Research Projects and Business Ideas
Spinetector
Spinetector Safety Vest is an upper body mining safety costume designed to reduce the force of impact caused by rockfalls and heavy machinery on the spinal cord and rib section. Sello Malinga participated in the program 2019.
Bliss Herbals
Bliss Herbals is a dynamic force for transformation and healing. Vida combines her medical knowledge of the human body, holistic healing philosophy, clinical experience in homoeopathy, interest in eco-therapy, passion for grassroots empowerment, spir…
FMSI
FMSI is an active participant in the Blue Bioeconomy Pact, a national initiative aimed at reindustrializing Portuguese industries through the integration of Blue Biotech Solutions. Our mission is to empower small and large companies to adopt innovati…
Inocul8 – Inoculated, Protected, Safe.
Inocul8 offers comprehensive vaccination and preventive health services, providing tailored healthcare solutions for individuals and organizations. Inocul8 focuses on stopping infectious diseases before they occur, with services that include vaccinat…
Township Cannabis Incubator
Township Cannabis Incubator (TCI), established in 2023 and funded by the Department of Small Business Development through SEDA, supports Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) focusing on medicinal cannabis products, cosmetics, and biomaterials…
BioPher
BioPher (Pty) Ltd was established in 2008 to market and distribute AnnGro®, a product based on the Pheroid® Platform Technology (patented by the North West University), which has the ability to improve the uptake of inorganic fertilizer by plants. I…
Probipher
Probipher is a South African biotech company focused on the research and development of microbial additives for the agricultural industry. Committed to advancing sustainable agriculture, Probipher leverages the power of microorganisms to create innov…
TokaBio
TokaBio has two divisions; Animal Health Group that is interested in developing diagnostics products to facilitate export of livestock. Furthermore, TokaBio offers laboratory routine diagnosis of animal diseases and training for Animal Health. The hu…
Antrum Biotech
Antrum Biotech develops advanced infectious disease diagnostics, specializing in Tuberculosis (TB). With over a decade of experience, they focus on creating niche tests, including the IRISA-TB™ test for extra-pulmonary TB. As a recognized leader in h…
Algaeholix (Pty) Ltd
Algaeholix manufactures microalgae biomass and extract astaxanthin and beta-carotene from different species and supply these as antioxidants. Algaeholix also cultivates Chlorella species as a purified plant-based protein product. Algaeholix aim to co…
Evet Africa
Evet Africa offers an AI-powered diagnostic app that detects livestock diseases using images and historical data, providing real-time treatment recommendations to farmers and veterinarians. In regions with severe veterinary shortages, such as Nigeria…
Global Health Biotech
Global Health Biotech specializes in natural treatments for musculoskeletal issues. They offer La-Africa Soother (LAS), a natural anti-inflammatory ointment for muscle and joint pain, and Plant-Based Morphogenetic Factor Implants (PBMF) for bone and…
Nanosene (Pty) Ltd
Nanosene (Pty) Ltd is Africa’s first bespoke polymer supplier, specializing in the development and production of amphiphilic polymers that isolate molecular drug targets. This innovative technology revolutionizes medicine by enabling researchers and…
Medsol AI Solutions
Medsol AI Solutions offers an artificial intelligence solution for diagnostic imaging with a patient-centered outcome. Various AI systems with user-friendly, automated systems for radiologists/specialists of various fields, with an associated patient…
Iraka Biotech (Pty) Ltd
Iraka Biotech is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing innovative One Health Solutions for animals. Our AI-driven portable photonic bioreactor produces high-quality, whole-cell inactivated vaccines on-site, providing rapid defense against i…
Newform Foods
Newform Foods is leveraging a continent-spanning research and development network to help food producers, retailers, and business owners develop and scale cultivated animal products at a significantly lower cost than the industry norm. They represent…
De Novo Foodlabs
De Novo Foodlabs is a cutting-edge biotech start-up that is transforming the nutrition industry. Through the utilisation of microbial fermentation, De Novo’s technology platform enables the production of nutrients that were traditionally unsustainabl…
Impulse Biomedical
Impulse Biomedical is a start-up based in Cape Town focused on developing affordable and consumer-driven medical devices. Committed to the belief that access to quality healthcare is a fundamental right, they address gaps in universal healthcare acce…
SmartBlade (Pty) Ltd
SmartBlade offers an innovative, cost-effective solution for managing difficult airways. Combining smartphone technology with video laryngoscopy, it allows clinicians of varying skill levels to perform intubations efficiently. Features include suctio…
Glonation PtyLtd
Glonation is an innovative cosmetic manufacturing company. Our business model is to develop personalized skin care by combining artificial intelligence, data, and academic research in skin care ingredients in Africa. Lerato Mothapo, Director, partici…
PRD LOGICAL SOLUTIONS (PTY)LTD
PRD LOGICAL SOLUTIONS (PTY)LTD is an award-winning company specializing in innovative medical equipment for individuals with disabilities. Their flagship product, the PARA-TUBE, is a retrofitting seating solution with an integrated toilet, designed t…
Chemical Process Technologies (CPT)
Chemical Process Technologies (CPT) is an innovative chemical synthesis company specializing in competitive organic synthesis routes. CPT synthesizes fine chemicals and formulates a range of end-user products, including animal health products and pha…
Portia M Skin Solutions Pty Ltd
Portia M is an award-winning cosmetic brand that specializes in skin care solutions. Their products are recommended for stretch marks, uneven skin tone, oily, dehydrated, and acne-prone skin. Portia M began with just one product in 2011 and now offer…
Senso
The product of Senso addresses a deaf person’s inability to hear critical sounds by converting them into vibrations and color-coded LED lights on a wrist wearable. It uses four sensors, colored blue, green, yellow, and red, to detect sounds and alert…
MARTI TB Diagnostics
MARTI TB Diagnostics (Pty) Ltd, a venture of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, is dedicated to revolutionizing global tuberculosis diagnostics. Their mission is to save lives by introducing the MARTI point-of-care diagnostic, which eliminates…
Touch Prosthetics
Touch Prosthetics is a pioneering leader in prosthetic hand development in Africa, committed to advancing the field and improving accessibility to prosthetic technology through our flagship project, The Touch Hand. By sponsoring our innovative soluti…
SmartSpot Quality
SmartSpot Quality, founded in 2010 as a research program at the University of Witwatersrand, has evolved into a leading South African private company. Specializing in molecular testing controls, SmartSpot meets the stringent quality needs of TB molec…
AzarGen Biotechnologies
AzarGen, a biotechnology company in Stellenbosch, South Africa, develops recombinant human surfactant protein-B for respiratory diseases and a plant-made CD20-binding monoclonal antibody for autoimmune diseases using genetic engineering and synthetic…
Agreenco
Agreenco provides innovative mine rehabilitation and environmental improvement services, transforming environmental liabilities into assets for the benefit of all stakeholders. We specialize in mine rehabilitation, tailings challenges, dust control,…
SteriLux
SteriLux is driven by innovation, sustainability, and ambition. We’ve developed an innovative sterilization system meeting the highest medical standards, combining Swiss quality with innovation to transform healthcare infection control. Inspired by o…
Sensars
Sensars is revolutionizing neuromodulation with intra-nerve micro-technology. They’ve developed SENSY, an implantable neurostimulator based on intra-nerve stimulation, uniquely designed to effectively treat chronic foot and hand pain. SENSY boasts a…
flowbone SA
flowbone SA provides an injectable “bone-seeding” gel to locally strengthen fragile bones. The gel promotes the body’s own mineral deposition, turning into strong, viable bone without foreign materials or interfering with bone vascularization. This m…
AgroSustain
AgroSustain offers a one-stop-shop solution for biological plant protection, aiming to reduce food waste and support organic food production with farm-to-fork solutions like biological fungicides and coatings. They have developed a range of plant-der…
IDUN Technologies
IDUN Technologies is a neurotech Start Up and our vision is to create a more connected and empathetic world using in-ear EEGs. Our Guardian brain analytics platform is a Brain-computer Interface that provides real time measurements of neuromarkers, e…
Thinkmilk
Thinkmilk is an innovative, low-cost milking process using sensors to bring traceability to the dairy industry. It qualifies milk in real time based on yield, somatic cell count, and antibiotics, detecting diseases during milking to prevent epidemics…
Alver Golden Chlorella SA
Alver appeals to all who are committed to responsible consumption. Our diverse product range, from high protein pasta, to protein powders and food supplements, all contain Golden Chlorella microalgae and are free from additives. Our goal is to improv…
Hemolytics
Hemolytics help to diagnose Malaria – Malaria Elimination is driven by the urgent need to eradicate the life-threatening disease caused by Plasmodium parasites transmitted through mosquito bites. Effective diagnostics are crucial, enabling the detect…
Hi-D Imaging
Hi-D Imaging Cardiovascular Suite is a platform that revolutionizes medical imaging processing to inform pre-procedural planning for the treatment of structural heart diseases. The Imaging Suite combines state-of-the-art technologies such as deep lea…
ETrash2Cash
About Us eTrash2Cash (eT2C Company Nigeria) is the first of its kind social enterprise in northern Nigeria, which embodies the use of technology to solve environmental problems in the low-income communities. Its web, mobile app and SMS platform helps…
HerHealth Uganda
HerHealth Uganda provide communities with health education and continuous advocacy to empower them to monitor, manage and be more aware of their health conditions through affordable alternatives. They create affordable health care alternatives using…
Tyncbest Biotechnology
About Us: Tyncbest Biotechnology is established primarily for the research and product developments of medical devices. At the heart of this company, the product development of devices is accomplished by invention and simplified by innovation. Proble…
TyphGen
Why a test for typhoid fever • TyphGen – a rapid test for typhoid fever, 20 million cases of typhoid fever are registered annually. Majority of the cases involve children from low-income countries. • Contributes 36% of all fever-related illnesses in…
CosKin
CosKin, a Swiss company, specializes in developing a cutting-edge skin analysis device using multispectral technology, particularly catering to the cosmetics industry. Their mission is to provide skin analysis services tailored to individual skin nee…
anavo medical
The innovative approach from anavo medical tackles the persistent challenge of chronic wounds in modern medicine, exacerbated by conditions like diabetes and the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Through collaboration with experts at ETH Zurich…
breathe medical
The “breathe” ventilator is a transport ventilator which intuitive design and robustness to harsh environmental conditions enable doctors to use it with confidence in any circumstances. They provide tailored, easy-to-use, and affordable healthcare so…
Diaxxo
Diaxxo AG, founded in 2020, is a spin-off of the Functional Materials Laboratory (FML) of ETH Zürich. They envision a future where precise and reliable diagnostics can be accessed anywhere by anyone. They believe that thanks to their Point-Of-Care PC…
Ennos
ennos is a Swiss company comprising an interdisciplinary team of experienced engineers and marketing experts, founded in 2016 as a spin-off of Berne University of Applied Sciences. Their commitment lies in developing affordable pumping technologies t…
Testmate Health
Testmate Health, an early-stage healthcare startup, is dedicated to providing low-cost, high-quality, and accurate at-home self-testing solutions. Combining expertise in sexual health and diagnostics, the team is committed to realizing our mission of…
Gaia Tech AG
Gaia Tech, an emerging ETH Spin-off company resulting from the research project ‘Phenoliva,’ financed by EIT Food and hosted at ETH Zurich, specializes in decentralized treatment and valorization of agricultural side-streams. Leveraging proprietary e…
Perovskia Solar AG
PEROVSKIA, a cleantech startup, specializes in customizable perovskite solar cells and has developed digital printing technology to fabricate design-free cells. By enabling solar cells to be tailored around products rather than the other way around,…
SmartBreed GmbH
SmartBreed revolutionizes insect breeding with on-site solutions. Dedicated to making insect advantages accessible to all, they provide stackable, fully automatic breeding boxes for cost-effective, resource-efficient, and hygienic insect breeding. Th…
MEDICUD
MEDICUD, a company based in Lausanne, pioneers innovation in wound healing with a non-powered vacuum-assisted closure device. The focus is on developing and marketing a cost-effective mechanically powered pump, offering a sustainable alternative to t…
Inqaba Biotechnical Industries (Pty) Ltd.
DNA Synthesis and Sequencing African high-tech helps shaping life science, health, food and agriculture in Africa Inqaba Biotechnical Industries (Pty) Ltd. was founded in 2001 by Swiss and German molecular biologists and has its headquarters in Preto…
Derma2Go
Problem Research indicates that currently 69% of dermatologists are over 50 years old in Germany (Kis et al., 2017). It can be assumed that in 15 years there will be an undersupply of practicing dermatologists which implies inadequate medical care. T…
Internet-based teaching to improve patient & health-care provider interaction in chronic diseases
International education project: Establishment of an internet-based teaching instrument using annotated videos and web-based supervision to improve patient & health-care provider interaction in chronic diseases Wolf Langewitza MD, Christof Daetwy…
HerHealthUganda
We imagine a world where every woman has a means to test for preventable infections instead of suffering long term illness. Our Mission Empowering women around the world to take their health into their own hands and to increase awareness about the ad…
DIY Solar Lamps
Problem Currently, 44% of the over 100 million Ethiopian people have access to electricity while 56% of them risk their health by using traditional energy sources. Studies conducted by the World Bank shows that electrification is directly related to…
Enable | Digital
Problem Enable has identified a significant problem in a highly underserved market: IT solutions for impact ventures in emerging markets. In order to access the market, Enable has developed both a set of innovative technologies as well as a solid pr…
CosKin-Reveals the nature of your skin
CosKin is a Swiss company developing an ultra-fast skin analysis device, thanks to multi-spectral technology. This technology is active in the field of cosmetics, especially for the treatment of skin. PROBLEM Consumers of cosmetics product are desert…
DASH Study (Disease, Activity and Schoolchildren’s Health)
The DASH study, or in full the Disease, Activity and Schoolchildren’s Health in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, is a joint research project between the University of Basel, Switzerland, the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute in Basel, Switzerla…
Information for international PhD Candidates
Doctoral Studies Before you begin the online application, please note the following: Degree programs An overview of the doctoral studies offered by the various faculties can be found in the information sheet: Doctoral studies issued by the specific f…
Transdisciplinary systems research to reduce cocoa swollen shoot virus disease in Ghana (TransdisCSSVD)
Ghana is among the world’s top producers of cocoa (The obroma cacao), with livelihoods of 800’000 farm families’ depending on the crop. The Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) is one of the major factors limiting cocoa productivity, and the onl…
Clinical features and differential diagnosis of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea in Mali
Clostridium difficile is an enteric pathogen that may cause a wide range of diarrhoeal diseases. While C. difficile is the main causative agent of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and one of the most important diarrhoeal pathogens in the Western world…
Virological treatment failure in HIV-infected adults in Uganda: Risk factors: poor adherence, resistance patterns & intervention strategies.
From May 1st 2014 to June 30th 2015 we had conducted an observational trial at the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) of Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. Our study focused on the core challenges of ART (Antiretroviral Therapy) in HIV-infected…
Developing joint research proposals in media & communication in various topics, e.g. “effectiveness of farmer communication”
“The Sabbatical of Christoph Spurk is used to develop various research proposals jointly with Kenyan researchers (Prof. Wambui Kiai and Dr. George Nyabuga) and make them ready for submission to donors. The idea is also to establish research cooperati…
Strengthening Research Laboratory Capacity of Clinical Research on Endemic Diseases in Accra, Ghana
Capacity strengthening encompasses both the infrastructure and the related technical capacity building ín order to ensure clinical research to be performed at the University of Ghana Medical School Korlebu teaching Hospital. The need for strengthenin…
Strengthening collaboration in the investigation of heterogeneity in malaria dynamics
This project aims to facilitates potential exchange between Swiss TPH and KWTRP on a number of topics in malaria epidemiology and specifically on an ongoing joint PhD project: “A joint PhD project between Swiss TPH and KWTRP has been agreed on the to…
Movement analysis of cervical and lumbar spine
The overall objective of the proposed kick-start exchange visit is establishing a research network between University of Ghana and Zurich University of Applied Sciences but more specifically in the area of neck and low back pain. Both teams (investig…
Rapid identification & detection of antibiotic resistance profiles in blood culture bacterial isolates
We propose here to kick-start a multi-site study analyzing the prevalence, causative pathogens and their antibiotic resistance patterns, outcomes, and cofactors of BSI among febrile patients consecutively presenting to hospitals in Kenya. This study…
Correlating anti-TB drug pharmacokinetics with clinical outcomes in TB/HIV co-infected patients
“SOUTH” is an ongoing study on the evaluation of the pharmacokinetics of anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs and TB treatment outcomes in HIV/TB co-infected Ugandan adults. Worldwide this is one of the largest prospective trial looking into this topic. It h…
Drug Resistant Tuberculosis in Kampala, Uganda: Complementing Susceptibility Testing With Whole Genome Sequencing
Proposed activities to be funded by this grant: a) Workshop at the Makerere University on bioinformatic and phylogenetic tools (2 weeks). We propose a workshop on the usage of next generation sequencing technologies and population genomics to tackle…
SwissTPH Teaching and Training Courses
All departments of the Swiss TPH take part, in Teaching and Training in various forms. As an associated institute of the University of Basel, numerous Swiss TPH staff have teaching obligations at the University. The Institute is involved in the BSc s…
Ageing, Agency and Health in Urbanizing Tanzania
Project Management: Brigit Obrist; Obrist van Eeuwijk Persons involved Sandra Staudacher; Andrea Patricia Grolimund; Piet Van Eeuwijk Period Start: 01. Apr 2012 End 31. Jan 2016 Description The project Ageing, Agency and Health in Urbanizing Tanzani…