More than 170 local startup companies were able to feature their projects and products and connect with major stakeholders and investors in government and the business industry during the Philippine Startup Week 2023.
The event, organized by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) in November last year, highlighted homegrown talents and business potentials of up-and-coming Filipino entrepreneurs who offered diverse and innovative ideas to boost Philippine startup investments amid the so-called global “funding winter.”
The event was conducted with support from the programmatic arm of IdeaSpace Foundation QBO Innovation Hub, and startup stakeholders Bossjob and Uniquecorn Strategies.
The weeklong event was attended by over 3,000 people from major startup founders, investors, corporate figures, and officials from government agencies and the academia.
Among the names who graced the event were Bing Tan of Packworks, Dean Bernales of Uniquecorn Strategies, Dennis Ng of Mober, Kimberly Chen of Bossjob, Nichel Gaba of PDAX, Franco Varona of Foxmont Capital, Melvin Chan of PLDT Enterprise, Uriah Velunta of Multisys, Puiyan Leung of Vertex Ventures, Dylan Keota of A2D Ventures, Paulo Campos of Kaya Founders, Niña Terol of Imaginable Impact, Tina Nepomuceno-Di Cicco of Manila Angel Investors Network, Jojo Malolos of PayMongo, Rene Cuartero of AHG Lab, Mike Maté of Kickstart Ventures, Natasha Bautista of 917Ventures, and Carlo Delantar of Gobi-Core Philippines.
Amazon Web Services, 917Ventures, Google Cloud, and Maya Philippines were also some of the over 90 partner organizations for the event.
"We are beyond excited about the incredible innovation and entrepreneurial spirit that lit up this year's Philippine Startup Week! In organizing its fifth edition, we didn't just celebrate achievements but, more importantly, we dove headfirst into expanding horizons and carving out new paths for our nation's most promising startups with the mix of events, programs, and collaborative efforts throughout the conference. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our partners and participants who made PHSW23 not just a successful event but a total game-changer for our local startup scene," said QBO Innovation Hub Executive Director Katrina Chan.
Some key activities done during the week were the launch of the first-ever “Sinigang Valley Conference” organized by QBO and founding members of the country’s premier private-sector-led startup organization Sinigang Valley Association (SVA), that served as an avenue for startup leaders to impart their knowledge and expertise in the field of entrepreneurship; the awarding of the "Top 100 Startups SHOWQASE by QBO" and the inaugural "KMC Startup Awards,; as well as the “Slingshot Conference x Venture Pilipinas” panel by DTI.
Simultaneous to the conference, more than 60 community events were also held in Metro Manila cities and areas in Albay, Baguio, Batangas, Bukidnon, Camiguin, Camarines Sur, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Dumaguete, Iligan, Misamis Oriental, and Pampanga that served as showcase and network opportunities for startups.
"This year's Philippine Startup Week showcased the most promising and high-potential startups in the country and underscored the growing maturity of our ecosystem for global success. Startups are poised to become a key pillar of the Philippine economy," shared Rene "Butch" Meily, President of IdeaSpace Foundation.