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Wits Innovation Meets the SWEAT Africa Ecosystem   At SWEAT Africa 2026, the Wits Innovation Centre hosted a side event that brought nine student-led startups into direct conversation with investors and collaborators. Designed to give founders real exposure, the session created space to pitch, test ideas, and explore partnerships. Five startups – KoldData, NanoBand, HRA […]

How SWEAT AFRICA Sparks Hire   text: Katrine Anker-Nilssen photo: Supplied For Dr Gestél Kuyler, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Dr Elaine Barnard, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Nanosene, SWEAT was part of a bigger journey. Nanosene attended as part of the Open Startup BRAIN 5.0 cohort, with the event marking the final leg

Wits Researchers Develop New Wound Care Approach Wits Researchers Develop New Wound Care Approach Chronic wounds are a growing healthcare challenge worldwide, often leading to prolonged recovery, repeated hospital visits, infections and, in severe cases, amputations. A research team at the University of the Witwatersrand is developing a potential new solution: NanoBand™. This is a

BRAIN at SWEAT Africa: Strengthening Africa’s Science Venture Pipeline BRAIN at SWEAT Africa: Strengthening Africa’s Science Venture Pipeline   As SWEAT Africa convenes founders, researchers, investors and ecosystem builders from across the continent, partnerships that strengthen the science-to-market journey are central to the platform’s impact. One such collaboration is with Open Startup through its BRAIN

Nanosene: Unlocking the Hardest Proteins in Biology Nanosene: Unlocking the Hardest Proteins in Biology Among the startups attending SWEAT Africa this year is Nanosene, a science-driven company focused on translating academic research into practical tools for drug discovery and life-science research. Founded on PhD research from Stellenbosch University, Nanosene was created to address a persistent

Building With Intent: African DeepTech Steps Forward Building With Intent: African DeepTech Steps Forward From a broad pool of entries across the continent to a tightly contested Top 10, the SWEAT Africa Pitch Competition offered a concentrated look at where African science- and technology-driven entrepreneurship is heading. On Day 2 of the SWEAT Afreica 2026

Environmental Responsibility aligned with Commercial Viability Urobo Biotech wins big at SWEAT Africa 2026. On 14 February 2026, under the main tent at Bertha Retreat between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, Africa’s most promising biotech and hardtech founders took to the stage for the final of the SWEAT Africa Pitch Competition. With a winner-take-all R100 000 cash

Inside SWEAT Africa 2026: The Festival Redefining Africa’s Innovation Future Inside SWEAT Africa 2026: The Festival Redefining Africa’s Innovation Future Over 440 participants from 15 African countries and 22 countries globally gathered in Stellenbosch on 13–14 February for SWEAT Africa 2026. These included 150+ founders, 100+ students, 50+ investors, 50+ researchers, and 90+ ecosystem builders

Rooted in Science, Driven by Impact: Thee Naturals BioTech’s Bet on Indigenous Innovation Rooted in Science, Driven by Impact: Thee Naturals BioTech’s Bet on Indigenous Innovation At SWEAT Africa 2026, amid conversations about scaling deep tech and building globally competitive biotech ventures, Kedumetse Bertinah Seru brought the discussion back to first principles: solve the right

SWEAT Panel: Building and Funding Globally Competitive African Ventures SWEAT Panel: Building and Funding Globally Competitive African Ventures On 14 February 2026, Day 2 of SWEAT Africa’s debut festival, an inspiring panel turned the spotlight on a question central to innovation: what does it actually take to build ventures that endure? True to SWEAT’s outdoor,