IdeaSpace Ventures sees brighter outlook for Philippine startups in 2026

By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter

IDEASPACE Ventures, the startup accelerator arm of the MVP Group, said 2026 is shaping up to be a strong year for Philippine startups, as local founders show greater maturity even as competition from foreign firms intensifies.

“The future of the Philippine startup scene has never looked brighter, and 2026 is shaping up to be a coming-of-age year,” IdeaSpace Executive Director Alwyn Joy E. Rosel said in an e-mailed reply to questions.

She said local startups have moved beyond copying business models from Silicon Valley and other overseas hubs, with more founders building companies that address domestic needs and contribute to national development.

“Filipino founders have really matured,” Ms. Rosel said. “They are not just pitching dreams; they are coming to us with real businesses that already have paying customers or pilot tests with companies.”

She added that startup activity is gaining traction outside Metro Manila, with growth seen in cities such as Iloilo, Davao and Cagayan de Oro, reflecting broader access to talent and markets.

Demand this year is expected to favor startups offering business-to-business and digital services, as companies seek to automate inventory management, payments and logistics, Ms. Rosel said.

Financial technology is also seen as a growth area, including digital wallets, microinsurance, remittances and person-to-government payments.

Climate technology and renewable energy startups might also see rising demand as extreme weather events heighten the need for resilience and sustainable solutions, she added.

Despite the positive outlook, Ms. Rosel said Philippine startups continue to face challenges, particularly in funding and talent, as global companies compete for skilled workers and capital.

To attract investors, she said founders need to show a clear path to profitability, while talent retention increasingly depends on company culture and purpose, not just pay.

“It is not just about salary anymore, but about building a great company culture and offering people a chance to solve real, meaningful Filipino problems that global firms often do not touch,” she said.

IdeaSpace runs a Startup Accelerator Program that provides mentorship, training and access to industry networks.

Six startups graduated from its 13th cohort, including KaHero Apps, Inc., Soolok Properties Inc., Xure, DashoContent, Cloverly.tech and Polka Motors.

For its next cohort, IdeaSpace would remain sector-agnostic and would not set a fixed number of participants, Ms. Rosel said.

“While we typically see an average of about six startups per cohort, the final number depends on the quality of the applications and how well we feel we can support them,” she said.

IdeaSpace is also working with a local university to help turn student projects and academic research into viable ventures. It is strengthening partnerships in the Philippines and overseas to support startup growth in the provinces.

“We want to make sure that a founder in the Visayas or Mindanao has the same access to resources as someone in Makati,” Ms. Rosel said.

Established in 2012, IdeaSpace is backed by First Pacific Co. Ltd., Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), PLDT Inc., Smart Communications, Inc., Manila Electric Co. and Maynilad Water Services, Inc.

MPIC is one of the three key Philippine units of First Pacific, the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest, has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.