Nanosene at VivaTech 2024
Representing South Africa on the Global Stage
Nanosene joined a delegation of eight South African startups at VivaTech Paris from 13–18 June 2024, one of Europe’s largest innovation showcases. Invited by the French Embassy in South Africa, our delegation consisted of companies deemed market-ready, impactful, and globally competitive. Nanosene was honoured to stand among this inspiring group.
VivaTech Highlights
Pitching at the Africa Tech Stage: Gestél Kuyler and Elaine Barnard showcased our polymer nanodisc platform, designed to advance drug discovery and membrane protein research, to an international tech and investor audience.
Networking Among Peers: The collaborative spirit among the eight SA startups, from biotech to fintech, was energising, offering shared insights and inspiration.
Exclusive Ambassador’s Residence Pitch: We presented our technology during a dedicated reception at the South African Ambassador’s Residence in Paris, engaging directly with African ambassadors and potential investors.
Visit to Station F: Touring Europe’s largest startup campus gave us insight into scale-up culture and the vibrant ecosystem that powers global innovation.
Discovering Paris’s Innovation Pulse: From pop‑up tech showcases to café conversations, we immersed ourselves in the broader French tech scene, fueling our vision for global expansion.
About Nanosene
As a spin-off company of Stellenbosch University, Nanosene creates precision-engineered polymers that support next-generation biotechnology research. Our polymer platform empowers drug discovery and structural biology through scalable, high-performance materials. Participation at VivaTech marked a major milestone, connecting academic innovation with global markets and having a lasting impact.
Attending VivaTech was not just an exhibition; it was an affirmation. We represented South African scientific innovation within a global ecosystem, engaged new collaborators, and reaffirmed that breakthrough solutions can originate anywhere. This journey underscores how academic inventions can transcend borders.
Why This Matters
Participating as one of eight selected startups from South Africa affirmed our readiness to compete and connect globally. Our presence at VivaTech validated that Nanosene’s polymer innovations are not only academically robust but ready for real-world biotech applications. We’re grateful to the Embassy of France, our fellow delegates, and the innovators at VivaTech for sharing this journey.
The future of biotech, drug discovery, and cross‑border innovation is international, and Nanosene has just begun.
