DAVAO CITY—An organization based in Cagayan de Oro was selected to be among three Philippine organizations to get support funding from the US government to scale up their start-up green projects.
The Cagayan de Oro’s Kids Who Farm has established a Food Loop, a circular food system concept, and its technology wanted to help households convert edible material waste into organic components for growing food, the US embassy said.
This project was one of the 20 start-up initiatives that offer sustainable solutions to environmental issues in Cagayan de Oro, Dumaguete, and Manila, and which the US government recently supported to get them developed to be implemented.
The US Embassy’s American Spaces Philippines and The Spark Project recently concluded the Green Impact Accelerator (GIA) bootcamp, a five-month program that supported the growth and commercial viability of green start-ups through mentorship, networking, and crowdfunding matching.
Of the 20 solutions presented, three start-ups were selected to receive seed funding to develop, implement, and scale up their projects, it said.
These were the Cagayan de Oro organization, the Dumaguete’s Plantsville Health, which developed Green LiveS, an artificial intelligence-powered system that can record and monitor Philippine cinnamon production, and the Manila’s Dewaste Solutions, which created MARE!, a modular and portable materials recycling facility that promotes environmental sustainability through education and provides employment for women in waste management.
“We are very excited to finally run an accelerator program that caters to enterprises that positively impact the environment,” Patch Dulay, founder and CEO of the Spark Project, said. “I believe that programs like these not only level-up entrepreneurs and their businesses, but also connect them to a like-minded community that is eager to support their work.”
US Embassy Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer Pauline Anderson said the program was part of the US commitment to support environmental resilience and promote inclusive economic growth. “The projects we saw in this program showcase the Philippine start-up community and how their talents can build sustainable ecosystems and help achieve prosperity.”
The Green Impact Accelerator teams would convene again in October for the American Spaces Angel Investing Seminar where they would be matched with potential investors and benefit from seed funding opportunities.
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