Five startup companies make it to Launchpad

CEBU, Philippines - Five startup companies in Cebu and Bohol were picked to undergo mentorship with the country’s known technopreneurs under the Launchpad program of the government and the private sector.

Launchpad was officially activated in Central Visayas in July by the  Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in collaboration with the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA), and Department of Information Communications and Technology,

 DTI-Cebu provincial director Ma. Elena Arbon yesterday announced that from 19 startup applicants, the program coaches selected five potential technopreneurs whose inventions and concepts have huge potential for bigger commercial roll out.

 These startup groups in Cebu and Bohol, which are now part of the Launchpad network of startup mentees in the country include Xafty (University of San Carlos), Shopcast, RoadRx, Farm2Ket, and an information and destination guide app based in Bohol called Tarshare.

 These five startups are expected to complete their mentorship program by the end of the year, as the program will choose another batch of startups for next year, Arbon said.

In Cebu, the program is also supported by private sector organizations like Cebu Educational Development for Information Technology (Cedfit), Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) among others.

 The program, which is also participated in by successful technopreneurs as coaches or mentors, is patterned after the PSIA SPRING.ph program for startup founders in Metro Manila. It aims to establish a mentoring program for at least 20 to 30 selected Cebu-based and potential startups in neighboring province like Bohol.

These selected startups will be closely mentored by experienced SPRING.com coaches for six months to enable them to establish some traction and eventually register their businesses.

 Based on Cedfit record, of an average 3,500 graduates of software developing and programming every year, only 30 percent to 40 percent find jobs related to their field of expertise.

"This is just to build the momentum of developing our startup community in Cebu. Our ecosystem is still very young, but we are moving forward," said Arbon.

Some startup applicants who were not able to make it to the Launchpad mentorship program could still be accepted as potential candidates for DTI's "Kapatid Mentor Me" program, designed for the traditional business platform. (FREEMAN)