Here are the 2019 FemBioBiz Accelerator Programme SA national finalists

Sporatec‘s Karin Jacobs, Nematech’s Tiisetso Lephoto and Vida Pharmaceuticals’ Patricia Mathivha will represent South Africa at the 2019 FemBioBiz Accelerator Programme regional finals set for next month’s SA Innovation Summit in Cape Town.

This after the three emerged winners following a national pitching competition held in Cape Town last week.

A panel of judges comprised of IDF Capital executive director Polo Leteka, Associated Media Publishing CEO Julia Raphaely, African Women in Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (Awief) CEO Irene Ochem and Small Enterprise Finance Agency (Sefa) Western Cape regional manager Shawn Charlie selected the winners.

The 2019 FemBioBiz Accelerator Programme regional finals will be held at the SA Innovation Summit

Jacobs (pictured above, far left), Lephoto (pictured above, second from right) and Mathivha (pictured above, far right) were among 11 women entrepreneurs with bio-science based businesses that pitched in the competition.

Stellenbosch-based Sporatec focuses on the detection, identification, and management of micro-organisms in a variety of environments. Joburg-based Nematech provides agricultural and genomic services, while Vida Pharmaceuticals sells sanitary pads.

FemBioBiz — which was this year presented by Awief — is an initiative of Hivos in partnership with the South Africa Network for Biosciences (Nepad SanBio).

The programme aims to help women entrepreneurs in bio-sciences and biotechnology from within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) gain regional exposure and access to finance.

In addition, the initiative also helps participants network with other women entrepreneurs in bio-science based businesses.

Featured image, left to right: Sporatech head Karin Jacobs, Dutch Consul General Sebastiaan Messerschmidt, Awief founder and CEO Irene Ochem, Nematech CEO Tiisetso Lephoto and Vida Pharmaceuticals’ managing director Patricia Mathivha (Awief via Facebook)