Black Swan, a Mauritius-based FinTech startup, has been named the winner of the MEST Africa Challenge (MAC) 2025, following a high-energy Grand Finale at Innovation City, Cape Town on November 26, 2025.

Led by the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST Africa) and powered by Absa Group, the MEST Africa Challenge is one of the continent’s leading Pan-African pitch competitions, providing a platform for early-stage startups to secure funding, mentorship, and global visibility.

The 2025 edition turned its focus to FinTech; spotlighting startups and embedded financial solutions driving inclusion, smarter payments, and digital transformation across Africa’s economies.

Co-founded by Derick Kazimoto, Black Swan is on a mission to “Make Africa Bankable.” Across Africa, millions of consumers and MSMEs remain invisible to formal lenders because their data is fragmented, informal, and difficult to verify; a gap that locks out capable borrowers and limits credit growth. Black Swan tackles this challenge by turning fragmented data into instant credit intelligence that enables precise affordability assessments and inclusive lending at scale. Its platform helps financial institutions see real risk, unlocking new pathways for growth and economic mobility across the continent.

“Africa’s financial system cannot see the true creditworthiness of millions of consumers and Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) because their data is fragmented, informal, and invisible to traditional lenders,” said Derick Kazimoto, Co-founder and CEO of Black Swan. “This invisibility locks out capable borrowers, limits credit growth, and slows economic mobility. Our mission is to make Africa bankable.” Kazimoto added, “We believe Africa is shifting from informal, collateral-heavy lending to data-driven credit. A transformation that’s changing how banks and FinTechs trust, lend, and grow.”

MAC 2025 attracted hundreds of applications from eight of Absa priority markets, including Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, Seychelles, and Mauritius. After a rigorous selection process, ten startups advanced to the Cape Town finale, where they pitched to a panel of judges comprising investors, Absa executives, and industry leaders.

The Grand Finale was a celebration of Africa’s ingenuity;  where founders showcased real, scalable solutions tackling challenges across payments, credit, insurance, and trade finance.

“Congratulations to Black Swan and all ten finalists of this year’s MEST Africa Challenge,” said Ashwin Ravichandran, Portfolio Advisor at MEST Africa. “This year showed a clear shift toward building for scale; founders are prioritizing compliance, interoperability, and cross-border readiness from day one. FinTech is now powering real sectors like agriculture, energy, and trade, and that’s where lasting impact will come from. At MEST, we’re inspired to see entrepreneurs building solutions that are deeply local yet globally adaptable. It reflects a new maturity in African innovation; grounded in customer realities, and ambitious enough to scale across borders.”

As the 2025 winner, Black Swan will receive US $50,000 in equity investment, entry into the MEST Portfolio, and the opportunity to pilot commercial solutions with Absa business units across Africa; support that will help the company scale its technology and expand its impact across the continent.

“This year’s Challenge brought forward solutions that reflect how people and businesses want to manage their financial lives in a simpler, more accessible, and more integrated way. Black Swan secured the winning position because their solution meets a clear need and shows potential to complement the services we provide across our markets. The Challenge has revealed just how much opportunity exists to enhance customer experiences through thoughtful innovation,” says Tawanda Chatikobo, Head of Digital for Absa Regional Operations (ARO), Retail and Business Banking.

Now in its seventh year, the MEST Africa Challenge has become a launchpad for early-stage founders across the continent; offering visibility, mentorship, and access to partners who can help them grow. The Challenge continues to serve as a bridge between emerging startups and established industry players, uniting the agility of innovation with the scale of corporate collaboration.

“Congratulations to Blackswan on reaching this milestone. What resonated with us was the technical discipline behind their approach: the architecture, the clarity of the build, and the way they’re thinking about scaling responsibly. For us, the Challenge is about expanding Absa’s view of the technology landscape and identifying where new capabilities or partnerships might emerge.” Tamu Dutuma, Head of Strategy and Transformation for Technology at Absa Regional Operations (ARO).

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Three months after its introduction, Oman’s 10-Year Golden Residency programme is rapidly emerging as one of the region’s most attractive long-term residency pathways. Designed under the framework of Oman Vision 2040, the initiative is drawing strong interest from investors, entrepreneurs, and globally mobile families seeking stability, transparent regulation, and access to high-growth markets.

The programme grants long-term residency in exchange for a minimum investment of USD 520,000 through seven defined routes. Options include purchasing completed real estate units within Integrated Tourism Complexes, establishing a company registered in Oman, acquiring government development bonds, investing in securities listed on the Muscat Stock Exchange, or placing a fixed-term deposit in a licensed Omani bank for at least five years. Applicants may also qualify by owning a company that employs 50 Omani nationals or through nomination under the Foreign Capital Investment Law, provided capital thresholds are met.

A standout feature of the initiative is its family-centric design. Successful applicants can sponsor their spouse and children of any age, purchase property outside tourism zones, and employ up to three domestic workers without a local sponsor. Additional benefits include fast-track immigration lanes and extended visit visas for family members—advantages rarely seen in comparable global residency schemes.

Applications are processed through a fully digital system, allowing candidates worldwide to upload documents, track progress, and liaise with dedicated relationship managers. The programme is supported by Migrate World, which provides due-diligence verification and relocation assistance, ensuring compliance with international investor-migration standards.

Oman’s strategic location at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, coupled with access to over 2.6 billion consumers, enhances its appeal as a secure base for regional operations. Strong regulatory institutions, political neutrality, and one of the world’s most stable currencies further reinforce confidence. Quality-of-life indicators—such as safety, climate, and purchasing power—add to the country’s attractiveness.

Officials highlight that the residency scheme complements national goals by encouraging employment of Omani nationals and strengthening governance through mandatory audits. Early investor interest spans renewable energy, logistics, advanced manufacturing, tourism, and mining—sectors central to Oman’s diversification agenda.

As global competition intensifies, Oman’s long-term, family-focused, and transparent model is positioning the nation as a reliable destination for investment and residency. Early indicators suggest the programme will become a cornerstone of Oman’s economic strategy in the years ahead.

Further details are available at omanresidence.gov.om/en-us.

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The Ajman NuVentures Centre Free Zone (ANCFZ) has announced the successful completion of its first year of operations, marking a major milestone with the establishment of over 6,500 registered companies since its inception in October 2024. This achievement underscores ANCFZ’s rapid emergence as one of the UAE’s most dynamic business hubs, and FDI Contributor, strengthening Ajman’s position as a preferred destination for entrepreneurs and investors seeking efficiency, affordability, and digital convenience.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Chairman of ANCFZ, stated: “This achievement reaffirms Ajman’s standing as a thriving business hub aligned with Ajman Vision 2030. Surpassing 6,500 company formations within one year demonstrates the confidence entrepreneurs place in Ajman’s forward-thinking economic policies and the Free Zone’s innovative digital model.”

Since its inception, ANCFZ has transformed the landscape of business formation in the region through a fully integrated digital platform that allows investors to obtain a business license within two hours and complete visa processing within 24 hours.

While the Free Zone operates through a seamless digital portal, its dedicated team manages every step of the process on behalf of clients, from documentation and approvals to licensing and compliance, ensuring a completely hands-off, hassle-free experience. This hybrid approach of digital efficiency and personalized service enables entrepreneurs to focus on growth while ANCFZ takes care of the operational details. Collectively, these efforts contribute to Ajman’s economic advancement and reinforce the UAE’s broader vision for a smart, innovation-driven economy.

Rishi Somaiya, CEO of ANCFZ, commented: “Our vision is to empower a new generation of entrepreneurs by delivering simplified, technology-driven business solutions. This milestone reflects our commitment to supporting Ajman’s economic growth while strengthening the UAE’s global leadership in innovation and business excellence.”

In addition to serving traditional industries, ANCFZ has positioned itself at the forefront of emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, digital gaming, and creative technologies. Its flexible structure, allowing up to ten business activities under a single license, makes it particularly attractive for modern enterprises that operate across multiple sectors. This approach aligns with the UAE’s Digital Economy Strategy 2031, which aims to double the digital economy’s contribution to national GDP over the next decade.

To support business growth, ANCFZ offers comprehensive, all-inclusive packages starting at AED 10,800, covering licensing, visa facilitation, and workspace solutions. Its strategic location in Ajman provides seamless access to regional and global markets through key logistics corridors linking the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. This accessibility, combined with streamlined administrative processes, makes ANCFZ a strong choice for startups and established businesses looking to expand internationally.

In a national market comprising more than 45 established free zones across the UAE, ANCFZ distinguishes itself through speed, innovation, and a customer-first approach. By optimizing setup times and enhancing digital processes, the Free Zone contributes to a more agile business environment aligned with the UAE Centennial 2071 vision for sustainable development and economic diversification.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Nuaimi added: “Ajman NuVentures Centre Free Zone introduces a new benchmark for entrepreneurial support by combining ease of setup, affordability, and world-class digital infrastructure. We are focused on enabling businesses to thrive and drive Ajman’s economic diversification.”

Rishi Somaiya concluded: “Our first year marks an extraordinary beginning. We will continue to build on this momentum by expanding our global reach, enhancing our digital services, and reinforcing ANCFZ’s position as one of the UAE’s most entrepreneur-friendly free zones.”

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ALEC Holdings has reinforced its transformation into a Platform for Global Innovation Solutions during the latest edition of its annual Innovation Day, showcasing how its Innovation Roadmap is reshaping the future of construction. The event highlighted ALEC’s role as a hub for pioneering ideas, nurturing, testing, and scaling them across the wider industry.

Imad Itani, Head of Innovation at ALEC, emphasized the importance of building an ecosystem for innovation. “The region is a fertile ground for innovation, but this cannot thrive in isolation. At ALEC, we have made a clear and concerted effort to become that ecosystem. Today we are the epicentre of construction innovation, identifying, implementing, and scaling technologies that can transform how the region builds,” he said.

ALEC’s innovation culture is driven by experimentation and collaboration. The company has cultivated champions across departments who actively test and refine new ideas, while several business units now bring their own innovative products and services to market.

This year’s Innovation Day featured 15 external partners who have leveraged ALEC as a launchpad to mature their solutions and apply them to real-world projects. Notable examples included TENDERD, an AI-powered equipment management platform that recently raised US$30 million in Series A funding, and SOLUT, whose workforce productivity analytics have boosted labour efficiency by 30 percent across pilot sites. SOLUT’s founder, Aleksander Belousov, credited ALEC’s validation for accelerating market adoption and scaling opportunities.

For the first time, ALEC extended its innovation initiatives to subcontractors, recognizing their critical role in project delivery. The company also introduced Collaboration Awards, celebrating excellence in four categories: Innovative Subcontractor of the Year, Technology Collaboration of the Year, Start-up Engagement of the Year, and Client Collaboration of the Year.

Through these initiatives, ALEC is strengthening its innovation ecosystem, fostering partnerships, and driving collective progress across the construction sector.

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6sense HQ, a software development partner specializing in rapid, AI-powered product development for early-stage founders, announced the launch of its WeekendMVP program, which delivers an MVP-level interactive prototype in just three days.

As part of the company’s Startup Velocity Initiative, WeekendMVP will be offered free of charge to the first 100 qualified applicants. Participants will receive an interactive “Minimum Viable Product” level prototype (MVP) they can immediately demo to customers and investors —in just three days. The firm anticipates that many of these founders will use their MVP-level prototypes to raise funding for the full development process.

“WeekendMVP will showcase how AI enables us to fast-track the costly, lengthy early-product process, which holds founders back from putting their ventures on a course to success,” explained Nasif Sid, Cofounder & CEO of 6sense HQ. “You could say we’re in the chicken and egg business. For so many talented entrepreneurs, the lack of an MVP-level interactive prototype is a critical gating factor that blocks their paths to funding and clients. However, they need funding to build a product, so they get stuck. Chicken vs. egg. Which comes first? With our new capabilities, we can unblock them.”

WeekendMVP provides more than just a design mockup. Founders receive a live, hosted, interactive product. Users will be able to log in, click through core features, interact with screens and flows, and see how the product behaves with realistic data. Investors and early prospects will be able to understand the value and experience the product as if it were live. “This is a true proof-of-concept build,” Sid added.

WeekendMVP creates MVP-level prototypes using AI-enhanced tools like Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Figma Make, and automated scaffolding frameworks working in combination with 6sense HQ’s cross-functional engineering team. “You no longer need to spend $30k to $80k or wait months to build an early product,” said Sid. “Instead, in three days, you get a prototype that enables you to validate or reject assumptions quickly, communicate vision to co-founders, advisors, and early hires. In other words, decide what to build before you start spending real money.”

The company shared a success story that highlights the potential of the program. Sami, a non-technical founder based in California, was able to secure a $50,000  investment from his own network just by showcasing an MVP-level prototype developed by 6sense HQ’s AI-driven process. Sami is using this investment to fund the development of his venture.

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The Government of the Republic of Moldova’s Regional State Aid Scheme for Industrial Investments, launched in January 2025, is rapidly positioning the country as one of the most competitive destinations for strategic industrial capital in Eastern Europe. Designed under the National Industrialization Plan 2024–2028, the scheme offers substantial financial incentives to both local and foreign investors, aiming to accelerate Moldova’s industrial modernization and integrate the country deeper into European and global value chains.

Generous Incentives for Foreign Enterprises
Foreign companies investing in Moldova are fully eligible to access the scheme. Depending on company size and project location, investors can receive up to 60% of eligible investment costs for large enterprises and up to 75% for small businesses.

Investment support is structured across two components:

• 25% direct grant, enabling immediate liquidity for capital expenditure;
• 75% income tax exemption, ensuring long-term fiscal relief and improved profitability.

The minimum eligible investment value is 10 million MDL (approx. €500,000). A single project cannot receive more than 20% of the scheme’s total budget, ensuring broad participation and competitive allocation.

“This scheme gives foreign investors a compelling reason to consider Moldova as their next strategic location. The incentive structure is aligned with EU rules and directly supports large-scale projects in manufacturing, electronics, agrifood, and automotive supply chains. Investors entering now gain a first-mover advantage in a rapidly transforming industrial landscape,” says Natalia Bejan, Director of Invest Moldova Agency.

Six Priority Sectors Open to International Investors
The scheme focuses on six high-growth, export-oriented sectors with strong regional integration potential:

• Electronics
• Chemical & pharmaceutical production
• Automotive components
• Textiles & apparel
• Construction materials
• Food & agrifood processing

For construction materials, the scheme explicitly covers thermal insulation systems, adhesives, cement, bricks, and related product lines—reflecting growing demand across Romania, Ukraine, and EU markets.

Balanced Regional Development Incentives
Aid intensity varies by region:

• Higher support is available for investments in the northern and southern regions;
• Moderate support for investments in central areas.

This strategy encourages balanced territorial development and reduces regional disparities—an important criterion for EU-aligned state-aid policy.

Mrs Bejan adds, “Foreign manufacturers looking to diversify production within the European neighbourhood will find Moldova both cost-effective and strategically located. The scheme reflects our long-term commitment to industrial modernization and to attracting investors who generate value-added jobs and export capacity.”

Strong Early Uptake from Industry
By October 2025, six companies had already signed state aid agreements, demonstrating strong early demand from both domestic and foreign-owned enterprises. These include:

• Imcomvil Group Ltd. – 30.2 million MDL in state support for a 60 million MDL snack production expansion, generating 60 new jobs;
• Electrotehnica (Bălți) – 173.8 million MDL in support for a 293 million MDL transformation of a historic plant into a modern food production center, creating 319 jobs;
• Gido Park (Criuleni district) – state aid agreement for over 72 million MDL investment to establish a new production facility of pressed concrete items with 40 new jobs.

These early results highlight Moldova’s growing appeal to investors seeking nearshoring, supply-chain diversification, and export access to the EU.

Long-Term Commitment and Scale
The total scheme budget is estimated at 4 billion MDL (approx. €200 million), with state aid agreements available until 31 December 2034, subject to annual budget allocations.

The government expects up to 150 enterprises to benefit from the program over the next decade.

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COGNNA, the Saudi-based pioneer in AI-led Security Operations, announced at Black Hat MEA 2025 the successful closing of its Series A funding round, raising $9.2 million. The round was led by Impact46, co-led by BNVT Capital, and joined by Vision Ventures and tali ventures. This achievement marks a defining milestone in COGNNA’s mission to safeguard organizations against cyber threats through agentic AI, positioning the company as one of the fastest-growing and most influential cybersecurity startups in the region.

The new investment will accelerate COGNNA’s global expansion across product development, sales, and operations. With demand for intelligent and scalable cybersecurity solutions rising, the company plans to enhance its AI capabilities, broaden its reach across MENA and international markets, and strengthen its engineering and SOC operations teams. CEO Ibrahim AlShamrani emphasized that the funding represents more than financial backing, describing it as validation of COGNNA’s vision to protect the digital future of humanity. He highlighted the company’s ambition to build a global force in cybersecurity where AI and human expertise converge to empower organizations to operate securely, innovate boldly, and scale fearlessly.

CTO Ziyad AlSheri reinforced this vision, noting that COGNNA’s mission has always been to transform cybersecurity from reactive defense into intelligent prevention. He explained that the company’s AI-led platform is designed to anticipate threats rather than simply respond to them, creating an Agentic SOC that adapts and protects in real time. The funding will accelerate research and development in AI and automation, enabling COGNNA to scale globally while continuing to deliver proactive and predictive security solutions.

At the heart of its offering is the “Nexus” platform, which delivers measurable impact for organizations by enabling faster threat detection and resolution, reducing operational costs, and integrating seamlessly within minutes. Backed by a leadership team with experience from Fortune 500 companies and global technology leaders, COGNNA is positioning itself as a key player in the $500 billion cybersecurity market projected for 2030. Investors share this confidence, with Impact46 praising the company’s technical depth and agentic AI capabilities, and Vision Ventures highlighting its ability to address real operational gaps in the region. Together, these endorsements underscore COGNNA’s potential to evolve from a regional innovator into a global cybersecurity leader.

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Black Forest Labs has announced the closing of its $300 million Series B funding round, valuing the company at $3.25 billion post-money. Founded just last year, the Freiburg and San Francisco–based startup has quickly emerged as a leader in frontier models for pixels, building systems that go beyond traditional image generation. Its mission is to create what cameras cannot capture—tools that understand intent rather than simply executing prompts, enabling imagination to become reality for enterprises and independent creators alike.

Millions of users are already engaging with Black Forest Labs’ FLUX models, which have become the most popular open-source image models on Hugging Face. On the enterprise side, adoption is strong across platforms such as Fal.ai, Replicate, and TogetherAI, while industry giants including Adobe, Canva, Meta, and Microsoft are integrating the models to power new creative experiences. These achievements underscore the company’s rapid ascent in the generative AI ecosystem.

The Series B round was co-led by Salesforce Ventures and Anjney Midha (AMP), with participation from Temasek, Bain Capital Ventures, Air Street Capital, Visionaries Club, Canva, and Figma Ventures. Existing partners—including a16z, NVIDIA, Northzone, Creandum, Earlybird VC, BroadLight Capital, and General Catalyst—also deepened their commitments. This substantial investment will accelerate research and development, enabling Black Forest Labs to advance toward models that unify perception, generation, memory, and reasoning, laying the foundation for true visual intelligence.

The company’s compact but highly skilled team includes pioneers behind latent diffusion, Stable Diffusion, and FLUX, giving it a unique edge in pushing the boundaries of generative AI. With headquarters in Freiburg and San Francisco, Black Forest Labs is expanding its workforce to support global ambitions. The funding will be directed toward scaling product innovation, strengthening enterprise adoption, and building infrastructure capable of supporting the next generation of AI-driven creativity.

Looking ahead, Black Forest Labs aims to transform how humans interact with pixels by creating systems that anticipate intent and deliver imagination at scale. With strong investor backing and a growing ecosystem of partners, the company is positioning itself as a global leader in visual intelligence, driving the future of creativity from concept to reality.

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TikTok has launched its new Time and Well-being space, an expanded hub designed to help people unwind, reset, and build more mindful digital habits. This update is part of TikTok’s long-term commitment to supporting the safety and well-being of its community, especially teens.

Teen accounts on TikTok have more than 50 safety, privacy, and security settings automatically enabled, so they can safely express their creativity, connect with friends, and learn on the platform. Earlier this year, TikTok introduced a meditation feature for teens, turned on by default at night, to support healthier wind-down routines.

The Time and Well-being space features a more comprehensive and intuitive experience, offering new tools such as mindful breathing exercises, daily intention prompts, and calming sound sessions. Research shows that people who use TikTok are more likely than non-users to be interested in meditation and mindfulness, reinforcing TikTok’s commitment to supporting the mental health and well-being of its community.

One of the most remarkable newly introduced features is the Affirmational Journal, which allows people to set their intention for the day and choose from more than 120 customizable affirmation cards that can be downloaded or shared with others. Another standout feature is the Soothing Sound Generator, offering calming sounds like rain, ocean waves, and white noise to help relax and unwind. The new Time and Well-being space also includes dedicated Breathing Exercises designed to support mindful breathing, an essential practice widely recommended for improving both mental and physical well-being.

To provide practical guidance, TikTok partnered with several popular creators on the platform to demonstrate practical guidance on how to make the most of TikTok’s tools, such as setting screen time limits, personalizing the For You feed, and achieving the highest benefits from the Family Pairing feature.

TikTok also launched new Well-being Missions designed to encourage people to develop long-term healthy digital habits. As people complete missions, they earn badges that encourage and reinforce mindful behaviours.

• To complete the new Sleep Hours Mission, people have to stay off TikTok at night. They can also meditate during Sleep Hours to collect their badge. This Mission lasts eight weeks and people can grow their own ‘Well-being tree’ as they successfully complete the Mission each week. This idea was inspired by input from TikTok’s Youth Council during our recent Summit in London.
• To earn the daily screen time badge, people need to set a screen time limit and then stick to their goal.
• Our new weekly screen time mission prompts people to check their weekly screen time report. This is designed to help people more intentionally reflect and be aware of the time they spend on TikTok.
• We’ve also launched a Well-being Ambassador Mission to reward people who invite others to explore the Well-being Missions.

In designing this space, TikTok was guided by academic literature, which showed that restrictive approaches to building habits can be punitive and counterproductive. The platform also listened to teen voices, including our Youth Council, and research which showed that two-thirds of teens say that tools to help manage their time on digital media are useful. We are already seeing encouraging results from early testing: more people are returning to our new Time and Well-being space compared to the previous screen time settings menu, and the affirmation journal is proving to be the most popular new addition so far.

The new Time and Well-being space builds on TikTok’s ongoing efforts to create positive, mindful digital experiences. From relaxation tools and well-being missions to guidance, this space introduces features that help people unwind, reset, and develop mindful digital habits.

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Epic Angels, the largest global all-female investment collective, has announced its first investment in Mexico with BioPlaster Research, an R&D startup revolutionizing the packaging industry with sargassum algae-based biomaterials.

Joining their Pre-seed investment round alongside Epic Angels are GridX, Amplifica Capital, Zero by Fifty, and Zenani Capital. Funds from this round will be utilized for their pilot plant setup, commercial production launch, R&D for the bio-refinery phase, and scaling operations to meet validated demand.

Solving Dual Global Crises with Proprietary Biomaterials
14 million tons of plastic pollute our oceans annually while 38 million metric tons of invasive Sargassum algae devastate Caribbean economies- some regions losing 11% of GDP to toxic blooms. BioPlaster connects these crises with a breakthrough solution: converting harmful algae into biodegradable materials that match petroleum plastic performance at 81% lower carbon emissions. Founded by CEO Andrea Bonilla Brunner, BioPlaster’s proprietary biorefinery process transforms Sargassum into commercial-grade packaging films, bags, and foam that integrate seamlessly with existing manufacturing infrastructure. The technology extends beyond packaging to textiles, thermoplastic pellets, and colorants- all fully biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastics.

Market validation is strong: over $5 million in annual letters of intent from major players including IKEA suppliers, Great Packaging and Refurbi. Supply is secured through an exclusive partnership with The Seas We Love, providing 100,000 pounds of Sargassum annually. The company also extracts high-value byproducts like alginate and cellulose, creating multiple revenue streams from a single feedstock. With an extensive R&D pipeline developing biodegradable threads and injection-molding pellets, BioPlaster is positioning itself as a leading biomaterials innovator- turning destructive ocean algae into scalable, sustainable solutions.

“Epic Angels is the ideal partner as we scale BioPlaster. Their belief in our vision—and in women building climate solutions—gives us the momentum we need to bring ocean-positive materials to market.” says Andrea Bonilla Brunner, Founder and CEO of BioPlaster Research.

Why Epic Angels Invested
“We’re thrilled to invest in BioPlaster as our first portfolio company in Mexico,” says Maaike Doyer, Founding Partner of Epic Angels. “BioPlaster’s use of existing Sargassum algae- rather than competing for agricultural land like corn-based bioplastics or requiring kelp farming- gives them a strong competitive advantage. With validated demand from industry leaders and secured algae supply, BioPlaster has strong potential to lead the sustainable packaging sector. We look forward to supporting their growth through our global investor network.”

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