Founders Launchpad, the pioneering startup incubatory jointly created by AHG Lab and Draper Startup House, recently unveiled the inaugural cohort of its 12-week incubation program for Philippine startups. The lineup of startups was officially unveiled with a Welcome Day at the Draper Startup House in Makati City, providing an opportunity for attendees to learn about Founders Launchpad and meet the passionate cohort of entrepreneurs.
In collaboration with the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) and co-presenter QBO Innovation Hub, Founders Launchpad is committed to nurturing Filipino founders and entrepreneurs, enabling them to make positive impacts within their communities all over the country. The program equips participants with the necessary tools and knowledge to thrive in the competitive startup landscape.
The program is also made possible with the help of Founders Launchpad’s strategic partners Aspire, Boston Consulting Group, Google Cloud, LinkedIn, PayMongo, UnionBank, and Xano. Investment partners for Founders Launchpad include Buko Ventures, First Move, Forge Ventures, Foxmont Capital Partners, Gentree Fund, IdeaSpace Investments, Manila Angel Investors Network, and Seaborne Capital Partners.
The inaugural cohort of the Founders Launchpad incubation program is made up of streamlined inventory sales and management solution provider Itemcount, Netflix-style study aid Kippap Education, pharmacy aggregator MedsGo, plastic waste management tech company Rezbin, escrow service for e-commerce transactions Safe, and alternative asset exchange Supafaya. These six startups were selected from an extensive pool of over 270+ applicants.
As part of the program, participants receive a range of benefits, including a USD$50,000 investment startups can use as they see fit, mentorship, resources, and accommodation at Draper Startup House Manila.
According to Founders Launchpad Program Supervisor Rene Cuartero’s opening remarks, the Founders Launchpad was envisioned as a way to encourage growth and innovation in the local startup ecosystem. “It’s a challenge to enable growth and innovation in the local environment,” Cuartero said. “So, this was Founders Launchpad’s goal ever since the start.”
Solving problems with startups
Each of the startups went through a rigorous selection process to earn one of the slots in the 12-week program. Before being accepted, each startup had to submit multiple documents to be reviewed by the program leads. There were also interview rounds where the passion and background of each founder were assessed. Additionally, founders also had to accomplish comprehensive online assessments.
The minds behind Founders Launchpad also knew they wanted to work with startups that serve the Philippines as its target market. Each of these startups needed to prove they were leveraging tech to solve pain points for Filipinos all over the country.
The comprehensive selection process and criteria fit seamlessly with Founders Launchpad’s belief that startups should be partners in problem-solving—especially in a developing country like the Philippines.
“We believe that the core of every startup should be the desire to solve a pain point,” said Cuarteros. “Sometimes the pain points big institutions and the government can solve are not the same as grassroots/personal pain points, there’s a mismatch. This is where startups can come in.”
Helping startups grow
Founders Launchpad’s first cohort of startups is set to see their growth expedited in a number of ways.
of the program. (L-R): Jay Haendler, Thomas Abentung, and Simon Bauer
According to Investment Lead Jay Haendler, the primary objective of the 12-week program is to take startups from zero to one. “We want to fill in any gaps and weaknesses,” said Haendler. “For example, some of our startups are solo founders that can really use the extra resources we can provide. We want them to find their north star so they can get running as soon as they graduate from the program.”
The program’s resources notably include support from its partner AHG Labs. As one of the largest venture studios in the Philippines, AHG Labs lends its resources to help with anything a startup might potentially need—from incorporation to marketing to product development and even fulfilling crucial HR functions like hiring.
For Program Lead Simon Bauer, the $50,000 investment is a big factor setting Founders Launchpad apart from other incubation programs. “The guaranteed investment is a big help because it’s a chance for startup founders to start working right away. It’s not something all incubators have,” said Bauer.
Yet it’s not just the investments and resources that will help accelerate growth. Another key feature of the incubator program is its tailored curriculum, which starts with the startups filling out a pre-assessment form before the program so mentors understand where they are and what their roadblocks are. The mentoring is then tailored to solve each startup’s unique roadblocks: for example, the program’s mentors will go through a list of 100+ speakers and point startup founders to the ones they should follow.
Even the success metrics measuring the effectiveness of the program will be unique to each startup. Though there will be general aims such as generating profitability and increasing capital, Program Lead Thomas Abentung explained that it’s the startups who will decide their own definition of success. “In the beginning, we work with the startups to use goal-setting frameworks and decide on unique but concrete goals,” he said. “We leave it to the startups to set their goals and we dedicate ourselves to achieving it with them.”
The road ahead
As the 12-week program kicks off, the program’s leads are excited to also foster a spirit of collaboration among the startups. According to Abentung, even before the official program begins, startups are encouraged to connect and learn from each other. For example, Itemcount and MedsGo are already exploring ways to collaborate and improve each other’s operations.
The spirit of collaboration extends to the broader ecosystem, fostering connections not only within Manila but also throughout the entire Philippine startup landscape. After all, Abentung revealed that roughly 40% of Founders Launchpad program applicants were startups outside Metro Manila. The DICT partnership helps immensely in this regard, with the government agency providing valuable resources and helping spread the word about Founders Launchpad through its extensive channels. The synergistic alliance strengthens the program’s reach and impact across the startup community.
The support provided by Founders Launchpad even continues beyond the 12-week program. “Our plan is to continuously introduce them to venture capitalists and help manage these interactions,” said Haendler. “On top of that regular check-ins are available to founders who desire guidance and assistance. We even have an alumni group where people can share resources and events. Their success is our success.”
The startup founders themselves readily express their excitement for the program. “In one program they really cover all the bases,” said Rezbin Co-Founder Mari Martirez. “There are so many weaknesses they can easily fix. In my case, Founders Launchpad has an expert on product development that can help us, which allows me to focus on other things.”
“We feel the guidance and mentorship will help us exponentially,” said Kippap Co-Founder Emmanuel Perez. “With Founders Launchpad, we’re excited to learn how to scale and serve even more Filipinos.”
Draper Startup House Founder Vikram Bharati’s closing remarks reflected on the journey of exploration that awaits the Founders Launchpad cohort. He emphasized that this program is not just about expanding a startup’s operations, but also the journey of exploration itself. “Startups don’t necessarily know where they’ll end up,” said Bharati. “But this is a chance to explore not only ideas but also ourselves.”
With Founders Launchpad as their guiding force, the cohort is well-equipped to navigate this exciting and transformative journey of exploration.