Many of the brighter ideas coming out of tech startups in the Philippines are health-related, with a heavy slant on mobile technologies.
Filipino incubator, IdeaSpace just whittled a list of 700 entries from startups down to just 20.
These 20 will eventually be halved further. IdeaSpace is offering 10 slots to startups to get six months incubation support and funding of up to $120,000 (PHP 5 million) each, to be decided on April 5. Teams from outside the Metro Manila area will also get housing support.
A look at the list of finalists reveals that healthcare is a top concern, and like many tech ideas in Asia’s emerging markets, the heavy reliance on mobile technologies is apparent. IdeaSpace would not provide more details on the startups’ models, in order to protect their intellectual property, it said.
- AgriCultureTechnology – monitors growth of aquatic livestock
- Armtech – affordable water purification machine for households
- CornerData – simplified data gathering for agriculture and disaster preparedness using electronic sensors
- DateCola – natural date enriched beverages
- DepEd Smart Cloud – enterprise solution for public school system
- FindmyDok – a solution for searching doctors
- Lost Meets Found – an online solution for lost and found objects
- miCab – smartphone solution for getting a cab with or without mobile Internet
- Mirand – Lower cost and high quality total joint implants for the Asian market
- Nambal.com – online healthcare system with portable features
- PGRS – produces electricity via rumble strips on high traffic roads
- PinoyTravel – provincial bus seat reservation using mobile technologies
- PortfolioMNL – online marketplace for creative professionals
- Prodigo – a solution for targeted promotions and analytics
- SafeCab – a solution that providing feedback for commuters riding cabs
- Summarize and Notify – allows web searches, summarizes information and notifies users
- Tech4Health – solution for health monitoring of chronic conditions including diabetes
- TimeFree – SMS-based automated queuing system
- Tudlo – a system that teaches, guides and points during a disaster and emergency situation
- WeGen – new design of wind turbine that is more efficient than current technology
IdeaSpace was founded about a year ago, as a non-profit incubator and accelerator for Filipino startups. It has the support of large firms in the country like telcos, hospitals, F&B and infrastructure conglomerates. It has about PHP 500 million ($12 million) to run for the next five years from its members.
One of its founders, Earl Martin Valencia, returned to the Philippines to help start IdeaSpace, after years working in technology in the Valley. Valencia has a Masters of Engineering degree from Cornell as well as an MBA from Stanford. He’s worked for Cisco Systems and Raytheon in California before returning to his home country, where he’s the head of corporate development and innovation for Smart, one of the two largest telcos in the Philippines.