CureRoot is Using AI to Unlock Africa’s Untapped Medicinal Power
- Jabulile Sonya Ngwenya
- Apr 8
- 6 min read
Did you know that while there are 50,000 known plant species in Africa, which is 25% of the world’s plant genetic resources, less than 1% of all African plant metabolites has been studied? Africa’s rich plant bio-diversity potentially holds the key to unlocking new medical solutions to challenging health problems. Njabulo Skhosana tells AfricArena’s Jabulile Sonya Ngwenya that this very problem is what his startup CureRoot is committed to solving through its mandate to leverage cutting-edge technology to unlock the vast potential of African medicinal plants that will help both Africa and the world to navigate, treat and where possible, cure challenging health-related issues.
Njabulo, who has a background in pharmacology, international development, public policy and management delivered an exceptional pitch at the AfricArena Johannesburg Fintech, Deep Tech & Enterprise Summit 2025 edition that saw him win the AfricArena Best Deep Tech & AI Startup Award for Southern Africa.
Winning this award, he says, “gives our team a huge boost of confidence as we push forward with our mission of leveraging Africa's biodiversity to solve global health problems.” It is an incredible win as the global deep tech market is projected to reach a market value of over US$3 billion by 2034.
Njabulo shares that he co-founded CureRoot with Dr Khonzisizwe Somandi, who is an asset to the team as “he has a PhD in Organic Chemistry and has extensive experience in synthetic and natural product derived drug development.” Together, they are a force to be reckoned with in the race to bring Africa’s plant biodiversity online.
CureRoot’s tagline, Njabulo says, is “Where Africa’s biodiversity meets tomorrow’s medicine.” This tagline keeps them focused on their mission as a team for, says Njabulo, “our product solution is enabling pharmaceutical drug discovery by harnessing the untapped potential of African medicinal plants. We leverage the power of artificial intelligence to intelligently design and accelerate research, significantly reducing the time and cost associated with bringing new medicines to market.”
What inspired Njabulo to spearhead this notable venture is his deep passion for natural product-based drug discovery. He tells AfricArena that this love affair with discovering what is possible within the realms of natural plant-based pharmacology stemmed from the time he did an in-lab chemistry experiment at the age of 18. “In this experiment we synthesized aspirin from willow bark. This early fascination has stayed with me, and witnessing the immense biodiversity of African medicinal plants, coupled with the advancements in AI felt like a unique opportunity to not only pursue this passion, but also to address a critical need for more efficient and cost-effective drug discovery, particularly leveraging the resources of our continent.”
He shares that his defining moment for realising there was a need for his solution came when he recognized how the potential of AI harnessed with his research could provide a powerful platform for Africa’s medicinal plants and their healing properties. He says, “while I've long believed in Africa's potential to drive healthcare innovation, the defining moment came as I witnessed firsthand the often lengthy and expensive processes involved in traditional pharmaceutical drug discovery. Knowing the incredible biodiversity of African medicinal plants and the power of AI to accelerate research, it became clear that there was a significant opportunity – and a real need – to combine these elements to create a more efficient, cost-effective pathway to new medicines.”
Elaborating further on what winning Southern Africa’s title for the AfricArena Best Deep Tech & AI Award means for him and his team, Njabulo says, “we're honoured to have won the Best Deep Tech and AI award at the prestigious AfricArena Johannesburg Summit. It was our first time pitching at AfricArena, and we were really impressed by the energy and quality of the startups involved. We're grateful for the recognition and looking forward to the connections this opens up.” He adds, “this recognition has also opened doors to valuable networking opportunities and increased our visibility within the investment community.”
Njabulo says that two years after founding and bootstrapping CureRoot during the funding winter, he and his team are as of April 2025, currently raising a pre-seed round. “These funds will be used to expand our operations and find new treatments from African medicinal plants starting with a focus on ooncology, cancer and multidrug-resistant TB in particular.”
Starting a new business venture during the funding winter, Njabulo shares was not exactly easy sailing. “The fact that we started CureRoot during a period when funding was harder to come by actually helped shape our approach. It taught us the importance of being prudent with our finances and ensuring we were getting the best possible return on our investments, particularly in research and development. This wasn't just a short-term reaction; it has become a fundamental part of how we will build a sustainable company. By closely managing our funds and always looking for ways to improve the efficiency of our research and development, we've not only navigated the tougher times but also established a strong foundation for the future.”
Passionate about what he does, Njabulo tells AfricArena that no two days are the same for him. “My days are largely centered around problem-solving and strategic direction for CureRoot. With so many potential disease areas and plants to focus on, a key priority is ensuring we channel our resources effectively. This means a significant amount of time is spent diving deep into the scientific and commercial landscapes of diseases like cancer and multidrug-resistant TB, trying to identify the most promising opportunities where our unique approach– leveraging African medicinal plants and AI – can have the greatest impact. It's a continuous process of research, analysis, and critical evaluation to ensure we're not just innovating, but innovating with purpose and a clear path to commercial sustainability.”
Running a tech-driven startup in an underfunded sector is not without his challenges. Njabulo shares that the biggest challenges he and his team face in building up their startup is that “we are trying to do something very different to the typical startup, not just in Africa, but globally. This means that most investors we speak to don't have an existing frame of reference to compare our startup with.”
This lack of frame of reference, he says, “often means the fundraising timeline is lengthened. Fortunately, we have onboarded some fantastic biotech specialist investors and their belief and understanding have provided crucial credibility and validation, helping to bridge the knowledge gap and accelerate our fundraising efforts, even though we remain mindful of the extended timelines and resources required for this pioneering journey.”
On such a journey like the one Njabulo is on, breaking ground in uncharted waters, it helps to have seasoned mentors who understand the ins and outs of entrepreneurship onboard as a sounding board. Njabulo tells AfricArena that one of the best pieces of advice he received from a mentor was a simple, yet profound insight: “Don't overthink things. Just start, be fixed on the vision and end goal, but be open-minded on the details and specifics of how to get there." This insight, Njabulo says, “has been a guiding principle for us at CureRoot from day one.”
Looking toward the future, he shares that he and his CureRoot team are “taking a deliberate, step-by-step approach to our future. Right now, our priority is to build a strong foundation by getting our research and development fundamentals firmly in place. This means ensuring our processes are robust and our early scientific findings are solid. In parallel, we're beginning to explore potential partnerships with pharmaceutical companies that have a synergistic interest in our research areas, such as novel cancer therapies and treatments for drug-resistant infections. We believe this phased strategy will allow us to grow sustainably and maximize our impact.”
Since Njabulo is operating within the robust biotech sector, he says he strongly advises aspiring biotech founders to “embrace a collaborative mindset and actively contribute to building a robust ecosystem. We’re not just building individual companies, we're collectively shaping the future of biotech on the continent. This means being open to sharing insights while protecting your intellectual property, supporting fellow entrepreneurs, and engaging with research institutions and regulatory bodies.”
He further advises biotech founders to “think long-term as a thriving African biotech sector with many successful companies operating in different niches will ultimately benefit everyone. We need a significant increase in the number and diversity of biotech ventures to truly address the healthcare challenges and opportunities within Africa.”
For more information about CureRoot, visit their website at www.cure-root.com. To find out more about AfricArena and our upcoming events, visit our website at www.africarena.com.
Comments