Immobazyme is executing a deliberate pivot from a university-born R&D operation to a commercial biomanufacturing powerhouse. The Cape Town-based biotech recently secured R25m, doubling its total funding to R50m ($2.9m) to scale its platform for engineering high-value enzymes and biologics and to build an integrated production facility. In an interview with Launch Base Africa, CEO Dominic Nicholas detailed the journey from academic IP to commercial traction, the realities of building deep-tech infrastructure in Africa, and the founding advice that still guides the company.
How did you meet the investors, and what excited them about investing in Immobazyme?
We were introduced to our first investors, the University Technology Fund (UTF), through Innovus, Stellenbosch University’s Technology Transfer Office. What resonated with them early on was the strength of our team and our commitment to being a product- and customer-focused biotechnology company.
Later on, UTF introduced us to Fireball Capital, who joined at a very different stage of our journey — when we were transitioning from a purely R&D-driven startup into a commercially active biomanufacturing company. They were excited by our traction, the quality of our science, and the clear commercial pathway emerging from our platform.
What does Immobazyme do, and what was the inspiration behind it?
Immobazyme is a biotechnology platform company focused on developing and manufacturing high-value biological products for the industrial, food and beverage, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical sectors.
At its core, our work is about using modern tools in biotechnology to solve real-world problems. For example, we are currently piloting two new enzymes with customers: one designed from first principles to break down the toxic epitope in gluten — enabling the creation of truly gluten-free products — and another that modifies plant and animal proteins to improve their texture, flavour, and functionality in foods.
The inspiration behind Immobazyme has always been simple: make biotechnology practical, scalable, and accessible for local and global industries.
Immobazyme’s journey has been shaped by collaboration — between academia, investors, industry partners, and a highly motivated team. Our aim has always been to build globally competitive biotechnology capabilities here in South Africa, and we are proud to be part of an emerging ecosystem that is proving that world-class science and manufacturing can thrive locally.
Since 2019, the team has been on this journey. What does their progress look like so far?
We’ve grown from three founders in 2019 to a team of 15 full-time scientists, engineers, and support staff across R&D, production, quality control, and operations. Many joined fresh out of their postgraduate studies and were immediately exposed to the complexities and pressures of building a biotechnology company from the ground up.
Watching their development has been one of our biggest achievements. Every team member has grown into a highly capable, world-class contributor, and together they form the backbone of Immobazyme’s success.
What does competition look like for the firm?
In South Africa, there are very few companies operating in our segment of biotechnology, so local competition is limited. Internationally, however, we compete against well-established multinational firms with decades of experience.
Despite this, we consistently find ourselves competitive — often outperforming these global players on speed, flexibility, pricing, and customer service. Our scale allows us to move quickly, innovate efficiently, and tailor solutions directly to customer needs.
What are the challenges currently facing startups like yours in Africa (South Africa in particular), and what solutions do you propose?
One of the biggest challenges for South African biotech startups is access to capital. Biotechnology requires significant upfront investment, and most specialised equipment must be imported at high cost.
To overcome this, we’ve adopted a combination of creative and pragmatic approaches — building local partnerships to manufacture certain equipment more affordably, designing modular infrastructure, and working closely with shareholders who understand the long-term nature of biotechnology.
Developing a supportive local ecosystem — through funding, shared infrastructure, and skills development — will be essential for growing South Africa’s biotech sector.
What advice can you offer other founders based on your lessons so far about investment and business?
Stay close to your customers. The best products we’ve built have come directly from listening to what our customers actually need — not what we assume they need.
Every design choice we make, from the chemistry of our products to the packaging materials and the certifications we pursue, is driven by customer input. Avoid building solutions for hypothetical problems. Focus instead on real, well-defined challenges that customers are willing to pay to solve.
