John Sewell

I noticed that the industry faced numerous challenges, ranging from practical inefficiencies in connecting artists with potential collectors to misaligned economic incentives that hindered many galleries and their artists from succeeding.

Cosimo was designed to address these issues by making it easy for artists to sell their work directly and securely online, supporting them in turning their passion into a sustainable practice.

I’ve been really fortunate to have received a wealth of support from the University throughout my start-up journey; from an initial grant to cover the legal fees of setting up, to now working out of the brand new Exchange building in the city centre as part of the UoB Elevate incubator programme

Since then, we’ve grown to now support over 1,000 artists across the UK, and developed partnerships with organisations and universities worldwide that share our vision for a more accessible art market.

The Elevate programme has been transformational for Cosimo’s growth, offering us not only a physical home in the heart of the city centre, at the beautiful Exchange building, but also a holistic support network of experts, mentors, and fellow founders - many of whom have become close friends, who have made the journey not only possible but incredibly rewarding and enjoyable along the way.

Find out more about UoB Elevate, an incubator and business growth programme exclusively for University of Birmingham students and graduates.