By Vernon Velasco
THE Embassy of Israel and IdeaSpace Foundation are searching for the best innovative idea to represent the Philippines in the international DLD Tel Aviv Digital Conference.
The conference, slated in September, is Israel’s largest assembly of best tech start-ups, investors, inventors along with high-tech industry headliners and movers and shakers.
The Filipino who will be sent to the conference will be able to propose his game-changing idea to tech-industry leaders who could potentially assist in commercializing, recognizing and implementing the idea.
This is the first time the Philippines will participate in the conference.
Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Effie Ben Matityau said the start-up ecosystem created in Israel is a source of emulation and presents opportunities for partnerships on the international level.
“TelAviv, like Israel, is an entity that is marked by the aspiration for excellence in innovation. The economy of the future will be totally dependent on creativity and high-technology,” Ambassador Matityau said.
He added: “Considering the Philippines’s aspiration, its participation in this international gathering and, in general, the growing cooperation in the field of technology will add to its capacity in the high-tech arena.”
Ambassador Matityau said the creation of modern Israel was based on innovation.
He said that Israel was once a start-up nation that hinged and cashed in on innovation and entrepreneurship.
For his part, IdeaSpace President and Cofounder Earl Valencia said the conference is a great opportunity for Philippine startups to once again shine on the global stage.
“TelAviv is a city that’s brimming with innovation and the Philippine start-ups representative to this conference stands to gain a lot of insights, possible investments, as start-ups converge during the weeklong event,” Valencia said.
According to Valencia, the growth among innovators in the country is not just confined in Metro Manila alone as there are a lot of them breaking out from every region and in every industry.
“I was inspired by the start-up nation of Israel where innovation is not just about information technology but interesting technologies; cybersecurity; technologies on water and clean tech; and technologies on health care. Things we also can learn as an emerging country,” Valencia said.
He said having a representative from the Philippines in the conference will go a long way in cascading lessons and new thinking for the Philippine startup ecosystem. He said it will be a valuable experience in growing a country through global linkages.
The startup ecosystem created in Israel was the impetus in the development of technology giants, like web site developer Wix, accident-prevention Mobileye, and traffic navigation app Waze.
The Filipino who will be selected to attend the conference will receive a full travel package, including a roundtrip airfare to and accommodation in Israel.
To qualify, interested startups’ revenue should not exceed $30,000, have a raised investment of less than $100,000 and must provide a working prototype. Applicants also need to fill out an online form and submit a two-minute video pitch on their start-ups.
Deadline of submission of applications is on June 30.
Image credits: Alysa Salen
