I had the privilege of attending Cape HealthTech Connect 2026, and I left with a strong sense that we are witnessing an important new chapter in healthcare innovation.
The event brought together healthcare leaders, researchers, investors, entrepreneurs and innovators with a shared purpose: to explore how promising ideas can move beyond research and become practical, scalable solutions that improve people’s lives.
Bridging the gap between innovation and impact
Prof. Elmi Muller, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University, opened the programme with a thought-provoking keynote.
A central theme was the importance of addressing the “missing middle” between developing a promising innovation and successfully bringing it into real-world healthcare environments.
Exceptional ideas alone are not enough. #HealthTech ventures also need access to funding, commercial expertise, suitable infrastructure, capable leadership and the right people to support their journey from concept to sustainable impact.
Funding the HealthTech pipeline
The panel discussion, “Funding the Pipeline: Investors, Grants and the Innovation Challenge,” highlighted the importance of building stronger pathways between research, funding and commercialisation.
Moderated by Brandon Paschal of SU LaunchLab, the discussion brought together:
- Jonathan Wilson, Partner at Third Way Capital
- Rowena Luk, CEO of Africa Health Ventures
- Ravini Moodley, Director of Innovus Technology Transfer Office at Stellenbosch University
- Richard Gordon, Director of Special Programs at the South African Medical Research Council
The conversation demonstrated that funding opportunities can be found across investment, grants, institutional partnerships and innovation-support ecosystems. However, securing funding is only one part of the growth journey.
Investors and strategic partners must also see credible leadership, commercial readiness, a sustainable operating model and a team capable of turning the organisation’s vision into measurable results.
Funding, people and operational capability cannot be considered in isolation. They must work together if an innovation is to progress from possibility to meaningful impact.
Healthcare solutions built for our context
The second panel explored “AI and Data in African Healthcare: Built for Our Context.”
Moderated by Azra Mboweni of Wesgro, the panel featured:
- Prof. Sara Grobbelaar, Stellenbosch University
- Johan Coetzee, Co-founder, Chairman and CTO of AI Diagnostics
- Dr Kamlen Pillay, Founder and CEO of InUversal Group
- Prof. Regan Solomons, Executive Head of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at Stellenbosch University
The discussion reinforced the potential of AI and data to strengthen healthcare delivery, diagnostics, decision-making and access. It also highlighted why African healthcare solutions must be grounded in our communities, clinical realities, infrastructure and data environments.
Technology must ultimately solve a genuine problem, remain accessible to the people who need it and be supported by the skills and operational capabilities required to implement it effectively.
Innovation brought to life through the pitches
The startup and research pitching sessions were among the most exciting parts of the event.
We heard from Andreas Wild of FynSig Biotech, Prof. Gerald Maarman of Chadash Enterprise, Petter Knagge of Nornir Labs and Munyaradzi Musvosvi of Southern Edge Bio.
The later session featured Jo-Ann Passmore of Heath Biosciences, Yakhanani Maswana of Lupak Healthcare, Lindsay J Curran of VIVASite and Prof. Evette van Niekerk of PAGA.
Each pitch provided a window into the scientific expertise, entrepreneurial determination and original thinking shaping the future of healthcare.
These innovators are not simply developing new products or technologies. They are working towards solutions with the potential to strengthen healthcare delivery, improve lives and create meaningful economic and social value.
Turning innovation into a scalable organisation
As HealthTech ventures progress from research and development into commercialisation, their needs inevitably change.
A founder-led team may need to introduce more formal operational structures. A research venture may require commercial, regulatory or technical expertise. A growing company may need to strengthen its leadership, expand its customer or patient-support capacity, establish new operational functions or prepare to enter international markets.
This is often where the ability to scale the organisation becomes as important as the strength of the original innovation.
At InovaArch, we support this transition by helping organisations build the people, operating capacity and scalable support functions required for sustainable growth.
Our support includes:
- Outsourcing and BPO solutions that allow specialist teams to remain focused on their core innovation
- Customer experience, patient support and response-management capabilities
- Build-operate solutions for organisations establishing or expanding operational teams
- Access to skilled South African & global talent for local and international growth
- Permanent, contract, specialist and executive recruitment
- Confidential leadership appointments
- Psychometric assessments that support informed and sustainable hiring decisions
- Human-capital planning aligned with future business requirements
For HealthTech companies, outsourcing may create an opportunity to strengthen customer and patient support, appointment coordination, administrative processing, response management and technical support without diverting specialist resources away from research, clinical innovation and product development.
From a human-capital perspective, sustainable growth requires more than filling immediate vacancies. It means anticipating the leadership, specialist and operational capabilities the organisation will need at every stage of its development.
Having spent 17 years on the client side before moving into the service-provider environment, I understand what organisations expect from a genuine strategic partner. At InovaArch, our role is to listen, understand the business and help establish the people and operational foundations needed for responsible, sustainable growth.
An exciting future for HealthTech
Cape HealthTech Connect 2026 demonstrated what becomes possible when healthcare, academia, investment, technology and entrepreneurship align around a shared purpose.
The future holds extraordinary potential, not only for new healthcare solutions, but also for job creation, specialist career opportunities, international partnerships, investment and the development of scalable businesses.
A sincere thank you to Cape HealthTech and everyone involved in organising such a brilliant, purposeful and exceptionally well-structured event. Thank you also to the speakers, panelists, sponsors, researchers, founders and innovators who shared their expertise and vision so generously.
I left inspired by the calibre of innovation already taking place and excited about the opportunities ahead.
The ideas are here. The expertise is here. The opportunity now is to build the funding pathways, partnerships, operational capacity and human talent needed to take HealthTech from promise to lasting impact.
If you are leading a HealthTech company, research venture or growing healthcare organisation and are considering your next stage of growth, expansion or operational scale, I would welcome a conversation. Whether the opportunity involves outsourcing, BPO, building a new team or securing the specialist and leadership talent needed for growth, InovaArch is ready to explore how we can support your journey.
Visit InovaArch or contact me directly to start the conversation.
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