Excellence in Filipino entrepreneurship was displayed when the ARISE Plus Ye! Boost Accelerator Program Cohort 3, 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, recognized the most outstanding startups at its recently concluded Demo Day last June 25 at the Blue Leaf Pavilion, Taguig City.
Launched in 2021 and now on its third cohort, the ARISE Plus Ye! Boost Accelerator Program is a 14-week program aimed at providing internationalization support to youth-led startups.
The Demo Day, attended by a diverse audience of key partners, investors, and stakeholders, marked the culmination of the program for 12 business startups from various verticals.
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 $2,500, or around P146,000.
“Our experience joining the ARISE Plus Ye! Boost Accelerator Program has been great. The support provided by QBO Innovation and the insights from ITC have been invaluable. I believe our win underscores the importance of the service we provide to the market. Our winnings will play a crucial role in our efforts to further grow the company and help more Filipino families,” said Mylo Speech Buddy founder Vincent Rocha.
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 $1,500 grant, or around P87,000.
“Our focus has been on penetrating more markets geographically to reach more migrant workers. The grant we won will fund our expansion plans to the United States,” said BCRemit Co-Founder and Director Gio Calma.
Lastly, fashion brand PAMMÉ, which crafts sustainable accessories from recycled plastic made by women deprived of liberty, secured third place with a $1,000 pitch prize, or about P58,000.
“The ARISE Plus Ye! Boost Accelerator Program has been remarkable. With its main focus on internationalization, I’m grateful that they have opened doors for us to explore global markets. At PAMMÉ, a fashion social enterprise, we take pride in this win,” shared PAMMÉ Founder Pamela Meija.
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 and 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.
In addition to the cash prizes, the program, under the strategic partnerships facilitated by QBO Innovation, ITC, and DTI-CIG, will provide the top three winners opportunities to build stronger networks with EU partners and investors to support their global market expansion.
The judging panel who evaluated the startups’ pitches and shared valuable insights included Assistant Secretary Althea Karen Antonio of DTI Foreign Trade Service Corps (FTSC); Miguel Lopez, a youth entrepreneurship national expert at ITC; Shoraliah Macalbe, head of startup development at Ideaspace and QBO Innovation; Dara Ever Juan, head of PLDT Innovations Laboratory and Ecosystem Partnerships (Innolab); and Rodrigo Alarcon, studio director at ThinkPlace.
QBO Innovation, a division of Ideaspace that consults for and engages with government agencies, academic institutions, international development agencies, and private sector enterprises, provided support and guidance to the participating startups throughout the program via workshops and mentorship sessions.
