Spotlight on 100 Innovative SMEs

A-Lite Uganda Limited is a youth-led social enterprise that was established and registered in August 2018 by Uganda Registration services Bureau (URSB) to support & empower front-line healthcare workers among hospitals in LIMCs. The company developed a brand device, the vein locator, made to reduce the time of medication delivery to babies below the age of 5 years in low and middle-income countries.

Aerogen has established itself as a global leader in the hospital sector for high-performance aerosol drug delivery for ventilated patients. At the heart of the aerosol technology is a nebuliser that differentiates Aerogen’s products from competitors and is central to an extensive patent portfolio, which has proved to be a valuable asset in creating strategic partnerships with global leaders in the critical care respiratory sector, and accelerating the acceptance of Aerogen’s technology in the market. The company has found it beneficial to conduct an annual meeting with its IP management team to review and refine its IP strategy. Collaborations with outside research groups also support Aerogen’s R&D and IP activities.

AfyaRekod’s mission is to promote access to healthcare services n rural areas. To achieve this mission, the company’s strategy is underpinned by partnerships and alliances in the health ecosystem. AfyaRekod also aim to promote ownership of health records for patients. AfyaRekod stands alone as the only HealthTech product that is both portable and  tokenized. Patients’ records can be accessed securely from anywhere. The platform creates an immutable and portable blockchain-based digital identity for each user. 

The newly established Agri-Hub by the Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) Midlands Entrepreneurship Centre and Student Desk (Centre) produced its first set of fresh cucumbers, where 110 units of cucumbers were harvested and supplied to a local food retailer. The hub also aims to counteract issues of food security within the community of Imbali its outskirts, and to encourage DUDT students to pursue entrepreneurship in the agricultural space by assisting them with practical business training.

AgroSustain aims to reduce food waste and support organic food production by developing farm to fork solutions, like biological fungicides and coatings. Its products are 100% biological and leave no residues, enhancing the quality of fruits and vegetables. It also extends the freshness of crops by more than 20 days, resulting in a significant reduction in waste and a more environment-friendly logistics chain.

AgUnity is an Australian based social enterprise founded in 2016 and is aiming to be the digital services provider for smallholder farmers and last mile communities around the world. AgUnity’s primary solution is a blockchain based operating system and application designed for low digital literacy users and areas with low connectivity. In the AgUnity system every person has their own phone which provides their digital identity, wallet and record of commodity sale transactions. This allows smallholder farmers to collaborate and transact with a level of confidence that has never existed before.

Ally Power Inc. is a hydrogen production company that specializes in the design of the Hydrogen and Electric Gas Station. Our stations are capable of refueling or recharging both hydrogen fuel cell and electric battery vehicles as well as generating excess electricity for sale to the grid. Ally Power is moving the country to a carbon-free future with our unique two-pronged approach to hydrogen fuel. First, they want to bring self-sustaining and profitable hydrogen fueling stations to the East Coast, starting in Maryland and eventually all along the coast. The second is removing traditional gas and diesel vehicles and retrofitting them with an affordable hydrogen fuel cell solution.

Antrum’s flagship innovation fights tuberculosis: IRISA™ TB by detecting it faster. It is difficult to diagnosis due to low concentrations of bacteria in samples.Current EPTB diagnostic tests offer sub-optimal sensitivity or specificity. This can lead to mis-or missed diagnosis, which in turn affects patient-associated morbidity and mortality. IRISA™-TB addresses this problem. Its performance has been clinically validated in studies conducted across multiple countries. For example, it is the most accurate diagnostic test for pleural TB, a common form of EPTB.

A joint Italian-Korean project led by biomechanical engineer Dr. Arianna Menciassi at the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, and supported by the Intelligent Microsystem Center (IMC) in Seoul developed a kind of micro-robotic swallowable capsule that offers a more efficient endoscopic performance than traditional endoscopic options. The capsule constitues a radio-controlled micro robot with hooked legs and tiny teeth to grip the intestinal wall, move and rotate along the intestine, as well as perform other functions like liquid sampling or biopsy. This device is protected by patents in many countries in Europe and the United States, thanks to international patent application via the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) System. The researchers also benefited from comprehensive consulting services concering patents provided by Polo Sant’Anna Valdera (PSV).

Based in Sydney, Australian LiDAR startup Baraja offers car manufacturers a new alternative for driverless vehicle mapping. The LiDAR technology measures the distance to a target and uses the measurement to help self-driving cars explore the complex urban environment. Baraja’s product, Spectrum-Scan, uses prism-like optics to to naturally deflect light in many directions without rotating lasers or mirrors, in turn creating a highly-detailed 3D spatial map. With 10 patents, Baraja’s founders credit Australia’s strong regulatory regime for keeping them in Sydney.

The NGO has pioneered policies and partnerships that support investigations into traditional medicines, at the same time raising the profiles of local traditional health practitioners (THPs). It has also forged imaginative joint ventures between THPs and scientists in Nigeria and international scientists, bringing the knowledge of Nigerian traditional medicine worldwide. The organisation started by forming cooperatives for the THPs, then focusing on R&D via collaboration with a pharmaceutical company Shaman PI. This partnership has enabled the THPs to receive royalties from any commercialized products based on research inspired by their traditional knowledge, as well as to develop and package their own remedies which have been sold locally. The NGO has also developed R&D facilities of its own that can perform several scientific processes. The NGO has filed numerous patent applications for its chemical discoveries via the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) System as well as at the USPTO. Relying on the tehnical expertise and knowledge capital in part developed via its collaboration with Shaman PI, it launched two new spin-off enterprises, Axxon Biopharm Inc. based in the US, and Intercedd Health Products (IHP) based in Nigeria.

Biovac is a bio-pharmaceutical company based in Cape Town. Their vision and mission is to establish sustainable world class international African vaccine manufacturing capability by contributing to protecting life through the development, manufacture and supply of much needed and vaccines and other biologicals. Biovac aims to ensure that the country has the required domestic capacity to respond to both local and regional vaccine needs.

Established in 2019, Bloom Biorenewables SA has developed groundbreaking technologies to manufacture chemicals and fuels from plant material. Bloom’s vision is to enable an efficient utilisation of resources and promote the shift away from fossil fuels towards a green, plant-based, and circular society.

Blue Fever developed an empathetic AI in the pocket of young women across the US. Users message ‘Blue’ who listens like a friend or big sister to recommend videos based on the user’s emotional need.

Cape Bio Pharms is a venture based in Cape Town, South Africa. It is a spin-off company of the University of Cape Town aimed at commercializing the biotech developed by the Biopharming Research Unit (BRU). Their product pipeline focuses on a wide range of research reagents such as antibodies, fusion proteins, peptides and enzymes. All are critical research tools for life scientists around the world in search of new drugs to treat the onslaught of human and animal diseases. Plant-based expressions allow them to quickly and economically produce proof-of-concept trials from microgram to gram quantities. ‘Doing it in plants’ is an ethical alternative as they do not use animals in the making of their antibodies.

CapeRay Medical Ltd. is a privately held company based in Cape Town, South Africa, that develops, manufactures and supplies medical imaging equipment for the diagnosis of breast cancer. The engineering staff at CapeRay use their creative skills to design, build and test the Aceso platform for the early detection of malignant cancer in dense breast tissue.

Cirebelle was founded in 2001 as a manufacturer of wax-based raw materials for the Personal Care market. One of the results of this has been a drive among food and cosmetic companies to replace any synthetic dyes in their products with natural alternatives. While
most colours were relatively easy to replicate and produce, blue – a surprisingly rare colour in nature – provided something of a challenge.

Canada’s Clearpath Robotics develops industry-leading self-driving robots and software for over 500 of the world’s most innovative brands in the automotive, medical device, aerospace, and logistics industries.

ClinicPesa is a fintech company that leverages mobile money infrastructure to promote savings culture and access to micro-loan. The SME from Uganda provides affordable healthcare financing to the uninsured in the African Markets. 

Italian company Cosmed has a reputation for laboratory-based medical device products which is founded on sound IP. The market is competitive, with a limited number of players, so reputation is critical to securing a leading role. Patents assure customers that products are innovative. They increase visibility and recognition, and justify premium prices. When co-operating with external partners, IP also makes everyone’s boundaries clear from the start and prevents any confusion moving forward. Cosmed chooses to establish IP early to safeguard its investments, as compliance with regulatory requirements in order to enter the medical technology market takes time.

Portuguese company Cubo Environmental Technologies has developed a compact, modular, containerized technology to treat and supply safe drinking water to small population clusters of 500 to 3,000 people. The technology allows them to produce safe drinking water from natural water sources, such as surface water and ground water, at an affordable price. The equipment requires very low maintenance and operation skills, making it easy to use in remote locations. The company entered into a partnership with a Dutch company, Susteq, which allowed it to use Susteq’s water terminals in its treatment and distribution systems.

Founded in 2013, Peruvian based startup Culqi is working to simplify payments in Latin America and empower entrepreneurs and businesses to improve their results through technology. The platform connects customers with different payment gateways, allowing businesses to simplify the payment experience and provide a wider array of trusted options.

Amaka Raji from Nigeria founded D’Allure Scrap Limited to redefine the West African country’s waste management sector and improve its overall environment. D’Allure Scrap helps communities, local government authorities, manufacturing, and packaging companies find sustainable and environmentally-friendly ways to manage their non-biodegradable wastes. In partnership with two other recycling companies, D’Allure Scrap Limited is running a project with the Central Bank of Nigeria to recycle damaged polymer banknotes that have been withdrawn from circulation from the Nigerian banking system. They transform these notes into much needed products like plastic containers, clothes hangers, and chairs for public primary schools throughout Nigeria. To date they have recycled over 150 metric tonnes of polymer banknotes.

Damonized motorcycles augments a motorcyclist’s situational awareness and seamlessly integrates modern smart devices. As a platform for technology that unites the rider-to-motorcycle connection, they will usher in an era of safer, intuitive and intelligent personal mobility for the world. With a significant patent portfolio and a team of world-class engineers and motorcyclists, Damon is well positioned to be a leading player in the $90 billion dollar motorcycle industry.

Malaysian startup DF Automation is a robotics company that designs and manufactures Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) for industrial and commercial use. DF was spun-off from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in 2012 and now services clients around the world.

Dgrid Energy is a US-based social benefit company. Their mission is to provide renewable energy solutions that expand businesses, enhance livelihoods and empower communities. DGrid is the manufacturer, assembler, integrator, and distributor of the Solar Cool Cube, a solar powered 20m3 energy station and walk in refrigeration system providing cold storage for temperature-sensitive products in emerging markets.

Founded in 2015, Diabeloop develops disruptive technological innovations for type 1 diabetes treatment with its groundbreaking DBLG1™ device, which uses artificial intelligence to determine and administer insulin automatically. The core innovation in DGLB1 is the algorithm that analyses all the data gathered by the system and decides what to do with the insulin level. With patient’s input, the device is also able to adapt to the patient’s physiology, age, lifestyle and preferences and learn from the past, taking away a lot of the thinking around dosage and timing that that is very burdensome psychologically to type 1 patients. Diabeloop worked with the French research institute CEA and its own IP lawyers to develop Diabeloop’s patents on the mechanisms behind the algorithms. It jointly owns some patents with CEA, allowing it the leverage through an exclusive worldwide license, while other patents are owned entirely by itself.

Dikorahm Financial Services Provider was founded in 2019 by DUT student Kukhanya Ndaba, and is accredited with the National Credit Regulator (NCR) that legally permits it to provide credit to people. The company currently operates as a microlender. The company has steps in place to minimise the number of bad debtors, which involves conducting individual affordability study and credit check, and implementing three collection systems that systematially deducts money from the client’s bank accounts and stop orders. It has an online platform for clients to apply for credit. In the next five years, Ndaba plans to introduce investment plans in the next five years.

Bangladeshi chemist Dr. Abdul Hussam developed a simple, safe, effective and cost-efficient filter to remove arsenic from water in 2001. Named the “SONO’ filter, it is a completely non-chemical filtration system that is highly suitable for rural use as it does not require any pre-treatment of water or require energy input. The product is patented with the Department of Patents, Design and Trade Marks of Bangladesh, while two international patents have been made under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT). A patent in the United States is also pending as of 2010. Along with household installations, SONO filters are now operational in many social institutions; primary and secondary schools, villages, restaurants and cafes. It is estimated that by 2010, as many as 1 million people in Bangladesh have been benefitting from Dr. Hussam’s “SONO” filtration system.

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