Business Wire

KENUP-FOUNDATION

18.12.2020 15:00:16 CET | Business Wire | Press release

Share
kENUP Foundation: EIB and FIND back innovative plant-based reagent manufacturing in Africa to fight COVID-19 and other endemic diseases

African reagent manufacturing for rapid testing kits and treatment for COVID-19 and other endemic diseases will be transformed by construction of a new Cape Biologix Technologies facility in Mauritius.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201218005388/en/

This will enable the company to scale up innovative plant-based manufacturing and to commercialise the successful development of plant based recombinant proteins and in particular, antibodies as a spin-off from the University of Cape Town. The manufacturing facility aims to ensure the supply of crucial reagents for the production of 100 million vaccines a month for distribution across Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific.

Initiated by kENUP Foundation, new financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and FIND (Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics) for the EUR 47.5 million project was formally agreed earlier today. The EIB will provide EUR 33.3 million for the specialist manufacturing plant in Mauritius. This has been complemented by EUR 3.2 million provided by FIND that is being used to fund the rapid scale-up of the pilot phase production in Cape Town, South Africa.

“Scaling up medical innovation and specialist manufacturing is crucial to control COVID-19 and combat other diseases that can be treated, but where treatment remains a limited privilege. EIB is pleased to provide EUR 33.3 million to support Cape Biologix to expand pharmaceutical production, create jobs and increase access to affordable disease testing and treatment across Africa and around the world by increasing the affordability of key proteins. This new investment is bringing world class research from laboratories in Cape Town to improve the lives of millions of people. As part of Team Europe, the EIB is committed to working together with global partners to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and improve public health in the years ahead.” said Ambroise Fayolle, EIB Vice President.

“Local innovation and manufacturing are critical to ensuring that quality tests can reach all who need them. We are very happy to build on our longstanding relationships in South Africa to work together on this transformative project with Cape Bio, in partnership with the EIB, translating exciting research into tangible products that will benefit everyone in the region. Building local capacity is not only needed today for COVID-19, but will also improve South Africa’s preparedness to respond to future threats.” said Dr Catharina Boehme, CEO of FIND.

About Business Wire

Business Wire
Business Wire
101 California Street, 20th Floor
CA 94111 San Francisco

http://businesswire.com

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Ant International Secures Payment Institution Licence from the Central Bank of Brazil4.9.2026 16:41:00 CEST | Press release

Expanding the company’s capability to support local partners with FinAI solutions Ant International, the leading global digital payment, digitisation, and FinAI solutions provider, today announced that it has received a Payment Institution (PI) licence from the Central Bank of Brazil. “With the Central Bank's invaluable support, we are ready to step up more reliable and comprehensive global payment and account services to enterprises, platforms and SMEs in the country's dynamic digital economy, in ever deeper collaboration with its highly developed payments ecosystem and financial services industry,” said Rodrigo Reif, General Manager, Ant International Brazil. Ant International provides cross-border payments and account services, embedded credit and treasury services, and other finAI and blockchain solutions to clients across Asia, Europe and the Americas. The company processes over 20 million transactions daily, connecting 2 billion consumer accounts to 150 million global merchants v

Bending Spoons completes the acquisition of Airtable4.9.2026 14:30:00 CEST | Press release

Bending Spoons S.p.A. (NASDAQ: BSP) has completed the previously announced acquisition of Airtable, the platform used by more than 500,000 organizations to reshape how teams organize data and manage critical workflows. “Airtable continues to grow because customers value its best-in-class flexibility,” said Luca Ferrari, Bending Spoons CEO and co-founder. “Teams can bring all their data, context, and AI agents together in one place, shape their workflows around their specific needs, and progressively expand their use of the platform over time. As we take the reins, our focus will be on sustaining that growth by investing heavily in Airtable’s product, customer support, and go-to-market capabilities.” “I’m proud of what the Airtable team has built and excited to see the business enter this next chapter,” said Howie Liu, co-founder of Airtable. “I’m confident Bending Spoons has the resources and long-term perspective to help Airtable continue delivering exceptional value to its customers

EQT to acquire McGill and Partners, a leading specialty (re)insurance broker for USD 2.0 billion, from Warburg Pincus4.9.2026 13:48:00 CEST | Press release

Warburg Pincus and McGill and Partners have reached an agreement with EQT that will see Warburg Pincus sell its majority stake to EQT McGill and Partners founders, management team and colleagues will re-invest alongside EQT, retaining a meaningful ownership stake in the firm going forward as they continue to serve clients globally Maintains commitment to firm’s independent model and culture of ownership, developed organically since its founding in 2019 EQT will partner with Steve McGill and the management team to accelerate organic growth, including via talent recruitment, further development of technology and data capabilities, and expansion of innovative digital solutions EQT and McGill and Partners are pleased to announce that EQT X ("EQT") has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in McGill and Partners from Warburg Pincus for USD 2.0bn. Founder and Chief Executive Officer Steve McGill will continue to lead the firm, while Chairman John Lloyd will remain a

A Race Is Never Won Alone: With La Tavolata, Barilla Brings the Paddock Family Together on the Monza Grid4.9.2026 12:18:00 CEST | Press release

A nearly 100-meter-long dinner table hosted more than 200 guests for an evening celebrating collaboration, trust and the bonds built beyond competition. On Thursday evening ahead of the Formula 1® Italian Grand Prix, Barilla transformed one of the sport’s fastest and most competitive environments into a place where the Paddock Family took center stage. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260902463001/en/ La Tavolata by Barilla on the starting grid of the Monza circuit. More than two hundred people gathered around a single table: drivers, Team Principals, mechanics, engineers, strategists, safety and medical car drivers, personal trainers, tire technicians. The individuals whose collaboration, precision and trust shape every race, every decision and every performance. A nearly 100-meter table set with plates and pasta. With the first-ever Tavolata organized by Barilla and F1, people from across the Formula 1® ecosy

Aqara Showcases The New Smart Lighting Series and Immersive Smart Home Experience at IFA 20264.9.2026 11:30:00 CEST | Press release

Aqara, a global leader in IoT, today announced a new lineup of smart lighting products and a global community platform for smart space creators, at IFA 2026 in Berlin. The announcements reflect Aqara's ongoing vision for AI-driven spatial intelligence — spaces that understand their users and adapt to how people actually live in them. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260904365343/en/ Aqara Showcases The New Smart Lighting Series and Immersive Smart Home Experience at IFA 2026 The new lighting series — spanning indoor and outdoor use — integrates seamlessly with Aqara's existing ecosystem of sensors, switches, and hubs, bringing complete whole-space lighting scenarios and automated controls to life. The new Aqara products showcased include the Floor Lamp T1, LED Downlight T2, LED Strip T2, Outdoor String Lights H1, and Permanent Outdoor Lights H1. In addition, the company will present Aqara Builder, a platform fo

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye