The 5-Month Scholars Technopreneurship Training Program Concludes with Passionate and Inspiring Demo Day Presentations

ILOILO, PHILIPPINES – After five months of rigorous training and mentorship, the Scholars Technopreneurship Training Program (STTP) in Region VI came to a magnificent end with 15 passionate teams presenting their innovative ideas during the STTP Demo Day. This program that started last July 2024 is an initiative of the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute, in collaboration with the Leave a Nest Philippines and DOST Region VI, as it aims to equip aspiring technopreneurs with the mindset and knowledge needed to transform science-based ideas into impactful businesses.

On November 24, 2024, at the Iloilo Convention Center, 15 teams composed of 100 DOST scholars pitched the ideas that they have worked ever so diligently on for the past 5 months. They presented in front of a panel of judges who then chose the rightful winners of the STTP Region VI Demo Day.

The Demo Day started with a very inspiring speech from the Director IV of the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST – SEI), Dr. Jayeel S. Cornelio, whose message centralized on our “shared humanity”. He encouraged the scholars to never lose sight of what is really important, which is the overall welfare of the Filipino people in order to empower them towards better lives. He was then followed by the Managing Director of Leave a Nest Philippines, Dr. Yevgeny Aster Dulla, who emphasized the importance of this training program which is to continue to pursue their own startup companies and start the domino effect of building spaces and job opportunities for past and future generations. Lastly, Dr. Josette T. Biyo, HRD Consultant of DOST – SEI, commented on the huge success of this year’s STTP implementation and shared their plans of expanding this program further in other regions in order to create more technopreneur startups in the Philippines.

After the opening remarks, the 9 Finalist teams then started their pitch presentations and battled it out to see who will be the Grand Prize Winner of the STTP Region VI Demo Day. The 6 Lightning Talk teams were also given the opportunity to present in front of the judges. Although they were not part of the main awards, they were still eligible to receive the other available awards during the event. Below are the winners of all 10 awards given during the Demo Day:

Poster Judges Awards

Award name: Kwadra TBI Award	Awardees: Team Ecospun Team THECONSTRUCT Team WeRESKYU	Award Description: One (1) year complimentary incubation program at the Iloilo Science and Technology University KWADRA TBI

 

Award name: CPUGAD Award	Awardees: Team SULONG Team Agrisensei Team Agrigrow	Award Description: One (1) year complimentary incubation program at the Central Philippine University CPUGAD TBI

 

Award name: WVSU-BINHI Award	Awardees: Team NutriLink Team Nexus Healthcare Solutions Team DaluBasa	Award Description: One (1) year complimentary incubation program at the West Visayas State University BINHI TBI

 

Award name: UPV Coastline 5023 Award	Awardees: Team Carbon Clean Tech Team ShellDone Solutions Team AlonTogether	Award Description: One (1) year complimentary incubation program at the University of the Philippines Visayas Coastline 5023 FTBI

These awards from University Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) serve to help propel the teams forward on their technopreneurial journey, extending their support even after the STTP has ended. In selecting the winners, the TBIs considered several factors. While some TBIs generally chose their winners based on the affiliation of the students as it would be generally easier to incubate someone from their own university, some also chose their winners based on the technological innovation and societal issues that the teams were challenging. It is in our earnest hope that the teams that graduated from STTP would maximize this opportunity in order to help fully realize their startup dream and finally bring their own technology to society.

Main Awards

Award name: Flores & Ofrin Award	Awardees: Team DaluBasa Team NutriLink Team ShellDone Solutions	Award Description: Free Legal Assistance in Trademark Registration

 

Award name: Sohbi Kohgei Award	Awardees: Team NutriLink	Award Description: Cash Prize worth Php 20,000 & Free usage of facilities & support for a period of one (1) year

 

Award name: Path to Excellence Award	Awardees: Team Ecospun	Award Description: Cash Prize worth Php 10,000

 

Award name: 2nd Place Award	Awardees: Team ShellDone Solutions	Award Description: Cash Prize worth Php 40,000 (20,000 from DOST SEI and 20,000 from DOST Region VI)

 

Award name: 1st Place Award	Awardees: Team NutriLink	Award Description: Cash Prize worth Php 60,000 (30,000 from DOST SEI and 30,000 from DOST Region VI)

 

Award name: Grand Prize Award	Awardees: Team DaluBasa	Award Description: Cash Prize worth Php 100,000 (50,000 from DOST SEI and 50,000 from DOST Region VI)

Coincidentally, the winners of the Floris & Ofrin Award were also the recipients of the Main STTP Prizes. As they are the teams that have the most potential to incorporate in the future and implement their technologies to society, this free legal assistance award would most certainly benefit them going forward. Meanwhile, the winner of the Sohbi Kohgei Award, despite the company's main office being located in another region, is said to still benefit from the company’s support through a long-distance collaboration, showing the company’s commitment to nurturing innovation all across the country. And of course, for the winners of the remaining awards, their progress and growth will be closely followed by Leave a Nest, with high hopes of seeing them evolve into thriving startup teams and realizing their vision for the future.

After presenting the awards, all of the judges each delivered heartfelt speeches of encouragement, each judge commending the teams for their innovative and impactful ideas. With words of wisdom and motivation, they inspired the participants to persevere on their journey as budding technopreneurs, whether or not they were given awards during this Demo Day. The most important thing is their passion to help solve the various issues that are being faced by the Filipino people, and further contribute to national development.

Lastly, the event concluded with an inspiring closing address by DOST-VI Regional Director, Engr. Rowen R. Gelonga. He expressed his optimism for these emerging technopreneurs, urging them to transform their ideas into reality by creating successful and thriving companies. Engr. Gelonga reminded everyone that being a startup is just the beginning—a stepping stone to greater accomplishments—and emphasized the importance of harnessing the momentum gained from the STTP to achieve even greater success.

The Leave a Nest Philippines extends its deepest gratitudes to all the scholars, DOST mentors, guest speakers, partners, and stakeholders who made the Scholars Technopreneurship Training Program a resounding success. This training program has not only cultivated the innovative spirit of the students, but has also highlighted the huge potential of the development of science and technology in Region VI to drive impactful solutions for the nation. As the program draws to a close, we sincerely hope that the seeds of innovation planted during these five months will continue to grow, empowering these future technopreneurs to lead transformative change in their local communities and beyond.

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For more information regarding previous bootcamps, you may view the past articles below:

STTP Kickoff – LINK
STTP Halfway through – LINK
STTP Finalists and Lightning Talk Teams – LINK
STTP Judges – LINK

 

For any questions or concerns regarding the STTP, please email [email protected] with attention to Ronrick Arayata or Bill Mercado