U.S. Embassy, QBO Philippines support Filipino startups towards achieving SDGs

On August 19, the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines and QBO Innovation Hub concluded a short course program designed to guide aspiring Filipino entrepreneurs in developing their ideas into tech startups that contribute to achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Philippines.

“BOOTQAMP: From Idea to Impact, a Sustainable Development Goals Innovation Challenge” was a 14-week program which trained ten participating teams in concepts related to techno-entrepreneurship, including customer identification, problem-centric ideation, social impact measurement, and the lean startup method.  Participants also received one-on-one mentorship from industry specialists and attended virtual workshops facilitated by leading tech experts in the Philippines.

“The United States is committed to pursuing SDGs locally and internationally.  Last year, we also worked with QBO on incubating Filipino startups working on technological responses to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Deputy Public Engagement Attaché Pauline Anderson.  “We are very pleased to continue our partnership to support social impact entrepreneurs delivering on SDGs through technology.”

“We are grateful to the U.S. Embassy for entrusting us with this project.  This is the first program we conducted that is geared towards supporting startups addressing the SDGs,” said QBO Head of Startup Development Alwyn Joy Rosel.  “Our startups worked so hard in validating their products and services, taking into account the learnings and insights they received from their mentors.”

Since 2018, the U.S. Embassy and QBO Philippines have conducted activities aimed at accelerating the local startup ecosystem through mentorship and networking.  To date, more than 30 Filipino startups have benefitted from these techno-entrepreneurship programs and business incubation training.

Follow @amspacesph and @qbophilippines on Facebook for program updates.

QBO (‘ku-bo’), the programmatic arm of IdeaSpace Foundation, is an innovation hub or a platform for the startup community to collaborate, develop talents, and grow.  It provides startups with support and resources through events, capacity-building programs, and focused interventions designed to improve access to markets, knowledge, capital, and talent.  Created in 2016 through a partnership with IdeaSpace, J.P. Morgan, the Department of Science and Technology, and the Department of Trade and Industry, QBO has been an active player in creating a competitive ecosystem in the Philippines towards its vision of Filipino startups changing the world.

For more information on QBO, visit their website at qbo.com.ph.