NEO HUTIRI Technovera enables people with chronic medical conditions to collect their repeat medication without waiting in queues. How does it work? It’s a “smart locker” which allows for pre-packed medication to be loaded into a dispensing unit. The system sends an SMS to the patient notifying him that his medication is ready for collection. The SMS contains a one-time pin (number) that can be entered at the unit together with the patient’s cellphone number and ID or passport number for authentication. The system pops open and dispenses the medicine, and the patient can be on his way. The system then reconciles the transaction back to the main clinic.
Is it accessible in terms of technology and cost? Our design uses concepts that people are already comfortable with. The average South African is familiar with a one-time pin via SMS. Collecting medication from our units is simpler than withdrawing money from an ATM. Our target is the public health sector. Patients don’t pay. We’ve been working with the Department of Health to ensure affordability.
What was involved in the #Hack.Jozi bootcamp and mentorship process that you had to complete? The training and mentorship was very targeted and helped entrepreneurs clarify their value proposition. Because of the variety of entries, the training was varied and provided a holistic approach to building a successful business. It helped entrepreneurs progress from ideas to tangible solutions and real products. More seasoned entrepreneurs learnt about managing a development team and alternative revenue streams.
You established your first company, GenWye, based on a personal experience of unsatisfactory parcel delivery, and Technovera came about from your own experience of waiting for chronic medication. Is necessity the mother of invention? I think it all starts with a problem that you care deeply about. Africa has really interesting challenges and this makes it fertile for social entrepreneurship that makes an impact. In my case, I was a patient who realised people lose time when collecting medication. My passion for the impact of technology keeps me hungry for innovation. An unmet need is the holy grail that entrepreneurs chase. It’s that resolute belief in a problem that gets me out of bed every day – even when things are not going so well and the bank account is close to empty.
You hold a BSc (Electrical and Electronics Engineering) from UCT and an MEng (Industrial Engineering) from Wits. To what extent did your academic training contribute to your #Hack.Jozi success? Academia trained me to think critically about solving problems. My technical background helped me turn ideas into product. Often some of the best ideas don’t materialise because the founder can’t create a minimum viable product. I continuously apply lessons from concepts I was exposed to at university. I visited the Wits libraries to research healthcare models in the public sector. Credibility is important; an investor considers a founder’s academic background before injecting cash into that business. Your academic career is sometimes used to measure your ability to start and complete something. The networks one builds at university become so important when you start your business. These relationships open doors for you. Almost all my business partners are people I was at university with.
August 2016 | WITSReview | 37