Maravion successfully negotiated a licence to over 30 years of know-how in the natural products and bioprospecting industry. The new venture is Innovon Technologies (Pty) Ltd see website www.innovon.co.za. and Maravion is a proud shareholder in this innovative venture. Southern Africa’s rich plant Biodiversity is estimated to consist of approximately 24 000 indigenous plant species of which, Innovon Technologies has access to approximately 11 000 and an estimated 20 000 corresponding plant extracts and several pure compounds, analogues and mimics. These form part of database of extracts with supporting information on geographic location, process of extraction, activity and the like.
Innovon Technologies has identified a set of leads based on their expertise of many years of research in the area. This include the networks the group has established with various industry players, and knowledge holders who provided information and a thorough interrogation of the published information to identify niche market opportunities. These include plants that are used as inhalants of the vapours with supporting information substantiating their use. It also includes essential oil bearing plants with medicinal properties and plants that have significant published information on proving efficacy and safety and are also currently being traded commercially. For these we have identified niche applications for commercial purposes.
Innovon (www.innovon.co.za) has secured rights to Intellectual Property related to natural products innovations developed in Africa over the last 30 years. More than 100 patents in the area have been filed with the involvement of at least one of our team and these are supported by substantive know-how, technology packages and data which are essential to support the commercialisation of the inventions. Often the data that is not in the patents are far more valuable due to its practical nature. The natural ingredients referred to above covers a broad range of potential products from herbal medicines, complementary medicines, cosmetics, food, beverages and dietary supplements.