START-UP companies will show off their latest projects at an event at the Bodleian's Weston Library.

The #StartedinOxford Demo Night will take place at the Broad Street venue on Wednesday, from 6pm to 8.30pm.

On the night about 30 of the best early-stage start-ups in and around Oxford will be featured, including those from the university and beyond.

Oxford University spokesman, Stuart Gillespie, said: "The cross-section of start-ups will feature new ventures from the health, digital, gaming, social enterprise, retail, food, education and energy sectors.

"Examples of young businesses pitching their ideas at the trade fair-style event include a start-up aiming to bring an ancient Aztec energy food to market; a platform helping broadcasters to personalise their audiences’ viewing experience; and technology extending the life of lithium-ion batteries."

Attendees at the event can choose their favourite start-up by ‘investing’ in it, with each person attending given 1,000 #StartedinOxford 'pounds' to invest with.

Last month Apple CEO, Tim Cook, helped to launch the opening of The Oxford Foundry in Hythe Bridge Street, a new Oxford University hub.

The hub on the site of the former Wahoo nightclub aims to build a community of innovation across the university and is a place for students to generate ideas and create new businesses.

Already the university has produced more founders of 'unicorn businesses' - a technology company with a valuation of more than $1bn – than any other in Europe.

Building on the success and popularity of the Oxford Launchpad at the Said Business School, which is home to the Entrepreneurship Centre and Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, The Oxford Foundry was initiated and developed by the business school for the benefit of the whole of the university.

It is housed in a renovated Victorian ice factory and is spread over two floors.

The new facility provides working space, presentation areas and a café at ground level, for entrepreneurially-minded people to meet and collaborate on new ventures.

Upstairs, there is an 'incubator space' for the development of start-up ventures.