The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
by Annalyn S. Jusay
Block Dojo, a global venture builder headquartered in the UK, celebrated its first year in the Philippines by spotlighting six forward-thinking startups during their Demo Day on August 1 at the Asian Institute of Management. These startups had successfully completed a 12-week incubation program, where the founders gained valuable insights into leveraging blockchain technology for their businesses. The program’s unique blend of theoretical knowledge, practical application, and problem-solving has equipped these startups to become hyperlocal enterprises with global potential.
The program consisted of a comprehensive curriculum covering essential business topics such as finance, legal, marketing, and operations; a personalized component that challenges founders to push the boundaries of their ideas; and a community-driven approach, recognizing that it takes collective effort to quickly elevate a startup.
“This celebration is not just about our company’s achievements but also about the progress of the startup ecosystem in the Philippines. We wanted each startup to demonstrate how they are addressing fundamental challenges that Filipinos encounter daily,” said Toffer Briones, Managing Director of Block Dojo Philippines.
“If you notice, our business model is we invest in idea to early stage founders.W
e believe that if we can provide the right structured environment for the start-ups, then we can empower more Filipino founders solving real-world Filipino problems also. So that’s the vision. To create as many founders who can solve as many Filipino problems out there,” Briones added.
One of those who presented his pitch was John Domettita, CEO of Pettopass, a groundbreaking pet registry service. He said that with his platform, “you won’t miss any important things about your pet because Pettopass will have your pet data. Once you register your pet, you’ll get immediate access to valuable insights like pet history, their temperament, their personality, if they’re super jealous, the diet recommendations, the vaccination schedules, and even exercise plans. All of this data are saved securely on the blockchain and will enhance your understanding about the basic needs of your pet. Regardless of their age, Pettopass will align its recommendations to target the basic needs of your pet grouped into nutrition, health, and play. We partner with pet-friendly merchants that not only welcomes your pet but also provides exclusive discounts.”
He bared that they already have 1,411 registered users and 52 merchant partners, two of which are insurance companies.
Another founder who spoke about his unique business proposition was Jynon Mapa of Park King, a mobile app for parking reservations which will allow users to book a parking slot before an event. It integrates IoT (Internet of Things) to physically block each reserved slot.
According to Mapa, the idea came to him when he watched the concert of an international artist and it took a few hours to find a parking spot, giving all the people involved a lot of stress.
Mapa said that he taps events places and is now dealing with the parking management of condominium buildings. It’s a win-win situation because some areas need to optimize the fees they collect from parking.
“Based on our research, in Makati alone, there is a lot of lost in revenue from non-collected parking. We are trying to solve that. In my condominium, we started last month and we helped them collect more than three times their usual collection. We are trying to avoid revenue lost because of non-collected parking,” Mapa pointed out.
The remainder of the six start-ups included -Befit2gether: A fitness app that combines video game elements with your workout.They aim to make fitness a fun social activity you do with friends through exciting squad vs. squad challenges.
Upraised: A matchmaking platform for property owners and funders of curated real estate properties. They aim to facilitate the transformation of properties into well designed living spaces.
Willow: A coaching platform designed to help individuals achieve personal and professional growth.
Certifyed: A blockchain-based credential verification solution aimed at eliminating fraud and enhancing trust through verifiable digital certificates and authenticated credentials.
In addition to the startup showcases, the program featured a panel discussion with key enablers from various sectors, focusing on how each sector can support and strengthen the startup ecosystem.
Panelists included regional industry leaders: Jerahmeel Chen, Chief Innovation Officer of National Development Company; Rene Cuartero, Co-founder and CEO of AHG Lab, Lyra Reyes, Head of Marketing at Singapore-based e27; Atty. Jocel Dilag, Adjunct professor at AIM and Chief Innovator at Bughaw Creative Collective; and Stephanie Tower, Country Head at NChain Philippines.