Filipino entrepreneurship shone at the ARISE Plus Ye! Boost Accelerator Program Cohort 3 Demo Day on June 25, 2024, at the Blue Leaf Pavilion in Taguig City. Funded by the European Union (EU) and led by the International Trade Centre (ITC), in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry – Competitiveness Innovation Group (DTI-CIG) and QBO Innovation, the event recognized outstanding startups.
Mylo Speech Buddy, the developer of a speech development app for children with autism and speech delays, clinched first place, securing a pitch prize of USD 2,500 (PHP 146,000).
BCRemit, a London-based fintech company founded by Pinoys empowering Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) with efficient money transfers, was awarded second place and received a USD 1,500 (PHP 87,000) grant.
Lastly, fashion brand PAMMÉ, which crafts sustainable accessories from recycled plastic by women deprived of liberty, secured third place with a USD 1,000 (PHP 58,000) pitch prize.
Besides cash prizes, the program will provide the top three winners with opportunities to build stronger networks with EU partners and investors to support their global market expansion.
Other participating startups in the ARISE Plus Ye! Boost Accelerator Program Cohort 3 included: Capilli, a social enterprise creating eco-friendly products from upcycled human hair waste; Hibla Philippines, a social enterprise preserving Philippine weaving traditions; IndieCo, an SEO company blending human creativity with AI for business content; Nama Urban Farms, an urban agriculture startup cultivating nutritious produce; Nutricoach Inc., a platform aiding dietitians in building and scaling nutrition clinics; Prezenter, a company that simplifies presentations in under 10 seconds, helping teachers put their lessons on Smart TVs; Reelist8, a proptech x Shoppertainment marketplace for real estate transactions; REPAMANA, a circular fashion brand repurposing hotel textiles into new garments; and TERPCAP Inc., an accessibility solutions provider for inclusive workplaces.
Launched in 2021 and now in its third cohort, the ARISE Plus Ye! Boost Accelerator Program is a 14-week program that provides internationalization support to youth-led startups.
“I’d like to thank our partners, the European Union, the International Trade Council, and DTI for their support. Europe is an often untapped market for us. Through the ARISE Plus Ye! Boost Accelerator Program, we hope that Filipino startups can gain access to this crucial market and establish a foothold for exports,” said Rene “Butch” Meily, President of Ideaspace | QBO Innovation.
The Demo Day, attended by a diverse audience of key partners, investors, and stakeholders, marked the program’s culmination for 12 business startups from various verticals.
The esteemed judging panel who evaluated the startups’ pitches and shared valuable insights included Assistant Secretary Althea Karen Antonio, DTI Foreign Trade Service Corps (FTSC); Miguel Lopez, Youth Entrepreneurship National Expert, ITC; Shoraliah Macalbe, Head of Startup Development, Ideaspace | QBO Innovation; Dara Ever Juan, Head of PLDT Innovations Laboratory and Ecosystem Partnerships (INNOLAB), PLDT; and Rodrigo Alarcon, Studio Director, ThinkPlace.
For more information about QBO Innovation, visit http://qbo.com.ph/.
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