OneBio Closes USD 6 M First Fund To Build & Scale Africa’s Biotech Startups

OneBio Venture Studio, a Cape Town-based life sciences investor, has reached a ZAR 100 M (USD 6 M) first close of its second fund, targeting ZAR 300 M (USD 18 M) by 2027.

Led by Michael Fichardt, Nick Walker, and Gian-Marco Melfi, the firm, which also scored a USD 1.16 M grant earlier this month, operates a hybrid venture fund and studio model, building biotech startups from scratch rather than just investing in them.

The new capital will support expansion into Nigeria, Kenya, and Egypt, while advancing its mission to commercialise scientific research. Despite high attrition rates typical of biotech, OneBio has backed notable ventures like LifeQ and CapeBio.