Philippines Startup Week 2023 Sparks Innovation Surge

The Philippines is preparing for the annual Philippine Startup Week (PHSW23), which will take place from November 20 to 24, 2023. This event, hosted by the Departments of Science and Technology (DOST), Trade and Industry (DTI), and Information and Communications Technology (DICT), celebrates the booming Filipino startup ecosystem.

The theme of PHSW23 is "Investing in Filipino Homegrown Heroes as Global Game Changers," and it will bring together important participants in the local startup ecosystem such as founders, investors, corporates, academics, and government agencies. The week-long event will include discussions on the financing landscape for Filipino entrepreneurs, the role of female-led enterprises, the application of artificial intelligence and future technologies, and regional development potential.

The first-ever "Sinigang Valley Conference" held by QBO, Foxmont Capital, AHG Lab, and Kaya Founders, founding members of the Sinigang Valley Association (SVA), the country's top private-sector-led startup group, is a highlight of PHSW23. The conference will be held in Metro Manila on November 21.

The event will also include the "Top 100 Startups SHOWQASE by QBO" and the first "KMC Startup Awards," which will reveal the most promising Filipino startups of the year. Government-led summits will also be included, such as the "Slingshot Conference x Venture Pilipinas" by DTI, the "Technology Business Incubator (TBI) Summit" by DOST, and the "Geeks On A Beach" by DICT.

Over 50 community events will be organized by partners from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, including Gobi Partners, Amazon Web Services, and Google Cloud, to highlight the collaborative spirit and variety of the Filipino startup ecosystem.

PHSW23 is projected to bring over 3,000 in-person participants from throughout the country, including speakers from Podcast Network Asia, Uniquecorn Strategies, CloudEats, Bossjob, PDAX, and many more.

According to Katrina Rausa Chan, Executive Director of QBO Innovation Hub, "this year's Philippine Startup Week aims to highlight and strategically position the Philippines as an emerging investment hub for Southeast Asian startups while facilitating actionable insights and nurturing collaborative efforts and learning among the local startup community."

Since its launch in 2019, PHSW has been the country's largest startup conference, showcasing Filipino innovation and drawing worldwide attention to the growing startup community.