From Pitch to Traction: Nanosene at SWEAT Africa 2026
Following an intensive week with the Open Startup BRAIN 5.0 (Bridging Research and Innovation) bootcamp, Nanosene took to the stage at the inaugural SWEAT Africa 2026 in Stellenbosch earlier this year.
The two-day event brought together founders, investors, researchers and ecosystem leaders from across Africa and beyond, creating a space for conversations around DeepTech, investment and emerging technologies on the continent.
For Nanosene, SWEAT provided an opportunity to put the preceding week’s work into practice and present the company, its technology and commercial direction to an international investment and innovation community.
CEO Dr. Gestél Kuyler pitching at SWEAT Africa.
Taking the Stage
Nanosene was one of five BRAIN 5.0 startups selected to pitch at SWEAT Africa, with co-founders Dr Gestél Kuyler, CEO, and Dr Elaine Barnard, COO, representing the company.
Opening the BRAIN startup pitch session, Nanosene introduced its polymer nanodisc technology for membrane protein research and shared the company’s plans for translating that technology into broader commercial application.
The pitch was the culmination of an intensive period of feedback and refinement during the BRAIN bootcamp, but the most meaningful outcomes emerged after stepping off the stage.
From Visibility to Traction
SWEAT Africa did more than create visibility for Nanosene. It created traction.
The event accelerated meaningful discussions with potential partners across biotechnology, manufacturing and investment, while providing valuable feedback and further validating interest in both the company and its technology.
Several of these discussions have continued beyond SWEAT and are supporting Nanosene’s ongoing work around fundraising, scale-up and market entry.
One connection produced an especially tangible outcome: an introduction made at SWEAT ultimately resulted in a new intern joining the Nanosene team.
SWEAT proved that Africa’s deeptech innovation scene is alive, kicking, and more relevant than ever before.
Nanosene’s Dr.Gestél Kuyler & Dr. Elaine Barnard on the SWEAT stage with other startup founders and BRAIN mentors.
A Different Kind of Conference
SWEAT was also intentionally different from a traditional conference.
Alongside discussions on African DeepTech, investment and innovation, the programme created opportunities for founders and investors to engage in a more informal setting. Investors took to the stage to reverse-pitch themselves to startups, while some of the more competitive conversations continued over the table-tennis table.
The format encouraged genuine interaction between people who would not necessarily meet in a conventional pitching environment and created space for founders, investors and ecosystem partners to engage more openly.
That sense of community was one of the defining aspects of SWEAT Africa and reflected the wider ambition behind the event: connecting African founders and innovators with the people, capital and expertise needed to move their ideas forward.
“SWEAT was more than the standard conference or meeting; it was a collaboration in constructing a community.”