SOUTH AFRICA—The first recipient of the MotiMoves awards, Medical Innovator and Biological scientist, Dr. Larry van Vuuren, was announced on the program’s youtube channel.
The awards, through the MotiMoves entrepreneurship program, will enable the scientist to fund the rollout of his groundbreaking new technology that has the potential to completely revolutionize women’s healthcare, particularly in the field of early breast cancer detection.
Dr. van Vuuren’s visionary work left a compelling impact and will not only win him a substantial cash prize but also a collaborative engagement, with the award founder and renowned business leader, Zunaid Moti.
After two years of devoted research work, Dr. van Vuuren has developed cutting-edge technology which could undoubtedly create a paradigm shift in addressing breast cancer, a global health concern.
To take his innovative product to a commercial scale, he needed financial aid and hence, turned to the MotiMoves entrepreneurship program.
The MotiMoves program is an online entrepreneurship initiative designed to foster budding entrepreneurs with practical business insights and mentorship.
The program also encourages applicants to submit their business proposals for possible funding, offering lucrative funding, mentorship, and even a chance to drive a Porsche 911.
Moti during the announcement, acknowledged Dr. van Vuuren’s formidable spirit and unwavering dedication to his lofty dreams.
Expressing his confidence and anticipation for Dr. van Vuuren’s upcoming projects, Moti said, “Dr. van Vuuren’s extraordinary journey and the impact of his work are genuinely awe-inspiring. On behalf of MotiMoves, we are proud to support his innovative work, and we are eagerly looking forward to the future he is shaping.”
Gracefully, Dr. van Vuuren responded that he was extremely grateful for the recognition and support from MotiMoves, seeing it as an opportunity to create a significant impact on society through his invention.
Who is Dr. Larry van Vurren?
The 44-year-old from the city of Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape Province has had a journey that is truly remarkable, overcoming severe visual impairment to achieve his doctorate.
The Doctor boasts qualifications in biotechnology, biochemistry, and bioinformatics, despite being completely blind in his right eye and having extremely limited vision in his left eye.
Dr. van Vurren in an interview recently after the award was announced, said he was able to overcome his limitations by finding inspiration in Dr. Timothy Cordes, a totally blind medical doctor from the US.
Pending the receipt of his patent and the various approvals needed from the relevant medical authorities, van Vuuren noted that he required financial assistance to help place his product into mass production and launch it into the market.
He initially, approached the Department of Trade and Industry but experienced a severe delay in receiving feedback, which is when he decided to enter the MotiMoves entrepreneurship program.
Why leverage the opportunities offered by MotiMoves?
As previously noted, MotiMoves derives its key motivation from its founder and backer’s story of struggle and persistence to build a billion-dollar industry in Africa.
MotiMoves is a free online entrepreneurship program dedicated to empowering aspiring entrepreneurs with practical business information.
In addition to providing expert business mentorship and advice through an ongoing webinar series, MotiMoves runs a monthly competition for entrepreneurs to submit their business proposals for potential funding.
Each month, one individual with an outstanding proposal will receive R50,000 to invest in their business, exclusive use of a Porsche 911 for a month, personalized mentorship sessions with Zunaid Moti, as well as a chance to receive US$162,443 in venture funding.
“We can see that van Vuuren has had numerous opportunities to quit and to relinquish his pursuit, but he tenaciously persevered. This resilient spirit is a testament to his exceptional entrepreneurial qualities and his unwavering dedication to realizing his ambitious dreams,” Moti added in awe.
Moti noted further that having thoroughly evaluated Dr. van Vuuren’s business proposal and recognizing the extraordinary potential of his idea, as well as the innovative technology he is currently developing, he was confident that the biochemist would triumph.
Moti also inferred that anticipation was building as van Vuuren’s prepared to reveal the intricacies of his trailblazing medical invention for the betterment of South Africa and the global community in the coming months.
“It is exactly this type of pioneering mindset and tenacious attitude that I am looking for in other entrepreneurs to help make their business ambitions a reality,” Moti concluded the announcement.
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