I was invited attend the Block Dojo, a global venture builder headquartered in the UK, celebrated its first anniversary in the Philippines by spotlighting six cutting-edge startups during their Demo Day on August 1 at the Asian Institute of Management. I was able to meet the managing director of Block Dojo and all the Start up business owners.
Since establishing its Philippine presence in August 2023, Block Dojo has been committed to nurturing startups through a rigorous 12-week incubation program designed to instill essential business skills.
Block Dojo’s mission is to educate, train, and elevate startup entrepreneurs to the highest standards by providing best-in-class mentors and teaching with the latest tech tools. Their incubator includes a 12-week program designed to get entrepreneurs and tech teams moving as quickly as possible on the blockchain, with complete end-to-end support to create their MVP and become investment-ready by the end of the program. The Block Dojo team and mentors are available throughout the program to provide training, network support, and structure.
Key Pillars
The program centers on three key pillars: a foundational curriculum covering business topics such as finance, legal, marketing, and operations; a bespoke component that helps founders explore the full potential of their ideas, and a community-centric approach, recognizing that it takes a collective effort to raise a startup in a short span of time.
"This celebration is not just for our company but also a testament to how far we have come as a startup ecosystem in the Philippines. We wanted each startup to showcase their solutions to the fundamental problems that Filipinos face every day," said Toffer Briones, managing director of Block Dojo Philippines.
The event drew notable government representatives, including General Manager Antonilo Mauricio of the National Development Company, who delivered an inspiring keynote address.
The six featured startups, each with a unique and impactful vision, include:
Befit2gether. A phygital game designed to make fitness enjoyable and consistent through squad vs. squad challenges.
Upraised. A matchmaking platform connecting owners and funders of curated real estate projects to transform properties into well-designed living spaces.
Pettopass. An interactive platform offering personalized pet care services based on pet data, enhancing the well-being of pets and their owners.
Willow. A coaching platform that supports individuals in achieving personal and professional growth.
Park King. A mobile application for parking reservations that allows users to reserve a parking slot before an event, integrated with IoT to physically block each slot for users.
Certifyed. A blockchain-based credential verification solution aimed at eliminating fraud and enhancing trust through verifiable digital certificates and authenticated credentials.
Eyeing the Future. 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 such as Jerahmeel Chen, Chief Innovation Officer of the 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.
Continuing its mission to empower startups, Block Dojo Philippines is currently recruiting for its third cohort. The application deadline is August 9. For more information and inquiries, visit blockdojo.io .
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