What if your university research project could change the way the world makes soap, skincare, and industrial cleaners? That is what happened to Dr André Valkenburg and his story is proof that the best businesses are sometimes born in the most unexpected places: a lab, a thesis, and a moment of realisation.

Toward the end of his chemical engineering degree at Stellenbosch University (SU), André stumbled into the bioprocess engineering research group under Prof Robert Pott and something clicked. Here was a version of science that did not just explain the world, it could fix it.

André committed to a PhD in that group from 2022 to 2025, developing the technology that would result in the creation of ReSurfify. His research focused on glycolipid biosurfactants, biodegradable compounds that could replace the toxic petroleum-based surfactants found in everyday cleaning products, skincare, and industrial applications.

Then, something unexpected happened. “I started noticing genuine interest from industry in biosurfactants, not just academic curiosity, but real demand. That’s when it clicked that we might have something commercially viable here, and we’ve just been pulled along by the market ever since,” said André.

Great ventures rarely happen alone. By late 2025, André crossed paths with Jody Harvey, who was just beginning her own postgraduate journey in the same research group. Their shared passion for biosurfactants and for building something that matters made the partnership feel inevitable.

Jody joined as co-founder and technical lead, bringing her own scientific expertise and an ability to translate complex research into a compelling real-world story. Together, they took a PhD project and turned it into ReSurfify: a fully-fledged biotech start-up, built in partnership with SU LaunchLab and the Innovus Technology Transfer Office (TTO).

ReSurfify did not wait for the world to come to them. In 2025, the team stepped into the arena, pitching at the EDHE Intervarsity National Competition and reaching the finals of the EDHE/ABSA Innovation Challenge, where they earned sixth place nationally. Out of all the student ventures across the country, ReSurfify stood in the top tier. They also broke into the Top 10 of the SWEAT Africa biotech and hardtech pitch competition, rubbing shoulders with venture capitalists, founders, and ecosystem builders shaping the future of African entrepreneurship.

In April 2026, the AgriTech Innovation Challenge Finals, hosted by Stellenbosch Network in collaboration with SU LaunchLab. Four finalists. One prize: R50 000 and national recognition.

The competition comprised innovations on drones, sensors, artificial intelligence, data analytics, genetically modified crops and soil microbes. The full frontier of agricultural innovation, all under one roof. ReSurfify took first place.

Their winning innovation? A bioprocess that converts virgin or waste vegetable oils into high-value, sustainable biosurfactants, biodegradable, non-toxic, and produced right here in Africa, for Africa.

“We are incredibly honoured and grateful to have been recognised as the winners of the AgriTech Innovation Challenge! This recognition serves as great validation for what we are trying to achieve, as well as the increasing appetite, both locally and internationally, for sustainable alternatives, particularly in the modern agriculture landscape,” said Jody Harvey, Co-Founder of ReSurfify.

Behind every successful student venture is a network that believes in them before the world does. For ReSurfify, that network has been critical.

“The incredible support that we have received from SU LaunchLab, as well as Innovus TTO, has played a critical role in this growing success story, having helped us shape what was once simply a scientific endeavour into something with immense commercial scalability,” said Jody.

The Western Cape Government’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism has also taken notice, presenting ReSurfify with an Outstanding Recognition Award for their entrepreneurial spirit. It is the kind of backing that transforms bright ideas into lasting impact and reminds young innovators that they do not have to do it alone.

You do not need to have it all figured out. You just need to start. The lab could be your launchpad. The thesis could be your first product. The competition you are nervous to enter could be the one that changes everything.

ReSurfify is proof that student innovation is not a rehearsal. It is the real thing.