IdeaSpace Philippines Gives Wings to Big Startup Ideas, Helps Pinoy Technopreneurs Soar!

TechPinas Founder Notes # 8 : "Of Big Ideas"

Whenever people would ask me why I named TechPinas as such, I'd always tell them it's because:

1. I love Technology and more importantly,
2. I love the Philippines.

I love the Philippines not only because I was born here or that my skin is brown (because really, those are the last things that would make one a Filipino) but because I know for sure that my country is a great nation with a heroic past and a bright future. Also, as the stunning story of the Department of Science and Technology Merit Scholar Miguel Arnold Reyes - whose name will forever be among the stars - would tell us, Filipinos can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world - in whatever field - and shine. Clearly, despite our current struggles, there's just so much talent and greatness in our country waiting to be tapped and brought to the pedestal.

This is exactly why projects like IdeaSpace are particularly close to my heart.

A brainchild of Mr. Manny V. Pangilinan, Chairman of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), Maynilad Water Services, Inc., Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, Landco Pacific Corporation, Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, Medical Doctors, Inc., Pilipino Telephone Corporation, Smart Communications, Inc. and Manila Metro Rail Transit System, and a fellow Atenean, IdeaSpace aims to help budding yet excellent Pinoy technology entrepreneurs develop groundbreaking solutions and transform these into successful commercial products not only by providing network and funding but also by making the expertise and experience of its board members more accessible to winning projects.

Me and Mr. MVP

Last week, the powerhouse team behind IdeaSpace invited TechPinas, and other bloggers and members of the Cyberpress to a media briefing about the program.

Watch Mr. Earl Valencia, Smart Communications' Strategic Business Development Head, and Mr. Marthyn Cuan, Meralco's Chief Information Officer, share their thoughts on what IdeaSpace is all about;



"This [...] national competition levels the playing field because you don't need to have a rich uncle to back you up. You don't need to have a connection; It's really based on your intellectual property; Based on your idea and [...] on your capability to execute that idea," shares Mr. Valencia.

And that's really what it's about. If you are as Filipino - regardless of whether you're still a college student or already an experienced venture capitalist - and you have big, unique ideas employing technology that can help an industry or sector in the Philippine society - be it telco, agriculture, manufacturing, media, academe, digital space, law enforcement, electronics, health care, name it - while also having the potential of being a lucrative business venture, then ask yourself;

Then, carefully draft your proposal and submit it to the committee come May 2012.

Considering the caliber of people behind this program and the fact that there are already a lot of incredibly smart, talented and driven Filipinos out there who already have those big ideas and are just waiting for a big break, I know for sure that IdeaSpace will be able to come up with big projects that will have the world saying "Wow!"

That'd be great, right? Personally though, I just hope that whatever those winning projects will be, aside from eventually becoming successful business ventures, that they may actually be of service to fellow Filipinos and reinforce the greatness of this nation.