🥵 Relieving 75M+ Users' Pain…

AR ready? A couple of former Magic Leap execs are betting on slowly introducing AR to the public with their new startup Sightful, releasing a laptop with no screen, just AR goggles.

In this Open Letter:

• Global reach: A 75M+ impact for SA Biotech.

• SA’s robokiddos, biltong-powered fuel & TymeBank’s global play.

• Founder fuel: How to spin up, pivot and move super-fast.

• How you like your rewards: The latest poll results are in.

• Startup power: 100+ businesses SA needs right now.

Together with

TRENDING NOW

A 75M+ Impact for SA Biotech

Four years after the global COVID-19 pandemic, the world has largely returned to normal. Except for nearly 75 million people globally who developed “Long COVID” and basically never fully recovered. 

The Long COVID problem

Between 10% and 20% of the 750 million+ people who contracted COVID-19 have developed Long COVID, a chronic after-effect condition with symptoms including fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, chronic pain, worsened fatigue after exercise, and heart palpitations.

Problem is there are currently no diagnostic tests for Long COVID, and clinical tests often show no abnormalities, leading to the thinking that there’s nothing wrong with sufferers, leaving them with no end in sight to their symptoms – which persists for at least 3 months, or way longer.

Enter Biocode, a Stellenbosch based Biotech startup spun out of Stellenbosch University’s Physiology Department. In research, they discovered persistent blood clots in most Long COVID patients. These microclots are between 1 and 100 micrometres small – slightly more than the diameter of a strand of human hair.

But microclots cause seriously big issues

Causing obstructions in smaller blood vessels, they throttle the body’s blood and oxygen flow, further damaging the arteries – which is what Long COVID symptoms actually are: the body struggling for oxygen supply.

Biocode has developed a world-first diagnostic tool, Biolab, to detect these abnormal microclots, the test results help patients with actionable next steps to reduce microclot levels, offer a long-term health roadmap, and validate the experiences of those suffering from Long COVID. 

Which is big: Across the pandemic, South Africa had around 4 million confirmed cases of COVID-19. And global guidelines estimate about 15% of those will likely have Long Covid – that’s 600k South Africans some of whom may not even know they have it, but just feel “off”.

But it’s even bigger: Expanded globally, there are 75 million potential patients, who could benefit from this technology, which is why the tech is already being sublicensed in Germany, Switzerland, the US, and the UK, with plans to go full global. 

Not to mention, the potential of expanding this microclot detection into other medical applications. But that’s not all Biocode is up to…

The even longer game

Biocode is also developing its Biocheck Inflammation rapid test kit, which screens and tracks chronic inflammation, a key factor in coronary artery disease, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer's – which combined cause over 70% of global deaths annually. 

The Biocheck test provides results in 15 minutes showing the presence of inflammation as well as the level of inflammation. This can help people adjust lifestyles to lower or eliminate this inflammation which in turn could lead to longer and healthier lives.

The market for this? Probably most of the 8.1 billion+ humans on Earth.

The impact of Biotech on the quality of life can be enormous and local startups such as Biocodes make us excited about South Africa’s role in this. We are watching this space…

IN SHORT

🍞 Bitcoin, Milk & Bread. Pick n Pay recently reported generating R1 million in monthly sales from shoppers paying with cryptocurrency. This is one year after becoming the first (and only) large retailer to accept crypto payments for groceries.

🤖 SA’s Coding Kiddos. The Department of Basic Education has gazetted an amendment to the National Curriculum Statement for Grades R-12 to offer coding and robotics from as early as grade R in public schools across SA.

🥩 Biltong Going Global. Vivo Energy is expanding its footprint with the acquisition of Engen South Africa. The deal includes a ”biltong clause” to ensure that Vivo Energy will source and offer SA products like biltong across its fuel stations even outside of SA.

📡 Canning Satelite TV. MultiChoice has lost 400’000-odd subscribers in SA alone the last 12 months including a 9% drop in DStv Premium & Compact Plus subs, a 9% drop in Compact subs, and a 2% drop in its DStv Family subs. Eina!

🏦 Banking on Scale. Local digital bank TymeBank is raising nearly R2.8 billion in preparation for its planned listing on the NYSE by 2028. Once completed, this raise will value the business upward of $ 1 billion….unicorn loading.

NOTHING LIKE COFFEE & CRYPTO

Need a gift for that one mate who doesn’t stop talking about his bitcoin?

Nothing tells your mate “I get it, stop telling me about it” than buying him some Crypto Coffee.

A medium roast arabica that will take your friendship in one direction and that is up. Buy online here.

HOW WOULD YOU BUILD IT?

How to Spin Up/Pivot and Move Fast

If you’re looking for insights on how some founders seem to spin up (or pivot) and launch ideas into businesses so fast (and successfully), then this week’s podcast is for you. We sat down with Kim Whitaker, now with Airbnb but perhaps best known as the person behind Ubuntu Beds during Covid – one of SA’s gold-standard case studies in innovation/pivoting.

And Kim shared her insights into spotting opportunities and quickly spinning up a new company, in record time.

Catch the highlights

1. From zero to success in 48 hours

From closing down Cape Town schools to contracting Covid to getting on the radio and launching a game-changer in two days – this is the real story behind Ubuntu Beds.

2. The No. 1 secret to building fast successfully

Pulling off miracles in no time requires the perfect mix of two special ingredients in your team: discipline and creativity – here’s how it works.

3. The only skill you need to build something they’ll love

From first dates to brands, we all make the same mistakes until we realise the one thing that changes it all is learning to see through the user’s eyes – get the insights here.

4. How we could fix all of SA with design thinking startup mindsets

If SA was run like a tech company, the Finland example and gold advice for founders and builders – check it out here.

YOUR VOICE

We asked what activities should give bonus rewards, and it’s a tie between coffee and work…

🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🎾 Padel (16%)

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ 🪂 Fortnite (8%)

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ ⚔️ Dota (4%)

🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ 🚴 Mountain bike (20%)

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ☕ Coffee shop hopping (26%)

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 💻 My work (26%)

Your 2 cents…

Ha ha, yeh there’s one nobody thought of yet, Marian — supporter’s rewards!

We can see it now, Chris — big five survival rewards out on the greens…

Ah, the only question in life worth answering before 8 in the morning, hey? Give Crypto Coffee a shot, we love their brew.