SynBio Africa: Sustainable biosynthetic technologies for Africa
Release Date: 03/07/2023
AMA Series on Investment Funding for Biotech - Legal Essentials for Biotech Startups
Africa Biotech Conversations
This session focuses on the essential legal and funding strategies for early-stage biotech startups, emphasizing the importance of intellectual property (IP) management, legal structures, and the role of due diligence in attracting investors. The panel discusses common pitfalls, the significance of contracts, and the challenges of commercializing university IP. They also explore the timing of freedom to operate studies and the evolving landscape of biotech investment. For this session, the featured guests were: Chyreene Truluck – Partner at Spoor & Fisher, specializing in intellectual...
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OneBio Innovation Center: A Pioneering Space for Biotech Startups in Africa
Africa Biotech Conversations
In this episode of the Africa Biotech Conversations Podcast, host Adrienne Leussa welcomes Erin Rencken, General Manager of the newly launched OneBio Innovation Center (OBIC) in Cape Town, South Africa. The special episode features a live recording from the launch event and a detailed discussion about OBIC's mission, offerings, and community-building efforts. Erin outlines the center's vision to provide biotech startups with essential lab space, equipment, and a collaborative environment. The conversation also highlights the support received from the Technology Innovation Agency...
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Proteinea: Pioneering the Development of the First Fully African-Originated Drug
Africa Biotech Conversations
In this episode of the "Africa Biotech Conversations" podcast, host Adrienne Leussa interviews Abdulaziz El Gamal, the co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Proteinea. Proteinea, based in Cairo and Boston, is a tech-bio company focused on leveraging AI to develop next-generation biologics, particularly antibodies with enhanced efficacy, safety, and convenience. Key Points from the Episode: Company Background: Proteinea was founded in early 2020, right before the global pandemic, which influenced its strategic direction and provided a real-time showcase of biotech's potential in health...
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AMA Series on Investment Funding for Biotech - The Art of Valuation for Early-Stage Biotech Startups
Africa Biotech Conversations
The LinkedIn Live session, part of the AMA series on "The Art of Valuation," focused on valuation strategies for biotech startups at early and post-Series A stages. Moderated by Dr. Adrienne Leussa, the discussion featured finance experts Olufemi Elegbe, CFA and Sewu-Steve Tawia. Key highlights included the importance of financial literacy for biotech entrepreneurs, methods for accurately valuing biotech startups, and strategies for enhancing valuation after Series A. The session also emphasized the need for tailored communication when presenting valuations to investors and included practical...
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AMA Series on Investment Funding for Biotech - Understanding the Investment Ecosystem (Pre-seed Focus)
Africa Biotech Conversations
In this insightful episode of the "Ask Me Anything" series on funding and investment, the focus was on early-stage biotech entrepreneurs in Africa. Adrienne was joined by Gian-Marco Melfi, a partner at OneBio Venture Studios, who shared his expertise on the unique challenges and strategies relevant to securing investment in the biotech sector. The discussion covered the intricacies of biotech investments, including the importance of understanding the investment landscape, targeting the right type of investors (such as angel investors, family offices, and venture capitalists), and...
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AMA Series on Investment Funding for Biotech - Building Investor Relations
Africa Biotech Conversations
In this comprehensive session of the ongoing dialogue with African biotech leaders, the focus was on building and maintaining investor relationships. Joining Adrienne were seasoned experts, including Dr. Vuyisile Phehane and Gian-Marco Melfi, who are regular contributors, along with first-time guests Natasha Drapeau and Frank Schwarz from Cohesion Bureau. The discussion covered best practices for engaging with investors, emphasising the importance of communication, the strategic presentation of business plans, and the need for biotech startups to clearly articulate their value...
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AMA Series on Investment Funding for Biotech - Common Pitfalls in Securing Funding
Africa Biotech Conversations
In this episode of the "Ask Me Anything" series under the Dialogue with African Biotech Leaders, experts Gian-Marco Melfi and Vuyisile Phehane discuss the nuances of funding for biotech startups. Focusing on the early stages of startup financing, the conversation explores the challenges startups face in securing funding, the importance of aligning with the right investors, and effective strategies for engaging potential backers. Gian-Marco Melfi, from One Bio Venture Studio, emphasises the significance of building strong, capable teams, while Vuyisile Phehane from the Technology Innovation...
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AMA Series on Investment Funding for Biotech - Where's the Money and How Do I Get It?
Africa Biotech Conversations
In this first episode of the "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) series focused on Investment Funding for biotech, held live on LinkedIn, we delved into the intricate world of funding for biotech startups. The session features profound insights from Dr. Vuyisile Phehane, the Executive: Bio-Economy at South Africa's National Technology Innovation Agency (TIA), and Mr. Gian-Marco Melfi, an investment principal at One BioVenture Studio. Together, they explore the diverse sources of funding available to biotech startups in Africa and provide practical advice on navigating the complex investment landscape....
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Dialogue with African Biotech Leaders: Your 2024 Biotech Growth Plan from Africa and Beyond
Africa Biotech Conversations
Welcome to another retrospective episode of the Dialogue with African Biotech Leaders. In this special session, titled "Going Global: Your 2024 Biotech Growth Plan from Africa and Beyond," we explore cutting-edge strategies for biotech leaders aiming for significant growth in the 2024. This episode is packed with insights from two distinguished speakers: Erica Sosnowski: Managing Partner at Sosna and Co, a leading business development firm in the life sciences industry, with a stellar track record of closing over $250 million in deals. Jennifer Andrews: CEO of Freshly Marketing, a seasoned...
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Dialogue with African Biotech Leaders: Navigating Funding and Investment
Africa Biotech Conversations
Welcome to another insightful episode of the Dialogue with African Biotech Leaders. In this episode, we focus on a critical aspect of biotechnology entrepreneurship—funding and investment. This episode was recorded as a live plenary session at BIO Africa 2023 in Durban, South Africa, and features in-depth discussions on funding challenges and opportunities in the African biotech landscape. Join our distinguished panelists: Dr. Allama Elmehdi: CEO of Prophamedis International from Mauritania, sharing insights on the funding landscape in West Africa, particularly Francophone Africa, and the...
info_outlineWelcome to the latest episode of our Africa biotech conversations podcast, where we explore the latest innovations and trends in the biotechnology industry on the African continent and beyond.
In today's episode, we'll be diving into the rapidly growing SynBio Africa community and how it is advancing the field of synthetic biology on the continent.
Synthetic biology combines biology, engineering, and computer science to design and build new biological systems with specific functions.
Our guest today is Ian Peter Busuulwa, an expert in the field of synthetic biology, acting as science policy and communication officer of SynBio Africa. We'll be discussing how this community is tackling some of Africa's most pressing challenges, such as food security, healthcare, and environmental sustainability, and how they are building capacity for synthetic biology research, innovation and biosecurity on the continent.
We covered these topics and more:
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Origin story of SynBio Africa
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Synthetic Biology landscape in Africa
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Membership conditions for SynBio Africa
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Policy gaps that need to filled to enable a thriving biotech industry in Africa
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How to support the involvement of women in the field of synthetic biology field in Africa
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Relevant trends in biotechnology to Africa
SynBio Africa has an exciting upcoming event, the second International Synthetic Biology and Biosecurity conference in Africa (#SBA2.0) taking place in Kampala, Uganda from July 12 to 14, 2023.
So sit back, grab your headphones, and join us as we delve into the exciting world of synthetic biology in Africa!