Davao to benefit from ON3 pitching winners

Wit Holganza, president of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Davao, said Wednesday that in the long run, Davao City would benefit from the winners of the ON3 pitching competition even if their products and/or services could be commercialized abroad by prospective investors.
The 2012 ON3 Pitching Competition, which will be held April 13, 14 and 15 at Martha’s Place, Brokenshire College, Madapo Hills, Davao City, is accepting newbie companies inclined to technology, especially the consumer web, internet, mobile phone, wireless connectivity, social media, gaming software, clean and biotech.
After its successful launching of the ON3 2011 Program in Mindanao, ON3 is dedicated to discovering, mobilizing and forming a healthy entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Philippines to foster the development and growth of global companies.
“Davao City will become popular as a pool of talents. When Davao City enjoys a good reputation for being a source of talents, investors will start flocking here. And that they will look at the possible commercialization of any new ideas and any new technology not just in other parts of the world but also here,” she said.
Learning from the experience last year, Holganza said, this year’s competition will have a representative from  the Intellectual Property Office to ensure that innovators have registered their intellectual property (IP).
Out of 11 entries in Mindanao’s competition last year, three backed out for not having IPs, afraid that their ideas would be pirated.
Thus, interested participants in the competition who do not own IPs have nothing to worry about because there will be free IP registration at the event proper.
“What we’re looking for is to build a vibrant ICT industry, and a culture of innovation,” said Sam Matunog of ICT Davao and president of the Davao Software Group.
He added that successful stories of innovators and entrepreneurs will help encourage young people and investors to invest in innovative projects and businesses.
Two winners out of the five entries from Davao City in the nationwide final round of the 2011 ON3 Pitching Competition, the Piclyf and Rad Solutions are on their way to Silicon Valley in California.
The two startup companies will undergo three-month training with Silicon Valley, which is the capital of venture capitalists in the world, where at least 300 capitalists look at possible investments every year.
“Many of our investors are looking for innovative businesses actually. But, since they do not know what it’s all about, they’re afraid that they may lose their shirt in this project. We hope that through these activities they will be educated, have an occasion to bring together, and they will see how it works in the Silicon Valley,” Matunog said.
He also hopes that success stories like that of Eric Su, creator of Piclyf, a social networking using photos to describe life moments, will be the one to help us promote the activities here.
“Meron na kasi tayong trainings for students, entrepreneurs, and outsourcing investors, ang kulang na lang natin ay capital,” he said.
Representatives of the Silicon Valley will come during the competition in Davao City to help look at the new ideas of shortlisted contestants, and to mentor them to be able to qualify in the countrywide finals in July.
Usually, three to four winners from each of the four elimination legs: Cebu in Visayas, Davao City in Mindanao, and two legs in Luzon, will be taken to the national finals. [Lorie A. Cascaro]

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