Philippine-based e-commerce enabler etaily has emerged as the winner of the Expand North Star Pitch Competition, one of the biggest startup pitch competitions in the world.
Held in partnership with the GITEX Global team in the Philippines, the competition brought together tech startups and investors from around the world, providing them with a platform to explore partnership opportunities.
The pitch competition, a collaboration between the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates, allowed companies to present their ideas to a panel of esteemed judges. As the winner, etaily will now bring its expertise and winning idea to Dubai for the Finals.
The competition’s judges, Katrina Chan of QBO Innovation, Franco Varona of Foxmont Ventures, and Carlo Calimon of StartUp Village, commended the high standard of the presentations and expressed confidence in the future of Philippine entrepreneurship.
“Winning the Expand North Star Pitch Competition is an honor, and we’re excited to represent the Philippines at the Supernova Challenge 2023 Semi-Finals in Dubai,” etaily CEO Alexander Friedhoff said. “This gives us the platform to highlight our skills on a global stage and forge relationships that will bolster our startup’s success.”
The Supernova Challenge provides startups an opportunity to compete for cash prizes of up to $200,000, while also offering a networking platform with global investors. It is a stage for startups to showcase their innovations and gain international exposure.
Etaily was founded in 2020 to provide content production, channel creation, and warehousing and fulfillment, among others. In its first year of operations, the startup said it processed more than one million transactions and made 50,000 unique products available across Southeast Asia.
In January 2022, the startup announced raising $4.3 million in a Seed extending funding round anchored by JG Digital Equity Ventures, the investment arm of Gokongwei Group. Gobi Partners also participated in the round.
Etaily was also the only e-commerce enabler in the Philippines to receive the 3-star certification from the Lazada Partners Program for all quarters of 2020.
The recognition is Lazada’s highest standard for its platform partners and is awarded to those who’ve demonstrated excellent in-store management, operations, and fulfillment.