Serial tech-preneur strengthens mental health support app through strategic innovation experience

JOHANNESBURG, 07th, November 2022 – South Africa’s mental health support app Panda, has welcomed accomplished tech-preneur Dave Blakey as its newest Chief Technology Officer.

Dave is a serial entrepreneur who has previously launched Opteq International, a global hardware networking company, and Snapt, a Gartner-recognised software ADC company servicing over 10,000 clients in 50 countries.

“We interviewed multiple candidates both locally and globally over the last few months, and Dave is hands down the best candidate we came across.  He is an incredible engineer, venture builder, and optimistic leader.

Dave is the perfect person to help us scale our infrastructure and lead our engineering team as we enter the next phases of Panda's growth, " says Panda Co-Founder, Alon Lits.

Having received his A+ computer technician certification at age 11, Dave was then the youngest candidate certified globally.

He is a well-known and seasoned growth CTO, with deep domain expertise in building and scaling tech start-ups. He has a deep passion for advocating the advancement of South Africa’s start-up ecosystem and expanding the global presence of the country’s tech hub.

“Panda excites me for two reasons,” Dave says. “Firstly, it has built a fantastic product with an exceptional team and is growing rapidly. Secondly, it is disrupting the fundamentally broken mental healthcare market with a solution that scales – the world needs Panda today more than ever.”

The Panda app offers unique in-app features guided to aid all South Africans on their mental health journey.  includes a wide range of assessments, live interaction sessions with leading experts, and access to a growing network of mental health professionals for in-person consultations. Panda offers a compelling solution for employers who truly care about their employees. This solution also provides employers with rich data insights which create real business value. To get more information email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

To download Panda, simply type “Join Panda” in your app store.

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About PandaPanda provides intelligent solutions to provide proactive mental health care to all. Panda delivers the right care at the right time to allow people to live their best lives and businesses to empower and enable their employees. https://www.joinpanda.com