.png)
A Forbes 30 Under 30 and King's Honours List. Take a dive into the entrepreneurial journey of Joe Seddon.
In today’s feature on Pragmat we have Joe Seddon, the Founder & CEO of Zero Gravity, a tech startup that unlocks potential by powering students from low-opportunity areas into university, work, and life. Joe has used his experiences to aid students on their academic journey and is a true inspiration with the work he does.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your journey to the present day?
My journey began 26 years ago in Morley, a small post-industrial town in West Yorkshire. Growing up in a single-parent family, with my mother working as a speech therapist in the National Health Service, I navigated the path from state school to Oxford University. This transition exposed me to the significant barriers that ambitious young people from under-resourced areas face, such as limited access to financial resources and professional networks.
At Oxford, I studied philosophy, politics, and economics, and while I enjoyed my degree, the initial weeks were a challenging cultural and identity adjustment. Witnessing these challenges first-hand, I felt compelled to address them. Upon graduating, I embarked on the next step of my journey: creating a platform to democratise access to top universities and careers, which led to the founding of Zero Gravity.
Could you explain a bit about what Zero Gravity is?
I built a product to address the challenges I faced as a young person. Zero Gravity is a platform designed to propel students from low-opportunity backgrounds into top universities and careers. In the UK, despite being a modern industrialised economy, deep inequalities in access to opportunity persist. Students from affluent backgrounds are six times more likely to attend highly selective universities than those from low-income backgrounds, and the disparities in access to top careers are even greater.
I wanted to tackle this issue not only because it was the right thing to do for a more equal and socially just society, but also because it presented a significant business problem to be solved. In today's market, top employers and universities are in fierce competition for talent, as having the most talented people boosts productivity. This competition is closely linked to the broader ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) movement, which demands inclusivity and diversity. Clients, investors, and employees across various sectors now expect businesses to embrace ESG concerns, making it imperative for companies to align with these values to meet stakeholder expectations and maintain a competitive edge.
Zero Gravity aims to bridge this gap by providing talented students from low-income backgrounds with access to top universities and careers. Additionally, it offers a valuable service to employers, universities, and schools that have a vested interest in solving this problem. Addressing these inequalities is not only ethically right but also beneficial for their institutions. Thus, I founded Zero Gravity as a business, adopting a startup approach to solve one of the UK's oldest social problems: the link between background and opportunity.
To learn a bit more about Zero Gravity, check out this podcast Joe did where he sheds a bit more light on their mission:
Helping more than 8000 students, where and how do potential students get involved with Zero Gravity?
The students we support are often referred to as socially mobile students, meaning they are trying to achieve a higher social class than the one they were born into. Unlike gender or race, social mobility is not visibly identifiable, making it challenging to recognise and support these students. Many socially mobile individuals are unaware of their status, especially during their educational journey.
To address this, we implemented two key strategies. First, we built a B2C brand that resonates with Gen Z, avoiding corporate clichés and academic jargon. Our brand speaks in the voice of our young audience, making the issue relatable and engaging.
Second, we developed technology that integrates with school data systems. While this might seem mundane, it has a significant impact. Schools have extensive data on students, including their backgrounds and academic performance, but often do not utilise it effectively.
Our technology identifies students from the bottom 40% of backgrounds who have shown potential to succeed in top universities and careers. Schools might not recognise these students as standout candidates because they may not be vocal in class or have university aspirations due to a lack of encouragement at home. Our system pinpoints these students early and refers them to our platform, akin to receiving a Willy Wonka golden ticket. At 16, their talent is identified, and Zero Gravity helps turn their ambitions into reality.
B2C (Business-to-Consumer) refers to businesses selling products or services directly to individual consumers, whereas B2B (Business-to-Business) involves transactions between businesses, where one business provides goods or services to another business.
How did your experiences from a state school and Oxford University help shape the decision-making process within Zero Gravity?
One of my core beliefs is that talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. This belief was reinforced when I started university, moving from Morley in West Yorkshire to Oxford University and experiencing imposter syndrome. Initially, I felt out of place, thinking I wasn't as intelligent or polished as my peers. However, I soon realised that while my fellow students were intelligent and ambitious, they weren't fundamentally more talented than the people I grew up with—they were simply better resourced-and knew how to navigate complex processes. This made me see that inequalities might not be as insurmountable as they seem. By identifying talented individuals early and providing the right support, we can significantly change outcomes.
This has been demonstrated at Oxbridge. When I graduated in 2018, there was media pressure on Oxbridge to reform its admissions processes due to its lack of representation of the broader UK population. At that time, the student body was roughly 50/50 between state and private school students, despite 93% of the national student population attending state schools. Over the past five years, Oxbridge has shifted to a more representative mix of 70/30 in favour of state school students. During this period, Zero Gravity supported about 800 students from low-income backgrounds in gaining admission to Oxbridge, and the results have improved. This approach is not just about social justice; it’s about unlocking the potential of people who currently have restrained opportunities, benefiting not only them but also the institutions they join and the wider economy. By improving access to opportunities, our productivity would increase, benefiting everyone through lower taxes, a bigger economy, and better public services.
Individually, did you face any challenges as a first-time business owner?
Sure. I think it's important to clarify that while Zero Gravity is the first proper company I founded, it wasn't my first entrepreneurial attempt. For about 5-10 years prior, I engaged in various small side projects, such as designing websites, creating internet forums for video games, and running an online tutoring practice during university. These projects, though not highly successful, helped develop my entrepreneurial instincts and provided an introduction to business. Zero Gravity was the first venture I dedicated myself to full-time, but it certainly wasn't a case of first-time luck. The journey from zero to one is the most challenging part of entrepreneurship. Once you have something established, scaling and improving it is tricky, but it's nowhere near as hard as creating something from nothing.
Reflecting on my journey, several factors made a significant difference. First, having a clear problem to tackle was crucial. Many businesses fail because they don't solve a real problem or the problem is too niche. My firsthand insight into the issue of social mobility gave me a competitive advantage. Second, building a mission-driven brand was vital. At the start, no one cares about your product, so creating a distinctive and attention-grabbing brand is essential. Zero Gravity's playful tone, youthful language, and unique visual identity helped us stand out. Finally, making the mission personal was key. Sharing my own story connected to the business helped me gain PR coverage, attract talent, and get into rooms I wouldn't have otherwise accessed. This personal connection created a gravitational pull, drawing people excited about the mission and eager to work with us. These elements were indispensable in getting Zero Gravity off the ground.
As said by Joe it's interesting to draw comparisons with some of the other guests we have had on Pragmat. In finding a unique issue to tackle, this particularly resonates with the interview we did with Ahana Banerjee, in which she took a personal issue she faced, and turned it into a business.
Regarding Joe's learnings from other side ventures, this particularly resonates with the interview we did with serial entrepreneur, Charlie Baron. If you haven't already, we would really encourage you to check it out!
How do you market Zero Gravity to such an extent where you have been able to raise £6 million?
In the early stages of Zero Gravity, the journey was deeply personal. When we raised our first round of investment, securing £425,000 in our pre-seed round, we had minimal resources—a basic brand, website, technology, and a couple of hundred users. At that point, pitching to investors wasn't just about selling the business idea; it was about selling myself. Investors needed to believe that I could defy the odds, as most startups fail. They were betting on me to be the one out of ten that succeeds and makes a significant impact. During this initial phase, it was crucial to convince them that I had the motivation and skills to solve the problem at hand.
As the company grows, the focus shifts more towards business performance indicators like user numbers, unit economics, profitability, and revenue. However, at the beginning, these metrics matter less. What matters is the idea, the plan, and the founder's persona. It's essential to come across well personally because, initially, you are the brand. People care more about you than your brand in the early days. Over time, the brand should grow independently of the founder. For instance, five years ago, I was synonymous with Zero Gravity. Nowadays, many people know about Zero Gravity without knowing me. In the beginning, cultivating your personal brand alongside your business brand is vital for building awareness and trust.
You’ve received some very high individual honours, including the King’s Honours list. What effect does this have on you?
It's funny how things work out sometimes. A person living in my old flat contacted me on LinkedIn to say they'd received an official-looking letter for me. I gave them my address, and they sent it over. When I got it, my heart dropped because I thought it might be an unpaid utility bill! But to my surprise, it was a letter from the Cabinet Office informing me the Prime Minister had recommended me for an honour, which was a nice surprise. When it comes to recognition or awards, some might call them vanity metrics, but that’s nonsense at the start of your journey. External recognition and credibility are crucial when you're trying to go from zero to one. Before you have all the trappings of a proper business, you need to convince people you are one, and having others acknowledge you as such is invaluable. PR and awards serve as excellent social proof that you're building something interesting. I encourage all founders to apply for awards early on. Once you start winning some, it creates a domino effect where more recognition follows. For Zero Gravity, we went from a couple of awards to over 35 in 18 months, thanks to this self-fulfilling cycle.
On a personal level, winning awards at the beginning feels great—it’s motivating and confirms you’re on the right path. However, the novelty wears off over time. The first few awards are thrilling, but after a while, the excitement diminishes, but their importance for social proof remains. Awards and recognition are critical for establishing credibility, but they don’t necessarily mean your business is great. They’re tools to be leveraged to drive strategies that will make your business truly successful in the long term.
The King's Honours List is an annual list of awards given by the monarch of the United Kingdom to individuals in recognition of their significant contributions to society in various fields such as the arts, sciences, charity, public service, and more.
What is the most rewarding part of the work you do at Zero Gravity?
Supporting over 8,000 students from opportunity areas into top universities is an impressive figure that's hard to visualise. Personally, I've kept in touch with many of the students who were among the first to join our platform. Back then, we had a much smaller user base, and I got to know them on a personal level. One standout story is Natalie Thomas, one of our first Zero Gravity members. Natalie grew up in Milford Haven, Wales, attended a state school, and was the first in her family to go to university. She used Zero Gravity to secure a place to study history at Oxford, becoming the first student from her school in 10 years to get an offer from Oxford. While at university, she became a mentor on our platform, helping more students gain university places.
After graduating, Natalie struggled to navigate the job market and had to move back home, working at Tesco for a few months. This shows that while university is a significant step forward, it doesn’t always translate to immediate success in the job market if you lack guidance. I reconnected with Natalie two years ago, just as Zero Gravity was expanding to support students' careers. She became one of the first to use our new careers platform and secured a role working with Ian Bagshaw, a senior partner who had just stepped down from a major law firm. Together, they set up a new American law firm in London, Perkins Coie, where Natalie became the first employee. Her journey from a small town in Wales to becoming a key member of a major law firm in London highlights how life can change with the right support and determination. It's a testament to the power of perseverance and timely assistance, showing that even when things seem bleak, a new and better trajectory is possible. Her success story has been featured in numerous news articles, and seeing her face in them has been incredibly rewarding.
Lastly, what is a podcast or book that you would recommend that had a significant positive impact on you?
A huge thank you to Joe Seddon for sharing his time with us and providing a fascinating insight into his journey from state school to now, giving opportunities to those not as privileged in similar positions to where he once was.
We hope this interview has inspired you as much as it has inspired us. Now, we’d love to hear from you! Please let us know what you thought of the interview and leave your comments below on other guests you would like to see featured in this series.
Comments