IdeaSpace announced the 15 startups that are advancing to its 2021 Acceleration Program, which aims to support early-stage startup founders in developing stable, scalable, and sustainable businesses through mentorship, funding, and networking opportunities. The chosen startups will undergo a rigorous four-month program consisting of access to mentorship, workshops, and legal services, among others, and will receive Php 100,000 cash grant.
“The startups in our 2021 cohort for the IdeaSpace Acceleration Program offer the solutions, the technology, the innovations, and the businesses that have the potential to propel our country forward and shape the new normal. IdeaSpace has always invested in ventures with great teams and forward-thinking ideas. We can’t wait to see them scale up their businesses, help people, and create longer-lasting impact in their respective categories,” said IdeaSpace Executive Director Katrina Rausa Chan.
From hundreds of applicants who went through multiple rounds of judging, 15 startups stood out at the pre-acceleration phase and prevailed after pitching their business ideas to a judging panel comprised of executives from the IdeaSpace team and the MVP Group of Companies, along with selected investors and startup founders, earning them the coveted spot in the program.
Making health, wellness, and fitness accessible to Filipinos
Now more than ever, health, wellness, and fitness have become a priority among Filipinos. With gyms and public workout facilities closing down and access to pharmacies becoming limited due to restricted movement, these startups make it possible for health, wellness, and fitness to be digitally accessible for everyone.
Fitscovery, an online marketplace for fitness, helps trainers and gyms set up an online business and reach more customers who need to find the perfect online fitness program for them. Splore Fitness, the first online marketplace that connects people with coaches, helps reinforce healthy habits through a credit-based rewards system and a diverse range of workouts, classes, programs, and content from their online community.
XalMeds, an online concierge pharmacy, offers medicine with prices up to 95% using a plant to patient model. Showcasing the diversity of solutions on offer this year, even improving communication tools for non-verbal autistic kids can be done with Pic-A-Talk.
Improving everyday lives in the “new normal”
The pandemic has made our lives more challenging but with the help of select digital solutions and apps, living sustainably, as well as getting our daily needs met, are still within reach.
Circula Recoon, a cleantech start-up company, provides digitized solutions for enabling convenient transport of recyclable and compostable waste from households, businesses, and institutions to recycling companies and composting sites.
In Cagayan De Oro, even laundry services can be availed online through Dirt Bag while having items from your favorite brands from SM stores in Cebu City delivered at your doorstep in just 30 minutes is made possible with Oh My Genie!.
Ensuring virtual business operations runs smoothly
Transitioning to virtual business operations can be challenging for some employers. The IdeaSpace Acceleration Program puts the spotlight on startups that make remote work hassle-free.
Betterteam, a human resource-tech-enabled solution, helps business leaders in attracting, engaging, and retaining employees using its platform’s data-driven insights. Pasajob, the Philippines’ first long-chain referral-based job platform, rewards users for connecting employers with the right candidates.
Xperto develops integrated online platforms for professional events and webinars. Peddlr.io, a free POS app for small businesses, records sales, expenses and generates easy to read accounting reports; and, Twala, a next-generation e-signature platform powered by blockchain smart contracts, helps organizations sign, issue, and manage tamper-proof digital documents and credentials.
Supporting various communities through e-commerce platforms
The e-commerce industry in the country is expected to boom even more in the upcoming years and recognizing this, startups that make it possible for e-commerce to reach various communities are on the rise.
Pieza PH, an e-commerce platform that aggregates auto and motor parts from legacy automotive businesses, provides end-to-end online selling services such as product cataloging, multi-channel selling and marketing, and logistics support nationwide. Fishbee is a Community-Supported Fishery Platform that delivers the freshest and highest quality and sustainably caught seafood to customers via an app and the internet of things (IOT) network for electronic seafood traceability. Instahomes, a product-centric software provider, aims to bring the sales and marketing operations of small-to-medium real estate developers in the Philippines into the online world through results-based services and other tailored solutions.
As part of the Acceleration Program, the 15 startups will be provided with a grant, coaching, founder and team training, as well as workshops and other perks to help founders develop their team and scale their business. At the end of the program, IdeaSpace will select three startups to invest in through IdeaSpace’s Opportunity Fund.
“Every startup in this cohort delivers digital-first solutions and we need that now more than ever. We’ve seen the variety of the industries that these startups represent, which only goes to show that no matter your category, you will have to quickly adapt in these changing times and find ways to integrate digital in your products and services to provide relevant solutions. We are excited to see how they grow throughout the program, IdeaSpace and QBO will be with them every step of the way,” said Rene “Butch” Meily, president of IdeaSpace.
To learn more about IdeaSpace’s Acceleration Program, visit https://ideaspacefoundation.org or check out @ideaspaceph on Facebook.
