SA biomedical engineering startup receives funding

Amrish Narrandes, Head of Unlisted Equity Transactions at Futuregrowth explains that Impulse Biomedical is the first pre-revenue startup that the fund has invested in.

“While our focus is normally on late-stage venture capital investments, Impulse Biomedical is an exception. We love Impulse’s ground-breaking technology and products, which, when coupled with the strong founding team, give us confidence that this investment will grow from strength to strength.”

Impulse Biomedical

Founded in 2017 by engineer duo Gokul Nair and Giancarlo Beukes, the biomedical engineering startup has developed an innovative device titled the ZiBiPen. The unique and ground-breaking device has the potential to transform the emergency treatment of life-threatening anaphylaxis.

When an individual is suffering from anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction to certain substances, Adrenaline Auto-Injectors must be administered within a reported 15 minutes to avoid fatality. According to reports, the dominant AAI on the market, the EpiPen costs up to R1 800 in South Africa for a single device. In addition, the traditional EpiPen device expires within an 18-month period and must be discarded and replaces, incurring more costs for patients, and for South African patients the shelf life of these life-saving devices is a mere 12 months.

With this in mind, the engineering duo developed an affordable solution for middle to lower-income groups, the ZiBiPen. The device was developed while completing their Master’s Degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Cape Town.  

Notably, there are no alternatives to the EpiPen available in South Africa and the ZiBiPen is the first local innovation for the treatment of anaphylaxis.

The biomed tech startup aims to broaden its offering and increase access to life-saving health technologies for South Africans.

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