Ronny Kabongo from Genomyx Lab-In-a-Box, based in Randburg, was announced as one of the winners in the Gauteng Accelerator Programme (Gap) under the Bioscience category.
The Innovation Hub announced the winners of its prestigious 2021 Gap Innovation competition at a virtual award ceremony on February 24.
With novel business concepts, including an Internet of Things system to prevent load-shedding, a digital payment platform for spaza shops, and a portable DNA testing lab, both first-prize winners and their runners-up will all receive a share of R3 million in seed funding.
As the first-prize winner in bioscience, Genomyx Lab-in-a-Box by Kabongo offers a portable molecular next-generation sequencing laboratory solution for DNA testing in the field, as well as in conventional laboratories. It also includes tools for DNA sample extraction, DNA library preparation, DNA sequencing, and DNA analysis.
The Gap competition aims to foster innovation and entrepreneurship across the five categories of ICT, Bioscience, Medical, Green Economy, and the Township Economy, solving some of the country’s most pressing challenges. Since the competition’s launch in 2011, it has received over 1 400 entries, and The Innovation Hub has since invested over R22 million toward over 116 start-ups.
All Gap candidates are required to undergo an intensive year-long business education programme, following which an independent panel of judges selects the final winners based on their strategy and market potential.
“By the wide variety of entries that the Gap competition received, it’s clear that South Africa is full of ambitious innovators and original thinkers with enormous potential and capability,” said Pieter Holl, CEO of The Innovation Hub.
In addition to seed funding, the winners and runners-up in each competition category will receive incubation services with technical and business mentors, and intellectual property lawyers.
Winners in other categories include Liaison Health Careware by George Hofmeyer Bennie – Medical category; Wakoomulla by Nthabiseng Mhlanga – ICT; Autumn Green by Paseka Litabe – Green category; Inqaba Yesizwe Phyto-pharmaceuticals by Phindi Hani – Township category.
