ONEBIO, a pan-African biotech incubator that will support life science entrepreneurs and innovators from across the continent to commercialise and scale their startups, is to launch in South Africa this year.
ONEBIO is being launched in partnership with the Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative (CiTi) and the Centre for Proteomic and Genomic Research (CPGR).
The incubator will provide life science startups with funding, business support, lab facilities and office space, as well as access to networks, mentorship, international markets and large corporate partners, both in Africa and internationally.
Led by Michael Fichardt and Nick Walker, ONEBIO will build on the expertise and experience of CiTi and CPGR, and support startups at the convergence of laboratory work and computational science.
It is looking for projects diversity of disciplines, including biochemistry, microbiology, genetics and material science. Products and services will cover many sectors, including energy, food, natural products, nutraceuticals, agriculture and healthcare.
“We have such an enormous opportunity to use technology for good, in Africa. At CiTi we believe that biotech is the next frontier where exponential tech enabled innovation can unlock affordable solutions to Africa’s health challenges,” said Ian Merrington, chief executive officer (CEO) of CiTi.
“In addition to this, the convergence of ONEBIO with CiTI’s data cluster and the capability of the Explore Data Science Academy, provides a unique and possibly magic recipe for world class success.”
ONEBIO is currently looking to connect with potential partners and biotech startups.
