at the board level. It also formalises Chan’s leadership role while giving O’Callaghan a direct governance position.
O’Callaghan was already involved with the business as an investor. His appointment shifts that relationship from shareholder backing to a formal board seat as the company enters its next phase.
For fintech companies selling to large banks, board composition can carry weight because customers and investors often look for experience in regulation, operations and institutional relationships. Hyperlayer’s choice of directors reflects that emphasis, with Chan bringing operational banking expertise and O’Callaghan contributing experience in investing and large-scale corporate management.
Hyperlayer has tied the appointments to its recent funding and international plans. It is one of several UK fintechs seeking to win business from incumbent banks under pressure to improve digital services without replacing core systems outright.
Market pressure
Competition in that market has intensified as banks weigh how to use newer forms of automation and software in customer-facing products. Providers that can demonstrate an understanding of both bank infrastructure and governance requirements have tried to stand out as spending by financial institutions remains selective.
“Louise has been instrumental in building our global operating capability, driving our HyperJar B2C business and leading Tier 1 bank client relationships. Barry adds deep experience in capital markets and scaling global businesses, and we’re delighted to see him move from investor to this hands-on leadership role. As we expand internationally and work with larger institutions, their perspective at board level will be critical to our next stage of growth,” said Rob Rooney, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Hyperlayer.
Business & Technology
COHO names Jon Hurley Chief Product Officer as rollout
COHO has appointed Jon Hurley as Chief Product Officer, moving the Co-Founder from Chief Operations Officer into a product leadership role.
He will oversee the vision, direction and delivery of the shared living software group’s digital products as it expands its platform for landlords, letting agents and tenants. The appointment comes as COHO rolls out changes linked to the Renters’ Rights Act and broader updates to its product offering.
COHO, which operates in the UK shared living market, says its platform is used by more than 55,000 tenants across more than 6,000 houses in multiple occupation. It describes itself as the only HMO platform in the UK to offer compatibility-based tenant matching, designed to pair tenants with common interests.
The business also reported recent growth of 87% year on year, 187% over 18 months and 531% over two years. It is targeting 200,000 units on the platform within the next two years.
According to COHO, Hurley has more than 12 years of experience in shared living management organisations. Before co-founding the company in 2019 with chief executive officer Vann Vogstad, he held roles at AXA Insurance, Switch Design Consultancy and co:home.
His appointment formalises a shift away from operations and towards product development. COHO said his background includes digital solution delivery, software development, relational database design and technical problem-solving.
Product rollout
The appointment comes as COHO prepares a new set of features for landlords and agents ahead of changes in the rental market. Among them is a digital Assured Tenancy Agreement, which will be free for all COHO users, with documentation merge tags for both single lets and HMO rooms.
The business is also introducing grouped HMO onboarding as part of the same update, aiming to simplify administration for owners and managers handling multiple occupants and property types.
Usability updates are being made across the platform, including a new communications panel and a document-serving flow designed to centralise, track and provide evidence for tenant documents, alongside stored templates and document-merging tools.
For letting agents, COHO is finalising property float features and broader changes to financial workflows, including enhanced supplier payments and owner settlements.
The platform has also been integrated with Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket, with further user experience refinements in development.
Leadership focus
Hurley outlined his priorities in the new position.
“I’m thrilled to be taking the role of Chief Product Officer at COHO at such an exciting time for the business, as it accelerates the delivery of new features that make COHO faster, smarter and even easier for customers to rely on,” said Hurley.
“COHO is leading the way in innovation in the shared-living management sector, and we’re continuing to deliver tools that give landlords and agents greater clarity, compliance and control in an evolving market,” said Hurley.
“My role will focus on exploring customer insights, creating clear and consistent product priorities, and monitoring market and regulatory shifts, competitive movement and emerging opportunities,” said Hurley.
Vogstad said product development would play a central role in the company’s next stage of expansion.
“We’re thrilled to announce that Jon will be leading the development of our product suite. His rare ability to move seamlessly between strategy, marketing and development brings exactly what we need as we continue to scale,” said Vogstad.
“Jon’s experience and instinct for building products that truly solve problems will be instrumental in driving COHO’s next phase of growth. We’re excited about the impact he’ll have on both our team and the wider shared living community,” said Vogstad.
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