Business Wire

KENUP-FOUNDATION

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

Andersen Global styrker sine juridiske kapaciteter med tilføjelsen af brasiliansk medlemsfirma11.12.2025 18:49:00 CET | Pressemeddelelse

Andersen Global udbygger sin juridiske platform i Brasilien, da Lotti e Araújo bliver et medlemsfirma, hvilket styrker organisationens kapacitet i Latinamerika. Lotti e Araújo blev stiftet for over 20 år siden og tilbyder omfattende juridisk rådgivning til brasilianske og multinationale klienter inden for en lang række brancher. Dets tværfaglige praksis omfatter selskabsret, skatteret, arbejdsret, retssager, inkasso og inddrivelse af gæld – samt specialiseret arbejde med at identificere skjulte aktiver og inddrive anke- og retsindskud i ældre sager. Firmaet håndterer også voldgift, forvaltningsret, udenlandske investeringer, fast ejendom, intellektuel ejendomsret, databeskyttelse og virksomhedsomstrukturering og tilbyder juridisk assistance inden for selskabsdannelse og repræsentation over for tilsynsmyndigheder. Teamet rådgiver klienter om forebyggende juridiske strategier og komplekse tvister for administrative organer og domstole i Brasilien. "Hos Lotti e Araújo bygger vores praksis

BEYOND Developments Reveals a New Vision for Purposeful Living on Dubai Islands with SIORA11.12.2025 18:02:00 CET | Press release

A 2M sqft masterplan inspired by Japanese garden principles, crafted around balance, clarity, and the quiet rhythm of coastal life BEYOND Developments, the bold and design-led real estate developer shaping next-generation waterfront destinations in the UAE, today unveiled SIORA, its first beachfront masterplan on Dubai Islands and the company’s second large-scale community within a year. The launch underscores BEYOND’s accelerated growth and strong alignment with Dubai’s future urban vision. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251211014389/en/ BEYOND Developments - SIORA Masterplan at sunset - Dubai Islands (Photo: AETOSWire) Spanning over 2M square feet, SIORA is conceived as a coastal sanctuary inspired by Japanese garden philosophies, including the pursuit of Ikigai, the Japanese concept of finding purpose and fulfilment in everyday life. In this context, it reflects a philosophy of creating spaces that bring c

3Degrees Welcomes David Dines to Board of Directors11.12.2025 17:00:00 CET | Press release

3Degrees, a global leader in renewable energy and climate solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of David Dines to its Board of Directors, effective December 8, 2025. Dines brings more than four decades of leadership experience across global energy, commodities, financial services, transportation, and industrial markets. He served on the executive team as Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Senior Vice President at Cargill, Inc., the largest privately held company in the United States, where he oversaw enterprise-wide financial strategy, capital deployment, and financial performance. During his 29-year career at Cargill, Dines led multiple global businesses, played key roles in major technology and process transformations, and was a member of Cargill’s Commodity Risk, Financial Risk, and Process, Data, and Technology Committees. “We are thrilled to welcome David to the 3Degrees board,” said Philippe Vedrenne, CEO, 3Degrees. “He has an exceptional command of financial stewa

ITC Infotech wins PTC Partner Network Award for FY25 in the PLM Category11.12.2025 15:40:00 CET | Press release

ITC Infotech’s DxP Services earns recognition for its strong PLM expertise, unwavering commitment to delivering customer value, and strategic collaboration with PTC to drive innovation through SaaS-led offerings and accelerate digital transformation for customers. ITC Infotech, a leading global technology services and solutions provider, has been awarded the PTC Partner Network Award for FY25 in the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) category. This prestigious recognition, awarded to a single partner globally, celebrates excellence in deploying Enterprise PLM software, enabling global and cross-functional teams to effectively manage product data and providing a trusted system for product information. The award underscores ITC Infotech’s leadership in PLM-led digital transformation, as well as its strategic alignment with PTC’s Intelligent Product Lifecycle vision, which helps customers build a structured product data foundation that serves as the backbone for AI-driven transformation.

1X Announces Strategic Partnership to Make up to 10,000 Humanoid Robots Available to EQT’s Global Portfolio11.12.2025 15:00:00 CET | Press release

1X, the AI and robotics company behind NEO, the first ready-to-ship humanoid robot, today announced a strategic partnership with EQT, one of the world’s largest private equity firms and an investor in 1X through EQT Ventures. The partnership marks the beginning of what could become a large-scale commercial rollout of general-purpose humanoid robots across multiple industries. Together, 1X and EQT have a shared intent to facilitate the rollout of up to 10,000 humanoids across EQT’s global portfolio companies between 2026 and 2030, with any potential implementation decision ultimately taken by each portfolio company. The partnership represents an early step in bringing humanoid robotics into mainstream commercial use. Through this collaboration, EQT’s portfolio companies will gain early access to 1X’s commercial production capacity and integration expertise, giving early adopters a first-mover advantage in addressing structural workforce transformation. The partnership will focus on high

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