KENUP-FOUNDATION
18.12.2020 15:00:16 CET | Business Wire | Press release
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.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201218005388/en/
About Business Wire
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
Messer Acquires Singapore-Based Industrial Gas Platform; Japan Corporate Advisory Institute Advises Sellers3.7.2026 11:11:00 CEST | Press release
Acquisition of WKS Group strengthens Messer’s Southeast Asia presence Messer, the world’s largest privately held specialist for industrial, medical, electronic and specialty gases, has acquired WKS Group, a Singapore-based industrial gas platform with operations across Singapore and southern Malaysia. Transaction terms were not disclosed. Messer reported consolidated sales of approximately EUR 4.5 billion for its 2025 financial year. Founded in Singapore in 1977, WKS Group comprises six companies and employs approximately 195 people across Singapore and southern Malaysia. The acquisition expands Messer’s operating footprint in Southeast Asia and strengthens its access to key industrial clusters across the region. “We are pleased to have completed this transaction with Messer, whose strategic vision makes them an excellent partner for WKS Group,” said Mr. Wong Koh Hoi, shareholder of WKS Group. “We appreciate JCAI’s professionalism and dedication throughout the process, and their expert
Access Advance Welcomes Meta Platforms, Inc. and Alibaba Group to the Video Distribution Patent Pool3.7.2026 01:00:00 CEST | Press release
Access Advance LLC today announced that Meta Platforms, Inc., one of the world's largest distributors of video content across its Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp services, has joined the Video Distribution Patent Pool (VDP Pool) as a Licensee. Meta also joined both the HEVC Advance and VVC Advance pools as a Licensee. Alibaba Group, whose video infrastructure spans a wide range of video-based services across e-commerce, entertainment, and digital media platforms, was also announced as a VDP Pool Licensee this week. Meta and Alibaba joining the VDP Pool further reinforces the program’s market leading position in resolving the licensing issues around the use of modern video codecs, including VP9, AV1, HEVC and VVC, across all the diverse business models of internet video streaming. "A significant U.S.-based company like Meta joining as a Licensee is a milestone moment for the content distribution business and the VDP Pool," said Peter Moller, CEO of Access Advance. "Meta reach
Kioxia Commences Sample Shipments of 10th-Generation BiCS FLASH™ Devices Delivering High Performance, High Capacity and Low Power Consumption3.7.2026 01:00:00 CEST | Press release
Production planned at Fab2 of Kitakami Plant Kioxia Corporation, a world leader in memory solutions, today announced that it has commenced sample shipments of 1Tb (terabit) Triple-Level-Cell (TLC) memory devices utilizing its 10th-generation BiCS FLASH™ 3D flash memory technology.1 These will be primarily integrated into the company’s enterprise and data center SSDs, strengthening Kioxia’s lineup to meet the growing demand for AI storage, which requires higher performance, higher capacity, and lower power consumption. These new products will be manufactured using state-of-the-art equipment at Kioxia’s Kitakami Plant Fab2 facility in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. By leveraging innovative CMOS directly Bonded to Array (CBA) technology2 and On-Pitch Select Gate Drain (OPS) technology,3 both adopted since the 8th-generation BiCS FLASH™, the 10th-generation technology achieves a NAND interface speed of 4.8 Gb/s,4 a 33% improvement over the 8th generation. Bit density has increased by 59% by stac
Bending Spoons S.p.A. announces closing of initial public offering2.7.2026 20:35:00 CEST | Press release
Bending Spoons S.p.A. (“Bending Spoons”), a leading technology company, today announces the closing of its initial public offering of an aggregate of 57,971,015 of its ordinary shares, at an initial public offering price of $29.00 per share. The offering consisted of 34,398,640 shares sold by Bending Spoons and 23,572,375 shares sold by certain selling shareholders (the “Selling Shareholders”). The gross proceeds from the offering to Bending Spoons, before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses, was approximately $953,917,285.50. Bending Spoons did not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares by the Selling Shareholders. Bending Spoons’ ordinary shares began trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market on July 1, 2026 under the ticker symbol “BSP”. Goldman Sachs International, J.P. Morgan, and Allen & Company LLC are acting as joint lead book-running managers for the offering. Wells Fargo Securities, BofA Securities, Jefferies, Evercore ISI, BNP
Strategic Partnership Between Record Asset Management and Admicasa2.7.2026 19:00:00 CEST | Press release
RAM Swiss Holding AG announces a strategic partnership with Admicasa Holding AG (Admicasa). RAM Swiss Holding AG is a subsidiary of LSE-listed Record Financial Group (Record) and part of the Record Asset Management (RAM) group of companies. The partnership is a milestone in the growth of Admicasa and marks an important step in the continued expansion of Record’s private markets platform. Subject to regulatory approval, the agreement, signed on 1st July 2026, provides RAM Swiss Holding AG with a 50% participation in the Admicasa Fondsleitung AG, part of Admicasa, and establishes a long-term partnership to develop investment opportunities in the Swiss and Global real estate market with a plan to expand into other asset classes in the medium term. RAM is the European asset management arm of Record, the LSE-listed specialist investment group managing USD 115 billion of assets on behalf of institutional clients worldwide. Record's client base comprises pension funds, foundations, sovereign
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