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Explore how funders assess entrepreneurs, from commitment and cash planning to confidentiality, leadership, investor bias and common misconceptions

I began my entrepreneurial journey later in life, confident that my experience had prepared me well. I had written bankable business plans for start-up ventures, raised millions of rand in funding and helped establish several spin-out companies from the organisation where I worked. I understood both science and business, and thought I knew what it took to build a company. Starting six companies of my own over the following two years showed me how much I still had to learn. It

What makes a business plan bankable? Maravion explains why biotech and deep-tech start-ups need strong financial models, valuations and commercialisation strategies.

A critical element is securing funding. South African biotech startups should explore diverse funding avenues, including government grants, venture capital, and international partnerships. Understanding the funding landscape and tailoring proposals to meet investor expectations is vital

Skin in the Game: What It Really Takes to Build a Deep-Tech Business”, I would optimise around deep-tech entrepreneurship, biotech entrepreneurship, start-up funding and founder characteristics. SEO keywords: deep-tech entrepreneurship, biotech entrepreneurship, deep-tech entrepreneurs, successful entrepreneur characteristics, start-up founder characteristics, technology entrepreneurs, deep-tech start-ups, biotech start-ups, start-up funding, funding a deep-tech start-up, min

Deep-tech startups face more than one Valley of Death. Maravion explores three critical funding gaps spanning R&D and commercialisation, market access, and growth and expansion, and why South Africa's innovation ecosystem needs to address all three

Africa’s deep-tech and biotech sectors hold enormous potential. Across the continent, innovators are developing technologies in pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, agritech, advanced materials, Indigenous Knowledge-based products, and other high-impact sectors. The quality of innovation emerging from African institutions and startups continues to grow rapidly. However, scaling these innovations into sustainable businesses remains challenging. Many startups face limited access to ca