Biotech startup Altera lands R29m to pioneer Africa’s first universal donor cell platform

In a historic leap for biotech in Africa, Pretoria-based Altera Biosciences has secured R29 million in pre-seed funding to develop a universal donor cell platform aimed at revolutionising transplant medicine. The technology could enable off-the-shelf cell therapies to overcome one of medicine’s greatest challenges: donor–recipient matching - a problem particularly acute in Africa given its unmatched genetic diversity. While this makes Africa a natural proving ground, Altera’s ambitions are global, with the platform designed to expand access to advanced cell therapies worldwide. Led by biotech entrepreneur Alexandra Miszewski and Professor Michael Pepper, director of the Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Pretoria, Altera is positioning South Africa at the forefront of global medical innovation. In an interview with BizNews, the founders shared their vision to tackle one of medicine’s toughest challenges and elevate South Africa’s role in international biotech. Professor Pepper noted, “If Altera develops the technology to solve this problem here, it could be solved for the rest of the world.” Miszewski added that the funding signals growing confidence in South Africa’s biotech sector and the depth of expertise within the country.