Talent is everywhere,
opportunity is not.
I'm building Zero Gravity to change that — powering students from low-opportunity backgrounds into top universities and careers.
As featured in
My mission
IbuiltZeroGravitybecausethesystemwasfailingthepeopleIgrewupwith.Ididn'thaveanetwork,aplaybook,orasafetynet.Justalaptop,aproblemworthsolving,andthestubbornnesstokeepgoing.Sevenyearslater,we'reprovingthatwhereyoucomefromdoesn'thavetodecidewhereyouendup.
Impact
The numbers so far
0+
Into top universities
0+
Into Oxbridge
£0m+
Investment raised
0+
Enterprise partners
My journey
From Morley to the world of mission-driven tech startups
Raised in Morley, West Yorkshire
I grew up in a single-parent family in Morley, a post-industrial town outside Leeds. My mum and grandmother taught me that hard work isn't optional — it's everything. That stuck.
Won a place at Oxford University
After being educated at state schools, I won a place to study Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) at the University of Oxford. The odds were stacked against me — and that's exactly what would later drive me to build Zero Gravity.
Graduated from Oxford & founded Access Oxbridge
Earned a First Class degree in PPE from the University of Oxford, then turned down corporate job offers to launch Access Oxbridge from my childhood bedroom with the last £200 of my student loan — a digital platform helping students from low-opportunity backgrounds win offers from Oxford and Cambridge. Over two years, 100+ students won places at Oxbridge.
Relaunched as Zero Gravity
Access Oxbridge had outgrown its name, so I relaunched it as Zero Gravity — expanding beyond Oxbridge to support students into all of the UK's top universities — and raised a £425k pre-seed round from angel investors, turning a bedroom project into a funded startup.
Raised a £3.5m seed round
The platform was working. Thousands of Zero Gravity members were getting into top universities. The system said they couldn't — the data said otherwise. I raised a £3.5m seed round to expand the platform to support students into elite careers, and was named in the Forbes 30 Under 30.
Building AI to unlock human potential
23,000+ students into top unis. 1,000+ into Oxbridge. £2.3m+ in scholarships. Millions in revenue. That was the foundation. Now we're building AI to identify potential the system misses — and unlock it at a scale that wasn't possible before.
In the news
Making headlines
BBC iPlayer
Feb 2026Radical with Amol Rajan: How to Break the Link Between Background and Opportunity
madinfluencepod
Jan 2026Social mobility, opportunity and identity - a conversation with Joe Seddon
The Happy Manifesto
Jan 2026Unlocking Potential: How Zero Gravity Has Empowered Over 15,000 Students to Reach Their Dreams with Joe Seddon
Spotify
Jan 2026Scaling Mobility Without Charity
Impact.Info
Dec 2025Why get kids from low-opportunity backgrounds into top universities?
Daily Echo
Nov 2025The Salary Sacrifice changes to pension and employee perks rumoured for budget 2025
The Entrepreneurs Network
Oct 2025Ambition Unlimited - The Entrepreneurs Network
WECAN
Oct 2025Joe Seddon, CEO of Tech Startup Zero Gravity | Powering Students Into Top Universities & Careers
Aspiration Digital
Oct 2025Joe Seddon: How I Get Students Into Oxford and Cambridge
Lost and Searching Podcast with Seven Jacobs
Sept 2025Society Is STILL Telling Young People They're Not Good Enough! | Joe Seddon, Forbes 30U30 Founder
Kasa Connect
Sept 2025From Bedroom Startup to £6.5M Raised - Joe Seddon | Kasa Connect Ep:18
The Times
Aug 2025Oxford middle-class myth and private pupils
Speaking
I speak about talent, tech, and breaking the mould
From boardrooms to lecture halls, I speak about what happens when talent gets overlooked — and what we can do about it. Startups, social mobility, AI, and building things that matter.
View speaking topicsPreviously spoken at
Get in touch
Let's talk
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