With the Philippines having so much potential in the tech industry, it’s no wonder that Google Philippines is so committed in supporting Filipino developers. In fact, the Philippine online market is predicted to rise every single year. Also, in 10 years, the online economy will soon reach $10 billion, according to Ken Lingan, country manager of Google Philippines. This is why the company believes that that Philippine developers are the main driving force to how the internet in the region is shaped.
“Our intention is to create a space for the future and innovation,” said Lingan. “Developers in the Philippines are in the forefront of innovation.”
With this in mind, Google has taken initiatives to help Filipino developers reach their full potential and inspire the future generation of coders. Part of this effort involves a mentorship trip to the Silicon Valley, California.
Source: Entrepreneur PH
Launchpad Accelerator
The program, called the “Launchpad Accelerator” is focused on helping tech startups build successful companies. Participants will receive $50,000 of equity-free investment, credits for Google products, support, and the chance to get to work closely with Google for 6 months.
The first Filipino startup to join the program was ZipMatch, an online real estate marketplace. They took part in the program’s 3rd class in 2016, along with other startups from Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Thailand and Vietnam.
All 30 of these startups had to attend a 2-week training program at Google’s dedicated Launchpad Space in San Francisco, California. The three members of ZipMatch also had the privilege of going to an all-expense paid trip to Silicon Valley, along with a 1:1 mentorship from a network of over 300 employees from Google.
Chor Paredes, co-founder and CRO of ZipMatch said it was an interesting and refreshing experience that allowed them to “take a look at their business as a whole.” “The program is not just about the technical side of the business but it also talks about the challenges of being an entrepreneur,” she said.
John Dang, co-founder and CEO of ZipMatch added that he appreciated the sense of community and openness of the mentors and his fellow startups. “When you hear good advice, you know,” he said.
Source: Entrepreneur PH
Future Plans
The Launchpad Accelerator program is always on the hunt for any interesting and promising Filipino tech startups with great potential and already have a product to join their classes and mentorship. Sami Kazilbash, Developer Relations Program Manager for Southeast Asia at Google, talks about their future plan to expand to more countries. “We are focused on startups who have gone to a certain point in their local ecosystem. Those who have shaken the foundation of the ecosystem,” he said.
Any interested startup should fill out an application form to be evaluated by Google. Finalists will then take part in a video conference or a face-to-face interview with a Google team member. Once accepted, the Launchpad Accelerator team will them perform an intensive evaluation and analysis of the startup, and then a 2-week visit to the Google Headquarters in Silicon Valley. Finally, the startups will then undergo mentorship and will join a series of regional events which then lead up to their graduation.
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