Africa Biotech Conversations

In this first episode of the Africa biotech conversations podcast for 2023, I spoke with Jayne McLaughlin, a director at george james Ltd, a company founded in 1999 to provide successful recruitment and training services to the technology and science sector.  Jayne and I talked about: Jayne's journey from research through commercial to recruiting supporting the growth of the Life sciences industry...

In this episode of the Africa biotech conversations podcast, I spoke with Laud Anthony Basing, the Founder and CEO of Incas diagnostics, a biotech company in Ghana, which develops and manufactures lateral flow and molecular Point-of-Care tests specifically for the African Market. In our inspiring and insightful conversation we covered the following points: How his upbringing contributed to his ent...

In this episode I spoke to Saberi Marais, an Innovation Commercialization Manager for the University of Cape Town in South Africa; part of Research Contracts and Innovations. He commercializes the University's research outputs to realize their intended impact in society and return on capital. Saberi has extensive experience in deep technology invention valorization, project and business fund raisi...

"Who's crazy enough to start a vaccine production company, a surveillance diagnostic production company in Africa?" Dr Cornelius Cano Ssemakalu, one of the co-inventors and CSO at Iraka Biotech. Iraka Biotech is a South African-based start-up company that localises the creation, enhancement, and equitable sharing of life science solutions. Iraka Biotech was founded by Ms Blanche Lee Shong (CEO) an...

This has been one of my favorite episodes of the Africa Biotech Conversations podcast because it is about 2 of my favorite topics women and biotech business. In honor of August being women's month in South Africa, I interviewed Dr Sarah Carroll who is CEO and co-founder of MariHealth Solutions, a spin-off company of the University of Cape town, in South Africa. MariHealth Solutions was co-founded...

In this episode, I spoke with Raman Sehgal, serial entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Ramarketing, a marketing agency, which is headquartered in the UK, Northeast with a presence in Boston, Massachusetts. It is now a multimillion dollar, recently private equity backed international digital design and content marketing agency with over 60 employees and growing. They support clients in the life scienc...

In this episode I spoke with Dr Deon Neveling, the co-founder and CEO of Biotikum Ltd, which is a spin-off company of the Stellenbosch university in South Africa, that researches, develops and produces microbial additives for the agricultural industry to promote sustainable farming. During his studies, Deon developed a multistrain probiotic for chicken which they realized could be commercialized b...

Get to know the story behind the company Mzansi Meat Co. and its remarkable CFO Tasneem Karodia who combines a love for flying airplanes, rock climbing, and changing the world by changing our food systems. A bachelor of business science in management studies, majoring in accounting and finance from the university of Cape town, South Africa, a chartered accountant qualification, a postgraduate degr...

Smart biotech is a biotech startup in South Africa involved in the development of antigens and antibodies used in animal health vaccines and diagnostics as well as the commercialization of scientifically tested herbal products. The aim is to provide much more effective diagnostic and vaccine products that are specific to the strain of diseases in Africa. Dr Sibongile Gumbi, founder and CEO of Smar...

Setting up a biotech lab is very costly and can be the bottleneck to start something new especially in LMICs in Africa. BioCiTi is taking that off the hands of prospective biotech entrepreneurs to make sure that businesses can transition the so-called chasms of product development and the business cycle. I interviewed Anesu Conrad Moyo (PhD.) , Laboratory Manager at BioCiTi Laboratory, and Dheepak...

How do you go from a full-time academic researcher and lecturer to the CEO of a biotech company in Africa? Dr Mauritz Venter found a way of combining his passion and curiosity for both science and business by co-founding a biotech company, Azargen biotechnologies, following a successful career as an academic lecturer and researcher. His exposure to business magazines from his father who worked in...

In this episode, I spoke with Sona Mahendra who is the Associate Program Manager at Founders Factory Africa where she helps manage the Build and Scale programs. Her passion sits at the intersection of business and biology, and she is immensely excited by the growing biotechnology industry in Africa.    FFA acts as investor, venture builder and an accelerator. They create concepts in-house, design...

In this episode, I spoke to Atherton Mutombwera, CEO and founder of Hutano diagnostics Ltd about his journey from Zimbabwe, through a BPharm degree and a MSc in Nanomedicine in South Africa, to an MBA at the University of Oxford, UK. He told stories about how he was inspired by a sick parent and his desire to get out of the shadow of a sibling combined with his curiosity and ability to collaborate...

In the first episode of the ABC podcast for 2022, I spoke with the co-founders of the AOM group Brett Lyndall Singh and Clarisse Manishimwe, as well as David Songotu, the Administrating Manager of AOM Group's Internship program. We discuss how AOM Group aims to resuscitate African healthcare innovation and create SDG youth employment by transforming life science on the continent through research &...

Power couple Busi and Neo Moloi of Sawubona mycelium, a biotech startup in Centurion, South Africa, spoke with me on: How they make their relationship work as husband and wife as well as CBO and CEO respectively Capitalizing on their knowledge of mushrooms and experience with fermentation technology to make natural products at large scale, low cost, and sustainably such as beta glucans useful in t...

What is possible from a failed experiment? A biotech company, Resyn biosciences! In the 5th episode of the Africa biotech conversations podcast, I spoke with Stoyan Stoychev about proteomics and the Resyn biosciences story. The polymer technology behind the products was a result of a failed biocatalysis experiment. The curiosity to explore what could be done with the novel polymer and support from...

ONEBIO provides life science startups with funding, business support, lab facilities and office space; access to networks; mentorship; and connections to resources, international markets and large corporate partners, both in Africa and internationally. ONEBIO is led by Michael Fichardt and Nick Walker. Michael is an entrepreneur, technologist and investor, with experience working in banking, priva...

Have you experienced delays in receiving reagents for your research? How did that make you feel? In Africa, it is almost a guaranteed experience. For at least one person, Dr Peter Durcan, that was enough impetus to start his biotech company Afrobodies. A great twist to the story is that his wife Benedicta Mahlangu is the CEO! Listen to this episode of the ABCs podcast with Adrienne to learn more a...

In this episode of the ABCs podcast with Adrienne I talked with two of the co-founders of the startup De Novo Dairy based in Cape town, South Africa. They are out to revolutionize the dairy industry by producing nature identical dairy proteins using specially engineered yeast. The foundation of their company is a combination of friendship, lifestyle choices and how to find/scale sustainable altern...

"If you're curious about what goes on in biotech across the African continent, I have good news for you. Adrienne Leussa has started a podcast to give us all a look into that community. I have no doubt that this will be good. Adrienne interviewed me about podcasting and its potential to build a community while providing insights. I asked her a few questions too. What's exciting in the African biot...