QBO Innovation Hub hosts the Filipino round of the She Loves Tech global competition – Manila Bulletin

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QBO Innovation Hub, the Philippines’ leading startup incubator, hosted the Filipino round of the 2021 global competition She Loves Tech which was held just last quarter. The Global Startup Competition is the largest startup competition in the world for women and technology, with 50 locations worldwide on six continents. It is a fully integrated program aimed at creating, supporting and scaling technologies to and from women.

“QBO’s mission is to promote Philippine startups that will change the world,” said Katrina Chan, executive director of the IdeaSpace Foundation and QBO Innovation Hub and one of the speakers for the competition. “This is why we do what we do, why we push for the growth and development of our community and startups through our programs and initiatives, and that is why we continue to collaborate with She Loves Tech and host the stage venue of the competition. “

“QBO’s values ​​align with our goal of seeking and accelerating the best entrepreneurs and technology for transformative impact, which is why they are the perfect partner for the Filipino round,” shared Rhea See, co-founder and co -CEO by She Loves Tech. See, a Filipina herself, expressed her excitement about the Filipino leg. “When we started She Loves Tech in 2015, I always knew I wanted to bring this program to the Philippines. Now, after three years of running this program alongside QBO, it’s safe to say that startups keep getting better every year. “

“The Filipino businesswomen we have worked with on this program are the future, the engines of this country’s economic progress and we truly appreciate our long-term partnership with QBO for making She Loves Tech Philippines what it is today,” she said. stated Virginia Tan, founding partner of Teja and co-founder of She Loves Tech.

In its third year as a host of the Filipino round, the She Loves Tech contest is just one of the many efforts and initiatives that QBO Innovation Hub has launched in its five years of operation. In their commitment to foster growth in the local startup ecosystem and to help female-led startups succeed, QBO remains consistent in empowering their community of founders, creating support programs such as their Startup Pinay initiative, offering training sessions. mentoring and giving startups the boost they need to turn their ideas into a tangible reality.

She loves Tech PH Group

Nine startups led by women from across the country participated in the Filipino round. Airship Logistics, Bixie, Brooky Technologies, Oh My Genie !, Panublix, Parlon, Peraflo, Pieza and RaceYa competed for a chance to represent the Philippines and make their pitch at the She Loves Tech Global Finals. These female-led startups supported their companies in a five-minute pitch followed by another five minutes for a live question and answer session with the speakers, offering a wide range of technology solutions and products ranging from finance to fitness to real estate sector, each pitch only further demonstrated See’s point of view.

“Every year is an exciting mix of new faces of entrepreneurs,” said Chan. “It is with great pride that our Pinay Startup participants represent the best of the best in entrepreneurship and potential the Philippines has to offer.”

She loves the PH Tech Winner

At the end of the round, She Loves Tech’s newcomer, Parlon, came out victorious. By proposing a solution to an easily recognizable problem, not only in the Philippines but across the region, Parlon is a technology platform specifically designed to revolutionize the beauty and wellness services industry through Software-as-a-Service solutions and a market where people can discover, book and buy salon and wellness services. Parlon founder and CEO, Kristine Claire Ongcangco, and her team had the chance to take their big step at the She Loves Tech Global Stage last November.

Additionally, the top four startups were honored for their efforts and great ideas. Together with Parlon, the Bixie financial and community platform for women, the Panublix technology platform and design market, and the ready-to-use software solution for couriers, Airship Logistics had priority access to the She Loves Tech fund and program, as well as full access to the 2021 She Loves Tech conference.

Ultimately, the global She Loves Tech competition is greater than prizes and prestige.

“Most important is the kind of impact these startups want to have in the country and around the world,” said Chan, who shared similar sentiments with the rest of the panel. More than the prizes, the idea is to make these initiatives lasting and give startups the right level of support to be successful. “Furthermore, it is vital to realize that it is not just about women founders, but also their end consumers and how these women-led initiatives are serving them.”

“Women build companies very differently from men. More often than not, the investment and venture capital industry doesn’t reward it equally, ”Tan said in his keynote address. “People invest in what they want and having more female investors and more women in the ecosystem in general can reflect on what we think is most valuable, what is most interesting for society. We want the world to benefit from what these women-led companies are building. “

It’s initiatives like these, created by organizations like She Loves Tech and QBO Innovation Hub, that open up opportunities for women in the fields of technology and entrepreneurship, as well as promote the women’s economy. And for QBO, their doors are always open to those looking to take their first steps into the startup space. Join their community of founders, investors and allies to learn more about how you can contribute to the growing Philippine ecosystem.

Startup Pinay is a QBO Innovation Hub program in partnership with Investing in Women to connect current and future founding women with opportunities, from mentoring to financing, in the startup ecosystem. To learn more, visit qbo.com.ph/startup-pinay.

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