Startups invited to take a pitch at E-Services Philippines 2010

Plug and Play Tech Center will have a “Startups Take a Pitch” session at E-Services Philippines 2010 this February 9, 2010 from 9 am to 3:30 pm.

According to Jojo Flores of Plug and Play Tech Center, "Essentially, we are calling on Filipino start up companies involved in technology, including consumer web, internet, mobile, wireless, social media, gaming, software, hardware, clean and biotech. We prefer that the company has an authentic and owned IP with at least 2 founders who aim to solve a real and urgent problem. Finally, we prefer that the company already has an existing product (post idea), and if it’s already launched, with market traction and revenue. The startup must be looking for funding and/or globalization."

Here's more info:

WHEN: The competition date will be on February 9, 2010, Tuesday, 9am to 3:30pm.

WHERE: SMX Convention Center, Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines.

HOW: To join, simply email Plug and Play Tech Center at jojo@plugandplaytechcenter.com for details and instructions. Deadline of submission of company executive summaries is on January 29, 2010, 5pm PST.

CONTEST:

• A short-list of 30 contestants will be chosen to present to a panel of international investors (venture capitalists and angel investors).
• Each company will do an “elevator pitch” of 4 minutes each.
• At the end of the competition, 3 winners will be chosen.

PRIZE:

• Plug and Play Tech Center will help the winners in Silicon Valley on a 3-month VC fund raising mission.
• Each startup will be presented to 10 top-tier VCs.
• Each startup will receive mentorship from Plug and Play’s pool of Business Relationship Managers and Executives in Residence.
• The startups will participate and be featured at Plug and Play’s PACT and/or EXPO events, which are bi-annual international startup competitions held at Plug and Play.
• The startups will have a chance to participate in one of Plug and Play’s Entrepreneurship University sessions.

Good luck to all participants!

Nominations open for e-Services Awards 2010

ICT/BPO Awards to highlight emerging innovations as global economy recovers

As the global economy recovers, the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) is launching e-Services Awards 2010 to highlight ICT creativity and innovation towards developing “best-of-breed” technologies and solutions.

Now on its 10th year, the e-Services Awards continues to become a “stamp of excellence in the Philippine ICT/BPO community.” Past awardees include People Support, PLDT, Globe Telecom, Pointwest Technologies, and TransProcure to name a few. The award is a component of the annual e-Services Global Sourcing Conference and Exhibition, a government led trade platform for ICT and BPO scheduled on February 8-9, 2010 at the SMX Convention Center.

e-Services Awards is open to all Philippine-based IT companies who have successfully developed and marketed new products and services in the Philippines and other foreign countries, as well as individuals with essential achievements and contribution in the field of IT-enabled services.

e-Services Awards also aim to encourage more ICT/BPO SMEs in developing creative content for the international market. The recent Creative Economy Report released by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 2005 cited the Philippine creative industries contributing some 4.92 % to the gross domestic product and accounting for 11.10 percent of the country’s labor force for the same period.

For 2010, nominations are now open in the following categories: Outstanding Client Application of the Year, Outstanding Consumer Application of the Year, Groundbreaking Technology of the Year, and the Most Progressive Homegrown Company of the Year.

“Through the award, our clients usually become more receptive and try out the product giving us 90% probability to close the sale,” said Roberto Suson, CEO of NEXT IX Inc., which bagged the Outstanding Consumer Application of the Year for the INF Dictation Capturing System. He also added that the award gave their product and company better credibility when marketing in the local and international market.

Likewise, Winston Damarillo, EXIST CEO, also said, “We are honored for the e-Services award which is a testament of seven years of our company’s hard work and consistent innovation. There is no better time to really become innovative than during these trying times. We are sure that with the recognition, EXIST will continue with its progressive ways and will do our part to help in the progress of e-Services in the country.” EXIST, awarded as the Most Progressive Company for Software Development, is a software engineering firm that designs, develops, and delivers high-class products and interactive web applications for some of the world’s successful businesses, including a member in the prestigious Fortune 500 companies.

The past e-Services Awards likewise featured international personalities in the ICT scene including David Barett, chairman of the European Advisory Board and International Association of Outsourcing Professionals as well as Nora Terrado, country manager of Headstrong.

Deadline of submission of entries for the e-Services Awards is on January 18, 2010 and winners for each award will be presented during the Awards Night of the 10th e-Services expo on February 8, 2010.

For more information on e-Services Awards, contact the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) e-Services Project Management Team at tel. nos. (632) 832-5044/ 831-2201 locals 212/251/278/301, or e-mail itservices@citem.com.ph.

• Mechanics of participation
• 2008 winners