Hello, I'm Amo
I worked in public clinics with amputees and was deeply troubled by how limited their options were, especially for above-the-knee prosthetics that should support stable, comfortable walking but often failed in everyday environments like rural paths and uneven ground. Many of my patients travelled for hours to reach the clinic, only to leave with a device that caused pain, caught in the grass, or forced them to compensate with their hips and backs, simply because more advanced technology was unaffordable. Seeing this, and knowing that better solutions existed in South Africa but were financially out of reach for most people, I decided to start NAVU to design a prosthetic knee that is both highly functional and truly accessible, so that mobility is no longer a privilege but a basic enabler of dignity, independence, and economic participation
Hello, I'm Fred
I was Amo’s startup mentor at the LaunchLab, the technology incubator at Stellenbosch University. I’ve spun out and led multiple technology startups and mentored dozens of founders.
This was something I wanted to be part of.
Coming from Stellenbosch, I love walking. Whether it’s to work or through the beautiful mountains. I can’t imagine having that taken away from me. The average South African walks over 5km to work and back each day! I studied Developmental Economics in my Masters degree, so to me finding a lever to keep more people economically active is a very noble ideal.
Our Story
NAVU designs and develops cost-effective, highly functional prosthetic knees so that above-the-knee (trans-femoral) amputees no longer have to choose between poor-quality devices and no prosthetic at all. Drawing on clinical experience, biomedical engineering, and local manufacturing, NAVU’s first product, the NK Gen 1 knee, is built around a modular, repairable design that uses off-the-shelf components and carefully selected materials to keep costs down while preserving strength, stability, and smooth, natural motion. NAVU’s work is about more than hardware; the goal is to enable amputees to stay socio-economically active, return to work or school, participate fully in family and community life, and to help health systems and clinics serve many more patients on the same budget by replacing single high-cost imports with scalable, locally-appropriate solutions.