Read the Conversation
Conversation highlights:
- Addressing Brain Drain: the need for job creation in Africa’s science sector to combat brain drain, arguing that exciting local opportunities are key to retaining talent.
- Unique Focus on Cancer and Genomics: focus on non-communicable diseases and the rising cause of mortality in Africa, leveraging the continent’s unmatched genetic diversity to drive impactful research and global innovation.
- African Cancer Atlas & Partnerships: The African Cancer Atlas initiative, led by Yeemachi Biotech with partners like Roche and Illumina, is building the world’s most genetically diverse oncology database, sequenced locally in Ghana to enhance both research and local capacity.
- Investing in African Leadership: the importance of African-led, African-owned science initiatives, using the diaspora for both team building and investment, and stressing that success and excellence will drive more biotech investment to Africa.
- Inspiring the Next Generation of young African scientists to think bigger and pursue biotech entrepreneurship, fostering optimism that a thriving ecosystem of African biotechs will emerge and reshape the continent’s scientific landscape in the years ahead.
EF: You are representing the beacon of innovation that Ghana has. As a researcher turned entrepreneur, what opportunity did you see in the market?
YB: My career began with a strong focus on training the next generation of African scientists and advancing scientific research across the continent. Upon returning to Ghana in 2018 after my PhD from Northwestern University and postdoctoral fellowships in Kenya and the UK, I accepted a faculty position at the University of Ghana. However, I soon recognized that while training is essential, it alone cannot address the issue of brain drain. If the scientists we train do not have compelling career opportunities within Africa, they will inevitably seek opportunities elsewhere.
This realization inspired me to create a biotech company. I identified a significant gap in the market: most health research in Africa is externally funded and focused predominantly on infectious diseases, whereas non-communicable diseases, particularly cancer, are becoming the leading causes of mortality on the continent. Despite this, research and funding directed towards these diseases remain limited.
The company’s vision is twofold. First, to approach scientific research from an African perspective, leveraging the continent’s unparalleled genetic diversity to solve globally relevant problems. Second, to create alternative, meaningful employment opportunities for scientists in Africa beyond academia, helping to stem the tide of brain drain. Africa, as the most genetically diverse region globally, is uniquely positioned to drive discoveries in medicine. Unfortunately, only a small fraction of genomic data comes from African populations, creating a knowledge gap that affects not only Africa but global human health.
My motivation is also deeply personal, having lost my own father to cancer. This strengthened my resolve to focus on diseases that profoundly impact African communities. I firmly believe that, by building successful enterprises and contributing innovative solutions to global challenges, Africa can change prevailing narratives and demonstrate its immense capacity for impact and leadership. These experiences and observations have shaped both my decision to become an entrepreneur and the direction of our company.
EF: You have a partnership with Illumina. What expectations do you have for this collaboration, and how do you see it impacting your next objectives?
YB: The partnership with Illumina is integral to the African Cancer Atlas, the project we lead at Yemaachi, aimed at transforming global cancer research through Africa's rich genetic diversity. The collaboration enables local sequencing of genomes in Accra using Illumina’s advanced NovaSeq X Plus technology, which makes our facility among the continent’s most sophisticated sequencing platforms. This approach not only generates essential African genomic data but also builds world-class capacity within Africa itself.
Yemaachi addresses a critical gap; unlike Europe and North America, African countries lack large-scale genomic databases, which limits research and biotech innovation. By generating the most genetically diverse clinical genomic oncology database, Yemaachi and its partners, including Roche, provide foundational data that are both high-quality and locally sourced. This data is crucial for addressing African health needs while simultaneously contributing to global genomic science.
The collaboration with Illumina extends beyond technology; it aligns with Yemaachi’s mission to empower African science through leadership and self-sufficiency rather than dependence on external centers. This effort also represents a shift in how African initiatives are led—TACA is an African-led project with global pharma as a partner, highlighting the importance of African ownership and leadership in advancing the continent’s scientific and healthcare future. This model benefits all stakeholders by combining global expertise with local insight and control.
EF: What is the perception of the value that you are bringing, and what strategies do you put into play to maximize this?
YB: As a young startup, we aim to demonstrate the immense value Africa holds. Africa's biotech sector requires substantial investment, initially sourced from outside the continent. Currently, Africa attracts a very small portion of global venture capital, about 1 percent of global VC investments. Most of that funding targets fintech and agtech, leaving biotech with a negligible share.
We want to increase the share of global venture capital directed to Africa, particularly by expanding the biotech segment. Biotech has the potential to grow significantly over the next decade, given its promise in human health, agriculture, and climate-related research. Instead of simply seeking a larger portion of the existing 3 billion USD VC investment into Africa, the African biotech industry has the potential to add billions more to the total investment coming into the continent.
This potential will, however, only materialize through demonstrated competence. Africa is often unfairly viewed as risky, limiting investment appetite despite larger markets accepting greater risks. Access to capital is challenging for African companies, especially biotechs, as the sector remains new and less proven. It is notable, however, that the most successful start-up exit in Africa to date is InstaDeep, a Tunisian biotech company - illustrating that despite currently being relatively small in size, the African biotech sector is capable of delivering substantial success and, as a result, should attract more investment.
As an African start-up, we must be rigorous, robust, and fiscally responsible to counter perceptions of risk.
Success depends on companies maintaining commitment to their vision, exercising financial discipline, and proving their capabilities. Excellence and responsibility are essential for building a case for greater investment.
EF: How do you attract the resources, and how do you choose the people that you are looking to shape the company of the future?
YB: To attract resources and select the right people for shaping the company of the future, I focus on the wealth of talent available in Africa and among the African diaspora. There is a significant number of experienced professionals working at major global companies who are interested in returning home. This sense of belonging is universal; people often feel most comfortable and inspired within their own communities.
My leadership team reflects this philosophy. Many are diasporans, as am I, having spent twelve years in America and later in Europe before returning home. Our co-founding team includes diasporans from both Europe and North America, and we continue to integrate talented local individuals. The team’s diversity, spanning nationalities from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and even Europe, represents our commitment to sourcing talent wherever it exists.
I seek individuals who share my vision and ambition, acknowledging that it will not resonate with everyone. For those who do align, we offer the excitement of contributing to something innovative and unprecedented.
EF: You have been working on this project with Yemaachi for over five years. How do you envision the spillover impacts of Yemaachi’s research and development on the broader Ghanaian society and beyond the scientific and healthcare sectors?
YB: Five years can feel both substantial and fleeting. From a business perspective, it is significant: the majority of start-ups do not survive their first year, with statistics indicating that 90% fail within 12 months. In that context, our continued growth positions us as an outlier in a very positive sense. Yet, as pioneers of an entirely new ecosystem, especially as one of the first true R&D-based biotech companies in Africa, the stakes remain extremely high.
We are beginning to achieve tangible results. What brings me the most pride is the surge of enthusiasm among young scientists. My academic background keeps me connected to universities, and I often meet students whose eagerness to discuss their own ideas is inspiring. They approach me not just to talk about our company, but to share their ambitions and entrepreneurial visions. If our story has done anything, it has perhaps instilled greater confidence in the next generation of innovators.
Our influence is also gaining recognition in the public sector. I am increasingly being called upon to advise government institutions, which signals a growing awareness of our work at a policy level. Participating in the conversation that shapes policy across the continent is a responsibility I value deeply.
Ultimately, it is the growing ambition and energy of young African scientists that excites me the most. By stepping forward and building something new, I hope to show that they, too, can pursue careers in biotechnology and create companies of their own. Regardless of how large Yemaachi becomes, our greatest legacy will be the inspiration and belief we help instill in this generation. Looking ahead, my hope is that in ten to fifteen years, we will see a thriving biotech ecosystem across Africa.
