The Philippines now has its own ‘Silicon Valley’
Starting any venture has always been a struggle. Ideas are as hard to come by as there are people willing to invest once you do have an idea. All these can now become a thing of the past with the recent launch of the country’s “mini Silicon Valley” in Makati City.
THE START OF INNOVATION. QBO looks to give Filipinos its own start-up community./IMAGE QBO Philippines on Facebook
QBO (pronounced “kubo”) Innovation Hub opened its doors last April 4, 2017 and is the Philippines’ own version of United States’ Silicon Valley, Singapore’s Blk71, and Malaysia’s MaGIC. It’s located at the DTI International Building in Makati City, right where the old DTI library used to be.
QBO opens its doors. QBO president Rene “Butch” Meily (fourth from left) is joined by his partners from DTI, DOST, and J.P. Morgan. /IMAGE QBO Philippines on Facebook
It acts as THE place for start-ups to speed up their growth by having access to the resources of the four public and private entities that came up with the idea: DTI, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation, and IdeaSpace Foundation, the brains behind QBO.
Launched in August 2016, QBO acts as a bridge between innovators, explorers, investors, academic institutions, mentors, funders, enablers, and a broad spectrum of both public and private partners and stakeholders.
KNOW MORE ABOUT QBO. Here’s a video that explains what QBO is all about.
“Our mission is to make the Philippines the startup destination for foreign and local funders,” said IdeaSpace president Rene “Butch” Meily in a speech during QBO’s launch last April 4. The dream, for Meily, is to turn start-ups into sustainable companies “enough to have an IPO (Initial Public Offering) with the Philippine Stock Exchange.”
YOUR QBO TEAM. Lead by Butch Meily, QBO will give you all the tools you need to get your start-up off the ground. /IMAGE QBO Philippines on Facebook
“We hope to create success stories and prosperities among startups, as well as contribute to trends, opportunities, and jobs, to show people that they do not have to go abroad to work for a job they love to do well,” he added.
QBO, while it will initially start with helping out technopreneurs, hopes to branch out to other sectors. Tech startups, however, aren’t necessarily bad, as they are often the fastest to grow thanks to how much technology has penetrated the lives of Filipinos and the world in general.
If you’d like to know more about QBO, you can visit their office at the DTI International Bldg., 375 Senator Gil J. Puyat Ave., Makati City. You can also call them up at 02-890-4660, send them an email at hello@qbo.com.ph, or visit www.qbo.com.ph.
Source: Philstar.com, Department of Trade and Industry, QBO Philippines Facebook page
