Startups wanted for fourth season of CNN’s The Final Pitch

The Final Pitch is set to return for its fourth season on CNN Philippines later this year in September. Today, CNN is looking for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to connect with some of the most established businesspeople and investors in the country.

“We can’t wait for our entrepreneurs to grow their businesses with the help of our investor-judges,” said John Aguilar, show host and creator. “Every season is different and has something new to offer. Our investors are looking forward to discovering our country’s newest set of rising entrepreneurs and hear their pitches and amazing stories.”

The Final Pitch begins with a screening. Candidates make their initial pitch to the panel of investor-judges. The selected participants then proceed to a mentorship boot camp, with challenges designed to test the character of their founders. This all culminates in a “final pitch” to the investor-judges, who negotiate their final offers to the entrepreneurs.

Startups featured in the show’s previous seasons saw massive success following their stint with The Final Pitch. Among them is flexible workspace provider FlySpaces.

The season one winner received P15 million in funding (the highest investment of the season) from investor-judge and MFT Group of Companies CEO Mica Tan. Since then, FlySpaces has grown exponentially, more than doubling the initial investment in roughly a year and a half, with a wide presence throughout the region.

Mica Tan, who returns as the latest addition to this season’s investor-judges, continues to be an active member on FlySpaces’ board, providing strategic insight into their marketing and expansion operations.

Other returning judges include:

William Tiu Lim, President and CEO of Mega Global Corporation

Congressman Mikee Romero, Co-Founding Owner of Philippines AirAsia,

Mark Vernon, Blockchain Evangelist and Founder of Tagcash Ltd.,

and Michael Dargani, President and CEO of IceDream Inc.

Among this season’s mentors are Joel Santos of Thames International Business School, Junie del Mundo of EON The Stakeholder Relations Group, and Atty. Mark Gorriceta of Gorriceta Law.

“We can expect more sophisticated and mature startups coming into the fold, as they see The Final Pitch as a legitimate way to raise funding for their next stage of growth,” Aguilar said. “If they are an exciting business with potential to create exponential impact at scale, we want them on the show.”

The Final Pitch is accepting applications until July 8, 2019. Applicants can fill out and submit an online entry here , and submit their one-minute pitch video. The fourth season premieres September, 2019 on CNN Philippines.