Stellenbosch LaunchLab CERIBIO Boosts Biotech Startups in SA

Stellenbosch University (SU) has opened the LaunchLab CERIBIO, a biotech laboratory aimed at supporting biotechnology startups. The new facility extends the university’s innovation ecosystem by offering dedicated lab space, incubation support, and specialised equipment to help entrepreneurs commercialise their biotech research.

The initiative is a collaboration between SU’s LaunchLab business incubator and its technology transfer office, Innovus. It responds to two major challenges identified during previous incubations: the high cost of materials and limited access to laboratory infrastructure.

Currently, SU supports 35 spin-out companies with ten operating in the biotechnology sector. Five of these biotech spinouts – Fluorobiotech, Biocode, Phagoflux, Urobo Biotech and Immobazyme - were successfully incubated through Innovus and LaunchLab. Their development highlighted the need for purpose-built facilities like CERIBIO.

“We have an incredible foundation for research at Stellenbosch University and in South Africa, in general. However, we lack biotech laboratory incubators that can convert our world-class science into products”, comments Prof. Tulio de Oliveira, Director of the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI). That is one of the reasons why we are investing in LaunchLab CERIBIO - to position South Africa as a global leader in the production of biotechnology products that save lives and advance livelihoods”.

LaunchLab, operating within SU’s Innovation and Commercialisation (I&C) Division, works alongside Innovus to provide a range of services for entrepreneurs. These include student entrepreneurship programmes, new company creation, portfolio support, fund management, and strategic business services for spin-out companies.

“This is just the beginning,” De Olivieria added. “We are already engaged with large funders and investors such as the Mastercard Foundation to help us expand the ecosystem,” concludes De Oliviera.