In 2023, Brainsparks continued on its mission of turning dreamers into founders. Brainsparks played an active role in empowering the local startup ecosystem here in the Philippines through various events and initiatives during the year. Here are some of the programs Brainsparks organized, to turn this mission into a reality:

‍

Incubator+: Brainsparks 20

‍

The Brainsparks20 Founders are always top of mind for the company and among this year’s initiatives was a program specifically geared toward providing more growth opportunities for them.

The Brainsparks20 Leadership Weekend was a whole-day workshop. The event  started with an interactive discussion which was led by the former President and CEO of Maybank Philippines and Management Consultant, Mr. Herminio M. Famatigan, Jr., who highlighted and spoke about the practices and actionable ideas for success. Aside from this, the workshop also included an outdoor team-building activity centered on honing problem-solving, collaboration, and leadership skills. In attendance were 12 Brainsparks20 Startup Founders and 23 of their team members who learned how to achieve the ultimate objective — how to get things done.

‍

Shell LiveWIRE

‍

The year 2023 marked the 4th year that the Philippines' Shell LiveWIRE program was run in collaboration with Team IGNITE (TechShake, Dentsu X, and Brainsparks). Shell LiveWIRE is the flagship enterprise development program of Shell, with the vision to strengthen local economies by promoting entrepreneurship, innovation, and meaningful employment. In its 4th- run, Brainsparks continued to facilitate the learning sessions and provided guidance and mentorship to participating Tech Startups and Community Enterprises. The 2023 cohort consisted of 5 Tech Startups and 6 Community Enterprises. 

‍

One of this year’s highlights is the program’s first face-to-face session since the pandemic. In conjunction with its startups’ monthly progress review, a workshop was held at the Shell Office in BGC last August 18, 2023. This was a new learning opportunity for the cohorts as they got to discuss ideas with one another outside of the online setting; and listen to Key Speakers covering different topics such as Business Funding and Alternative Financing; Sustainability and Social Impact; and Shell Value Chain Integration.

This year also had the first face-to-face Benchmarking Activity with SLW 2021 Alumnus and Winner – Agro-Digital PH at Muntinlupa last August 19, 2023. This presented another learning opportunity for the cohorts as they got to visit and know more about the operations and experiences of Agro-Digital working with their partner - Waltermart. 

‍

Brainsparks and Partner Events

Brainsparks also doubled its efforts and created a series of events that would enable the organization to generate value and a greater impact on the StartupPH community.

‍

The Founders Circle is a series of talks, forums, and panel discussions, open to the public, focused on imparting valuable knowledge to startup founders. Each session covered different topics ranging from the foundations of how to grow and scale business ventures; fundraising strategies; leveraging AI technology to maximize growth and efficiency; and employing data-driven strategies to better engage audiences.

‍

‍

Brainsparks was also the implementing partner of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups of the Republic of Korea for Ecothon Philippines 2023 last August 30, 2023, at the Makati Diamond Hotel. Ecothon is an intensive boot camp with a business model competition that seeks to foster eco-entrepreneurship and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by developing sustainable business models that minimize environmental impacts.

‍

Last year, Brainsparks also stayed true to one of its pillars - Community Building by fostering relationships with industry players through other engagements. 

‍

‍

Brainsparks participated in Echelon 2023 - one of the biggest international startup events last June 14-15, 2023 at the Singapore Expo. Echelon is an event that helps startups forge new business connections, unravel new business opportunities, and create a deal flow of new investments across Southeast Asia’s tech ecosystem. We supported the many startups from the country that attended, including our incubatees, Aqwire, Digiteer, and  Nextpay. 

‍

‍

Aside from that, Brainsparks, together with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation and WOWS Global, brought together early-stage startup founders and aspiring entrepreneurs and provided a platform for networking, knowledge sharing, and inspiration to elevate the startup ecosystem in the Philippines. The ABCs of Entrepreneurship, held last July 15, 2023, at The Astbury in Makati, was an event that featured a comprehensive talk on the A-Zs of fundraising, an insightful panel discussion with experienced investors, and an engaging pitching session. 

‍

Philippine Startup Week 2023

‍

To cap off the year, Brainsparks joined the Philippine Startup Week (PHSW) 2023 , the Philippines' largest startup activity that brings together various stakeholders last November 20-24. 

‍

As part of PHSW 2023’s Official Pre-Event, Brainsparks, in partnership with Help.NGO, Philippine Space Agency, and USAID Better Access and Connectivity (BEACON) held “Starlink Bridgtech: Solutions for Digital Inclusion” last November 18-19 2023, at the NOOK Coworking Studio, Alabang, Muntinlupa.

‍

Starlink BridgeTech was the first Starlink hackathon in the Philippines. Its objective was to bridge the digital divide in underserved communities by leveraging the cutting-edge technology of Starlink, the development expertise of USAID BEACON, and the Philippine Space Agency. The event was sponsored by Silicon Valley, IOne Resources Inc., Madservices, and Amdocs. 

‍

‍

Aside from that, Brainsparks also organized an AI marketing workshop titled - From Agency to Autonomy: Mastering AI-Driven Marketing Strategies. This workshop, led by 10XMe Academy, happened last November 22, 2023, at the Asian Institute of Management Conference Center, Makati City. 

‍

This workshop aimed to empower startup founders, marketers, marketing leaders, and other professionals with the knowledge and skills to maximize marketing output using AI. This also aimed to develop effective marketing strategies, execute scalable content strategies, and utilize existing tools for efficient content distribution and lead generation.

‍

Brainsparks still has a lot in store for the Philippine startup ecosystem this 2024. The company remains committed to continue to push forward to turn dreamers into founders and wishes everyone an exciting 2024 ahead. 

‍

Got an idea? Join and support us in our lifelong mission of turning dreamers into founders. For partnerships and collaborations, you may reach out to us via team@brainsparks.ph.