A South African AI tool that speeds up clinical-trial databases just placed second in a global challenge

In Johannesburg, a small clinical-data company built a tool the world noticed. BioInformatiCo's platform Leova — which automates the building and testing of databases used in trials of new medicines and vaccines — placed second in the 2026 CDISC AI Innovation Challenge, a global competition. 'It shows that technology developed in Africa can help tackle challenges in clinical research worldwide,' said founder and CEO Shirley Collie. The company supports vaccine research from first-in-human studies to Phase 3, including HIV, TB and Ebola trials.

SDG 9 · Industry, innovation and infrastructure — Mechanism: tech innovation