Block Dojo, a leading global venture builder from the UK, marked its first anniversary in the Philippines by highlighting six innovative startups, which includes Park King, during their Demo Day event on August 1 at the Asian Institute of Management.
CinemaBravo, along with other invited media outlets, got to interview Toffer Briones, managing director of Block Dojo Philippines, to know more about this initiative. Watch the video below.
Since its launch in the Philippines in August 2023, Block Dojo has been dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship by offering a comprehensive 12-week incubation program that equips startups with crucial business skills.
Program Overview
The program centered on three key pillars:
- Customary Curriculum – covering fundamental business topics ranging from finance, legal, marketing, and operations.
- Bespoke Facet – allowing founders to discover how much further they can take their idea forward.
- Community-Centric Approach – emphasizing the collective effort needed to quickly raise a startup. “As a collective, we recognize that it takes a village to raise a startup in a short span of time,” the company explained.
“This is a celebration not just for the company but also celebrates how far we have come as a startup ecosystem in the Philippines. We wanted each of the startups to showcase their companies, which aim to solve fundamental problems that Filipinos face every day,” said Toffer Briones, Managing Director of Block Dojo Philippines.
Notable Attendees and Keynote
The event drew notable government representatives, including General Manager Antonilo Mauricio of the National Development Company, who delivered an inspiring keynote address.
Park King’s Jynon Mapa shared with the invited media outlets that his personal experience during the Coldplay concert in the Philippines sparked the idea of their startup. Watch the video here.
Featured Startups
The six featured startups, each with a unique and impactful vision, included:
- 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. It is 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.
Panel Discussion
Panelists included regional industry leaders: Jerahmeel Chen, Chief Innovation Officer of 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 the Mission
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.
About Block Dojo
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 at the end. The Block Dojo team and mentors will be available throughout the program to provide training, network support, and structure.
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