About Landcent

Improving Health to Address Poverty

Malaria is a disease caused by poverty and results in poverty. Its impact is especially ferocious on the poorest, making it a human rights issue.

Poverty-related Diseases (PRDs) 

The expanding category of poverty-related diseases.

Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 60% of all people in extreme poverty, more than any other region in the world. Poverty is not merely the absence of money, but the lack of sanitation, unsafe drinking water, poor nutrition, weak health systems and other social determinants of health.

PRDs is a large category of diseases including the 'Big 3' - Malaria, Tuberculosis, HIV and NTDs (Neglected Tropical Diseases) and increasingly, NCDs (Non-communicable Diseases) such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes.

Malaria

In 2021, nearly half of the world's population was at risk of malaria. That year, there were 247 million cases of malaria worldwide, up from 245 million in 2020. The estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 619,000 in 2021.

Tuberculosis

1.6 million people died from tuberculosis in 2021. TB is the second most prevalent infectious killer in the world after COVID-19 (above HIV/AIDS). There were 10.6 million cases of TB worldwide in 2021.

HIV

In 2021, 38.4 million people worldwide were living with HIV. In the WHO African Region, nearly 1 in 25 adults (3.4%) live with HIV, accounting for more than two-thirds of all HIV-positive people globally.

Highlights

The Origin Story

In 2011, while on a business trip, Arun found himself at the funeral of a 4-year-old girl. She succumbed to malaria – a simple mosquito bite led to this enormous tragedy. It was a life-changing moment. The magnitude of malaria's impact inspired Arun to quit his job and together with business partner Huali (Danny) Lin founded Landcent.

2011

Company Incorporated

Founded by Huali (Danny) Lin and Arun Prabhu

2012

Commenced discussions with WHO

2013

Phase 1 product assessment with Shanghai University of Engineering Science

2014

First qualified products and patents. Partnership with Donghua University

2015

China National Hi-tech Enterprise Certificate

2016

Set up Landcent's tech-hub

2017

WHO GCDPP membership

2018

Expanded into anti-malarial pills. Landcent Europe incorporated

2019

Successfully completed semi-field trials

2020

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant 1

2021

Global finalist of UNDP-A2030

2022

ECHA (European Chemicals Agency) approval for Bednet sale in Europe

2023

Set up Landcent's tech-hub

Our Strategy

A two-track approach

Our strategy

Landcent's unique
two-track strategy

Near-term - Track 1
Improvements to proven malaria prevention technologies by margins so significant, it disrupts the status quo.

Long-term - Track 2
Identifying and developing novel, sustainable active ingredients to combat insecticidal resistance and preserve biodiversity.

"Landcent's work is critical in the fight against malaria, given the levelling off of progress, due to growing insecticide resistance. The developing and scaling up of their next-generation vector control products will simultaneously increase the reach of interventions, while simultaneously reducing costs, which is indeed the need of the hour."

Arun Prabhu Stanley

Co-founder, Landcent

A diverse team

Scientists & Entrepreneurs

Arun Prabhu
CEO, Landcent Europe

As the CEO of Landcent Europe, Arun spearheads the company's numerous engagements with the WHO and is the point of contact for health ministries in several countries as Landcent contributes to their fight against diseases of poverty. A seasoned entrepreneur, Arun has led Landcent through its first 10 years of R&D, fundraising and partner development.

Arun has a background in technical textiles and supply chain management and has worked in the US, China, India and Europe.

Huali (Danny) Lin
CEO, Landcent China

Danny has traveled extensively in Africa, witnessing first-hand the challenges of various diseases of poverty. This spurred him to start Landcent to contribute to better health management and sustainable medicine to the continent.

Danny is an EMBA from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and is a graduate of International Business. Previously, Danny was part of the core team in Shenzhen HuijieCo. Ltd., a publicly listed company.

Dr. Ole Skovmand
Technical Head

Dr. Ole is referred to as the father of treated bednets and was instrumental in inventing the long-lasting insecticide-treated bednets that are  used worldwide for preventing vector-borne diseases. He has published several theoretical and practical articles related to vector control and is a member of is a member of the Society for Vector Ecology, the American Chemical Society and the Entomological Society of America.

Dr. Ole oversees product development and complete field trials for Landcent.

Dr. Jiang Biao
Chief Scientific Officer

Dr. Jiang Biao is the Chief Scientist at Landcent and a full professor at the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (SIOC). Furthermore, he heads the CAS Innovation Cooperation Center for ASEAN countries and is the Director of SARI (Shanghai Advanced Research Institute).

His area of expertise includes microwave-assisted organic synthesis, flow chemistry and carbide chemistry.

Thomas John
Chief Strategy Officer

TJ has over 18 years of experience in corporate and social impact sectors. His expertise includes business strategy, communications and the scaling of impact. He co-founded one of the leading brand consulting firms in Bangalore, working with brands such as Coca-Cola, Nestle, ThoughtWorks and SAP.

At Landcent, TJ oversees corporate strategy and the development of organizational capacity to deliver next-generation products & solutions to accelerate SDGs.

K. Sasikanth
Chief Financial Officer

Sasikanth has more than 30 years of experience in multiple facets of finance. Prior to joining Landcent, he served as Vice President of Finance and Accounts at SP Mani and Mohan Dairy India Pvt. Ltd., eventually being promoted to COO at the same company.  

Sasikanth is responsible for restructuring Landcent's financial and accounting systems, including internal and external financial reporting, stewardship of a company's assets, and ownership of cash management.

Kuda Mupfudze
Head of R&D | Vector Control

Growing up, Kuda witnessed first-hand the impact of a less than optimal healthcare system in sub-Saharan Africa and was determined to be part of the solution. Now at Landcent, he is the Head of R&D, Vector Control, managing the vector control portfolio and ensuring product regulatory compliance.

Christina Bojan
Disease Strategist

With a background in medicine and a semester dedicated to community medicine, Christina is uniquely qualified to provide a wide range of expertise regarding diseases, communities, eradication programs, and the development of solutions. Landcent benefits from her knowledge in medicine for the development of strategies in identifying the next potential disease areas of focus.

Samuel Esmeijer
Head of Business Development

With a background in product design, Samuel has worked in multiple capacities including technical designer, project manager, and sales.  Samuel is responsible for bringing Landcent's products to market by overseeing multiple aspects including supplier relationships, logistics, marketing, sales, and seamless internal and external operations.

Hengzhe Wang
Head of Legal & Compliance

Hengzhe is a seasoned corporate counsel with an LL.M. from Belgium and has extensive experience advising publicly traded global companies. Her expertise spans regulatory compliance, risk management, and corporate governance issues. At Landcent, Hengzhe is responsible for all legal and compliance matters.

Desmond deSilva
Procurement & Supply Chain

Desmond has close to 25 years of experience in managing sourcing & supply chain across complex projects from shipping to remote locations in Africa to managing complex supply chain projects for big-box retailers in USA. Desmond joined Landcent in 2012 and oversees the "sourcing for impact" initiative, vendor on-boarding process and is responsible for design /implement vendor approval/production & logistical cost saving processes.

Nelleke Hasselman-Pals
Impact Officer

Nelleke's current role at Landcent involves creating and measuring the impact of Landcent’s products on the world. She also helps track product progress and collects and analyzes the data required for monitoring and evaluation. Nelleke is a MSc in International Development Studies from Wageningen University.

Vincent Jin
Head of R&D | Pharma

Vincent holds dual master's degrees in Regulatory Affairs and Toxicology, as well as in Pharmaceutical Sciences (bioanalytical informatics). At Landcent, Vincent oversees WHO prequalification listing of Codispaq, WHO prequalification listing of IVDs, regulatory and gives technical support for the BMGF A.I. discovery project.

Angeline Martina
Content Lead

Martina is a versatile writer and editor for multi-platform applications with over 8 years of experience. For Landcent, she produces engaging content for various aspects of the business, including social media channels, restructures and proofreads content, and manages the editorial calendar to ensure timely publication.

Rawaiz Bhatti
Admin & Implementation Manager

With a background in commerce, Rawaiz has previously worked in the Public Relations department of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industries. In his current position, Rawaiz oversees and manages Landcent's day-to-day administrative efforts and processes.

Advisors

Panel of International Experts

Dr. Ebere Igboko

Dr. Ebere is a partner and advisor at Landcent and has over 25 years of experience in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. She has worked at GSK and then at Neimeth Plc (formerly Pfizer) as Managing Director/CEO. While in China, Ebere pioneered “The China Knowledge Center", an innovative healthcare system with comprehensive information on the Chinese pharmaceutical landscape, including disease epidemiology and drugs.

Dr.Mei Wang

Dr. Mei Wang is the founder and CEO of SU Biomedicine and Leiden University (LUECCM). Besides having over 160 publications in international double-refereed journals, she has collaborated with leading universities including Cambridge, Oxford, Yale, and Regensburg. She won the second international contribution award for traditional Chinese medicine science and technology progress in 2020.

Jan Willem de Lange

Jan Willem de Lange is a management executive based in the Netherlands. He spent several years with Exact Software, including as general manager leading its digital transformation journey to the cloud. He was also the VP of the Development of NetEconomy. His specializations include testing, certification, risk management, analytics, data Intelligence, circular economy, supply chain, etc.

David Skews

David invests and helps enterprises that demonstrate a purpose and impact to build a better world. David graduated in law from the UK, founded and grew his own business, and then transacted it in 2016 to focus on supporting businesses. He has helped multiple start-ups and scale-ups grow in both impact and profit and is an ardent supporter of Landcent.

Bob Esmeijer

Over the past 30 years, Bob Esmeijer has worked in several leadership positions around the globe, most notably for Philips. Bob has been consulting for several companies, including non-profits, in recent years. He is also on the board of multiple organizations, which greatly benefit from his insights and vast experience. With his roots in the Netherlands, Bob has a passion for working with different cultures in complex environments.

Careers

Open Positions

Your passion and energy will be an asset to our team as you make meaningful and fulfilling contributions to accelerating the fight against diseases of poverty.

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