ON the second day of the Inclusive Innovation Conference (ICC) 2018, “Slingshot: Startup and Innovation Summit” gathered start-ups, innovators, entrepreneurs, the government and academe on October 3, 2018, at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza, Manila.
The fourth edition of Slingshot aimed to inspire the Philippine start-up community to potentially become scale-ups. The event allowed the participants to promote their products and services and network with potential investors and buyers.
The event was led by Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Trade and Investments Promotion Group Undersecretary Nora K. Terrado, DTI Industry Development and Trade Policy Group (IDTPG) Assistant Secretary Rafaelita M. Aldaba, and Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development Deputy Executive Director Raul C. Sabularse, together with DTI-Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) Director Senen M. Perlada and DTI-EMB Assistant Director Agnes Perpetua R. Legaspi.
This year’s Slingshot was composed of Pitching of Technologies, Business Matching, Networking and a Panel Discussion on “Start Local, Grow Global.” The theme for this year’s Slingshot is “Startups born Global.”
During the morning session, 10 start-ups pitched their technologies. They were PhilMech’s Dr. Michael A. Gragasin for Impeller Rice Mill, University of Santo Tomas’s Dr. Mary Beth V. Maningas for Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Kit for Shrimp Pathogens, Metals Industry Research and Development Center Pablo Acuin for Mass Transport (Hybrid Train Set and Hybrid Electric Train, University of the Philippines Manila’s Dr. Abundio Balgos for Ginhawa/ReliefVent, Antipara Exploration Inc.’s Aaron T. Hilomen for Antipara, UP-Diliman’s Dr. Prospero Naval Jr. for FISH-I, Mapua University’s Dr. Francis Aldrine Uy for USHER, UP Diliman’s Dr. Giovanni A. Tapang for VISSER, Biotech-UPLB’s Irene A. Papa for ACTIcon Biopesticide for Cavendish Banana and Orthopaedic International’s Jude Sasing for Axis Knee System.
Various technologies were presented during the pitching session, from food, education, underwater technology, marine species, health to mass-transport innovations, which aim to resolve some industry glitches.
For the panel discussion, Terrado, USAID STRIDE chief of Party Dr. Richard Abedan, AIM-Dado Banatao Incubator Executive Director Prim Paypon and Airbus Head of Technology for Asia Pacific Dr. Cyrille Schwob discussed the updates on government efforts and studies in support of the Philippine startup ecosystem and in search for the next Filipino scale-up.
Benny Schlick, Innovation Without Borders cofounder and director, presented the Startup Nation and discussed the Startup Ecosystem in Israel.
Start-ups, such as OneWatt, Valea Health, AdMov, Senti, Container Living PHL and some DOST technologies from the morning session had a business matching with potential investors and buyers. The business matching was organized by DTI-EMB in partnership with DOST and QBO Philippines.
The ICC 2018 was a two-day event, with the theme “Filipinnovation for Entrepreneurship and Inclusive Growth,” which was organized by the DTI-IDTPG.