Experience overseas has proven universities can provide technological innovation that can be commercialised and have a positive impact on economies. One of the best examples of this is Oxford Sciences Innovation, a technology transfer company that was created to fund the university spinout companies.OSI is a major shareholder in Vaccitech, the Oxford University-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine developer. The innovation has also catapulted the Oxford scientist, Prof Sarah Gilbert, who developed the Vaccitech vaccine into fame. This ability to monetise discoveries has been lagging in South Africa, but a University Technology Fund was launched at the beginning of this year and the UTF has managed to secure R230m to help commercialise technology and intellectual property originating from South African universities. The UTF has since its launch invested in five companies: BioCODE, Phagoflux and the Stellenbosch Nanofiber Company from Stellenbosch University, Cape Bio Pharms and Hydrogen Energ
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Seven start-ups have been given the thumbs-up since February.
By Michael Brown
21 Dec 2020 10:00
A new asset class: university technology and intellectual property. Image: Shutterstock
Last week the University Technology Fund (UTF) approved another investment into a university start-up company, taking the total amount invested since February to R28.1 million.
This is according to UTF co-founder Daniel Strauss, who said the fund has now approved seven investments into university companies this year â including from the University of Cape Town (UCT), the University of the Western Cape (UWC), and Stellenbosch University (SU).
These start-ups emerge from universities across the country and look to commercialise the research, technology, or innovations created through the institution.