Startup News Roundup – Biotech Startup Impulse Biomedical Secures Investment & More (6 – 9 April)

Posted on April 6th, 2021
Articles Grow Tech Technology
Futuregrowth Invests in Biotech Startup, Impulse Biomedical

Futuregrowth Invests in Biotech Startup, Impulse Biomedical

The Futuregrowth Development Equity Fund (DEF), has announced on behalf of its clients, it recently invested in Cape Town-based biomedical engineering startup, Impulse Biomedical.

Impulse’s flagship device, the ZiBiPen, could revolutionise the emergency treatment of life-threatening anaphylaxis. The device was developed by two passionate engineering graduates, Gokul Nair and Giancarlo Beukes, while completing their Masters’ Degrees in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Cape Town (UCT). The company aims to make these and other life-saving healthcare technologies accessible to the developing world.

Impulse is the first pre-revenue startup Futuregrowth has invested in. Amrish Narrandes, Head of Unlisted Equity Transactions at Futuregrowth, explains: “While our focus is normally on late-stage venture capital investments, Impulse Biomedical is an exception. We love Impulse’s ground-breaking technology and products, which, when coupled with the strong founding team, give us confidence that this investment will grow from strength to strength.”

Impulse has also raised over R15 million from the Department of Trade and Industry’s THRIP[2] programme, amongst other grants and private investments.

SEE ALSO: Biotech and Other Billion-dollar Ideas

Data Automation Startup, Synatic, Secures $1 Million Investment

Data automation company Synatic, has raised seed funding from UW Ventures in partnership with Allan Gray and E Squared to deepen its low-code data platform and expand its customer base across the United States (US). reports, Africaincmag.com

Launched in 2017, South Africa’s Synatic has developed a low-code data automation platform that enables enterprises to iterate quickly and provides rapid time to value for businesses needing to accelerate innovation leveraging multiple complex data systems.

Bootstrapped to date, Synatic’s mission is to help enterprises build their business faster through its powerful, but simple data platform.

The company now has over 40 enterprise customers across Africa, Australia, and the United States (US), with a focus on financial services companies, including Tokio Marine, Community Bank and EasyEquities.

Synatic chief executive officer Martin Naude, who previously exited startup Encentivize, said he had always wanted to build an international software company with South African roots.

SA Tech Startup Aura Expands to East Africa

AURA has announced that it’s expanding its operations to Kenya.

The expansion to Kenya follows a partnership with Kenyan company KK Security, owned by GardaWorld. The innovative SA-born tech startup will offer its emergency and medical response services in Nairobi and Mombasa.

The aim of the expansion of its current product offering is in response to the current limited capacity of offering medical response services in Kenya. In addition, the startup’s service will be more widely available in Kenya and more affordable for locals in the region.

Warren Myers, founder, and CEO of AURA comments on the expansion of the startup’s footprint into East Africa and the appointment of Hilary Itela as General manager for the startup’s presence in the region.

“We are excited to have someone of Itela’s calibre join our team as we explore the many unique opportunities within the East African market. Kenya has a strong, but fragmented private security and emergency medical industry. It provides an ideal opportunity for AURA to create an effective and efficient response network. Similar to South Africa, Kenya is plagued by significant crime issues, in particular, road safety, street crime, home invasions, burglaries, and carjackings. With a high smartphone penetration rate, we are able to provide our users with affordable and accessible on-demand security and medical response and help keep people in those areas safe.”

Itela has over 15 years of experience in various management roles in East and Central Africa. He will be responsible for growing AURA’s business presence across the region and has a wealth of experience within various sectors from eCommerce, security to renewable energy, and more.

“I look forward to shaping a business that will contribute to the safety and security of the community and create employment opportunities that positively impact the economies in which we operate,” explains Itela.

SEE ALSO: Biotech Entrepreneur, Ashley Uys – ‘I identified a gap in the market with a social impact’