Publications
Partners
Johannesburg - "Better safe than sorry" is a mantra entrepreneur Richard Dewing learnt from the school of hard knocks.
Dewing is in the business of back-ups and contingency plans. His company Cibecs, which recently received a cash injection from Hasso Plattner Venture Capital Africa, develops software which automates back-up and data recovery for big corporates.
Dewing had a first-hand experience with losing data when he was working on some of his first business solutions, about eight years ago.
"My laptop was stolen and I lost everything," he said. "I couldn't tell any of my clients."
Back then, Cibecs was operating as ECI Solutions and focused on providing data back-up packages for small- and medium-sized entreprises. In 2004, ECI joined forces with another family-owned technology firm, Cica, and shifted focus towards big corporate clients.
These days, Cibecs counts JSE-listed heavyweights BHP Billiton and Nampak among its clients.
Dewing estimates there are around 30 000 users of the Cibecs software in South Africa alone. The group also operates in the Middle East and Europe.
Dewing hopes the partnership with Hasso Plattner Venture Capital Africa, which took up a small stake in the company, will open doors to the US market.
He pointed out that many global companies lack sufficient data back-up.
Dewing won't disclose the size of the cash injection provided by Hasso Plattner Venture Capital Africa. The R380m fund was established in 2008 by German entrepreneur Hasso Plattner, who co-founded German software giant SAP.
Dewing says Cibecs' relationship with the venture capital company is as much about funds as it is about the inroads it makes with international players.
"It gives us access to Hasso Plattner Ventures' business network and crucial expertise," said Dewing. "One right introduction to one global player could make a big difference."
- Fin24.com
