MANILA, Philippines – The Quezon City government bared the Top 9 finalists from nearly 70 Filipino startup hopefuls under the professional category.
Mayor Maria Josefina Belmonte, who personally congratulated the finalists, told The Manila Times on Friday that each of them would be receiving P1 million in financial grants from the local government aside from hands-on mentorship, capacity building sessions, and access to a growing network of investors and innovation partners.
The finalists – Agapai, Kazam, Hireable, Laro, Soolok, Xamun, Kahero and Nascent Technologies – will be mentored by experts from various fields particularly on rules and regulations, developing a startup marketing strategy and unit economics and cash conversion cycle, among others.
Launched in 2022, the program has launched 16 professional startups ranging from technology, sustainability, creative economy and education, said the mayor who was the first local chief executive to initiate the project.
“We thought of this program in order to help and support our young entrepreneurs to sharpen their business strategies, prepare for long-term sustainability and help the city and the country in boosting economy and create more employment opportunities to others,” Belmonte said.
