Are you a technopreneur who wants to gain direct access to mentors, potential partners, clients, and investors ?
If yes, you’re the one we’re looking to participate in our mentorship course.
In 2018, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) launched the Startup Island mentoring program in Cebu to help local tech startups grow.
The program was created to give startups the opportunity to scale up their businesses through learning and exchanging ideas with mentors and successful businessmen in the country.
It provides mentees access to market their products to large enterprises and venture capitalists and cultivate a future that benefits the entire local startup ecosystem.
The startup mentoring program targets mainly maturing tech startups with the potential to penetrate the mainstream market. It focuses on startups with specific problems in their businesses and help them address these.
Startup Island PH ultimate aim is to empower, equip, connect and support startups through its three main programs: Mentoring & Matching Sessions, and Community Mixers.
Startupisland.PH Mentoring Program is a course initiated by the DTI in partnership with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and The Company Cebu with the local startup communities.
“There is definitely a need to help local startups in Cebu considering that it’s lagging behind other cities and Asian countries in terms of startup growth,” DTI regional director Maria Elena Arbon said.
For the part of the Department of Information and Communication Technology, it will continue to support startups as it aims to realize an innovation-driven economy.
Aside from providing flexible, startup-friendly workspaces and a thriving community for its members, The Company also aims to empower and help startups develop their businesses and partner with potential investors. Since its inception in Japan, The Company has always supported, partnered with and launched various startup programs in each of its co-working space and shared office facilities.
“DTI learned from its Kapatid Mentor Me (KMME) program how important mentorship is, but the needs of startups are not the same as those of MSMEs,” Arbon pointed out.
She said the startup mentoring program would help around 9-15 tech startup companies over the course of a few weeks.
Furthermore, the DTI also wants to nurture and cultivate future mentors that will benefit the entire startup ecosystem as a whole, Arbon added.
“Not only will the program address the mentorship needs of startups, but will also fill the gap between startups and brick-and-mortar or traditional businesses,” Arbon underscored.
“We want to link them with brick-and-mortar businesses because everything is connected,” she said.
The Start-up Island PH is free of charge. Mentees are not required to pay a fee to attend any part of the mentorship.
Through the startup accelerator program, Startup Island PH can increase support for tech startups and give them direct access to mentors, potential partners, clients, and investors.
The first batch of mentees went through the program in 2018 and the second one in 2019 at The Company IT Park. The third, a virtual seminar, was conducted in 2020.
On September 22 this year, the DTI, DICT and The Company Cebu will be launching the next virtual mentorship program that will cover 9 modules, exclusive of fireside chats, and a demo day. During the launch, coordinators will be discussing all the information related to the program and will be announcing the names of the mentors and the application process for mentees.
Those interested in joining the Startup Island PH Virtual Mentorship Program may click on the following link to register : bit.ly/SIPH4th
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