What’s next for QBO Innovation Hub in 2020

The local startup community capped off 2019 with a nationwide series of learning and networking events, Philippine Startup Week 2019. It was a first-of-its-kind undertaking that brought together thousands of startup enablers, evangelists, and enthusiasts, culminating in the signing of the Innovative Startup Act’s implementing rules and regulations.

For QBO Innovation Hub, PH Startup Week’s organizers, it was a six-week sprint from the moment they learned they would be spearheading the project to its opening ceremony.

This year, in addition to their existing core services of bootcamps, consultations, incubation, and community events (including Philippine StartUp Week 2019), QBO is unveiling a new slate of offerings to empower the local startup community.

Katrina Chan says 2020 inaugurates the “decade of Filipino startups”, which she believes will see the creation of millions of jobs, countless new platforms born and bred in the Philippines, and the creation of the country’s first unicorns.

“The goal is to grow the number of startups participating in the ecosystem, and to develop our startup companies to help them mature,” she said.

Here are some of the new projects, updates, and revamps Katrina announced during QBO’s year-started event held on Wednesday:

• an expanded national roadshow hitting new cities, with more startup competitions facilitated by both QBO and its partner incubators
• Crash Course, a program to develop and validate innovative ideas into full-fledged startups (with the goal of doubling the number of startups in the community)
  an incubation (styled INQBATION) program offering customized, high-touch support for startups–this year focusing on strategic partners with the goal of landing more exits from the community
• a regular investor newsletter with profiles of exciting startups to rally the local investor community in order to address investment support
• collaboration programs spanning deeper support for their network of incubators and corporate-startup engagement programs
• and a recently green-lit Philippine StartUp Week 2020 (Katrina says that while they pulled off last year’s iteration with only six years of planning, the full year’s notice is much appreciated).

“Through bayanihan and working together, we can create something super awesome,” Katrina said.

QBO began operations in April 2017 as the first stage-agnostic and multi-sectoral platform for Filipino startups. It is a public-private partnership supported by Ideaspace, the Department of Trade and Industry, and J.P. Morgan.