Startup Scene in Manila, Philippines
Last June 13–15, we (Ademar, Sir Jeff of CeBuinIT and I) went to Manila. We only had 3 days so we wasted no time and visited the startup incubation centers in Manila. We went to UP Diliman and visited 4 incubation facilities: UP-AYALA TBI, Open TBI, UP Enterprise and Ayala TBI.
First stop is in UP Diliman, the UP-AYALA TBI. This is the first startup incubator in Manila.
Here’s the list of startups in UP-AYALA TBI.
Second stop is in Open TBI. This is where the startups for incubation program located. I was really impressed by this facility. Why? Look closely at the picture below. You see a two-story building, but the amazing part is it is made of “container vans”.
Here are some of the companies incubated in Open TBI. Take note, most of the companies incubated in Open TBI are already earning from local and/or foreign clients.
Third stop is in UP Enterprise. Their focus is on the pre-incubation program for startups that means from idea to creating an MVP (minimum viable product). Once you graduate in UP Enterprise, the companies can opt to continue their incubation program in Open TBI.
Take a tour at their pre-incubation shared office.
Fourth stop is in Ayala TBI in UP-AYALA Technohub. They offer incubation program for startups. Take note, most of the companies here are already earning.
Here are some of the locators in AYALA TBI. One founder we were able to talk to was from BabyPips.com. His business is earning and they’re building another product, still under the incubation program of Ayala TBI.
Since we’re already in Manila, we joined Startup Weekend Manila FTW. We heard a lot of great ideas from the SWManila participants and updates on their startups. Some teams are already disolved, some are continuing their efforts, some have pivoted from their original idea and whole lot more of interesting updates. :)
So, here’s what happened in our first day in Manila. We were really inspired by the stories of the startups. It’s exciting to know that the tech community in Manila is very vibrant. Hope you learned something about the startup scene in Manila. :)
Enjoy!
Originally published at https://www.bootyard.com on July 11, 2012
