PH Digicon 2023: VISION Spotlights Start-ups During the PLDT and Smart Start-Up Innovation Challenge

PLDT Enterprise successfully staged the Philippine Digital Convention 2023 (PH Digicon 2023), with the theme “VISION: Reimagine Tomorrow’s Enterprise,” further empowering the future of digital leadership.

Held at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay City, PH Digicon 2023 was a rousing success which saw over 5,500 physical delegates from various companies and organizations as the corporate business arm of PLDT, the country’s largest integrated telco and digital services provider invited global industry mavens, thought leaders, and pioneers in technology during the two-day digital convention.

Its theme “VISION: Reimagine Tomorrow’s Enterprise” reflects the goal to empower tomorrow’s tech titans and enterprises, ignite future-forward thinking, explore cutting-edge technologies, inspire leader, business owners, and start-ups, to drive success in the evolving business landscape.

One of its main highlights was the PLDT and Smart Start-up Innovation Challenge, in partnership with QBO and IdeaSpace, which served as a special venue for start-ups to showcase their innovative ventures during the digital summit’s second day.

The final pitching and demo day gathered the top 10 finalists to compete in being the next technological breakthrough, addressing real-life challenges using technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), 5G, Smart Cities, Immersive Technologies, and Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG).

Delegates were able to witness the brilliance of start-ups as they pitched their groundbreaking solutions and ideas, showcasing their creativity and game-changing solutions. It further cements the PLDT Group’s support for the thriving start-up community, with PH Digicon 2023 proving to be a premiere hub for innovation, digital transformation, and technology advancements in the Philippines.

The judging panel included technology experts and industry thought leaders including Melvin Jeffrey Chan, Vice President and Head of PLDT Enterprise Innovations, Business Development, Consulting, and Presales; Anna Karina Rodriguez, Vice President of PLDT Horizon Planning & Integration; Katrina Rausa Chan, Executive Director of QBO and IdeaSpace; Charisse Ann Pau, Director, Regional Sales, Service Provider of Cisco Philippines; Carlos Reyes, Country Head of Nokia Philippines; and Arnie Alvarez, CTO and IT Director, Enterprise Business Group, of Huawei Philippines.

“At PLDT Enterprise, we embrace an open innovation strategy because, individually, we face limitations, but together, the potential becomes limitless. That’s why we’re thrilled to host the PLDT and Smart Start-Up Innovation Challenge once more this year. It’s an opportunity to collaborate with fellow innovators to co-create, co-innovate, and collaborate in our vibrant start-up community, seeking the next brilliant ideas that can address social, environmental, commercial, or technological challenge,” said Melvin Jeffrey Chan, Vice President and Head of Innovations, Business Development, Consulting, and Presales, PLDT Enterprise, during the Finals of the Start-Up Innovation Challenge.

“All of these start-ups possess immense potential to elevate our collective vision for the country, pushing technology and innovation forward in the Philippines, as we anticipate, with high hopes, their continued growth, development, and progress,” shared Katrina Rausa Chan, Executive Director of IdeaSpace and QBO, one of the Philippines’ leading start-up accelerators and early-stage investors. “We are always eager to support PLDT and Smart in this Innovation Challenge and collaborate with them in paving the way for exciting, new opportunities for our local start-ups, tech visionaries, and leaders. This event continues to be a model for how promising Filipino start-ups can connect with our country’s leading enterprises,” she added.

Awarded as the Grand Champion taking home PHP 250,000 in cash and 250,000 in Google Credits was Xeleqt AI from Cebu, with their winning project that aims to help businesses collect and organize data from remote worksites and mobile workspaces using a new breed of 4G/5G-enabled AI devices that reduce H.R., I.T., and Finance data management workloads by 90%.

The company’s mission is to make it safe, simple, and economical for businesses to provision and operate A.I.-enabled connected devices to track and augment the productivity of the distributed workforce. At the same time, they want to help businesses acquire real-time insights about their daily operations so that they can make better decisions on how to optimize the use of these assets, reduce risk, monetize idling capacity, minimize the hazards to essential workers, and increase revenue.

Its vision is to be the global leader in providing ambient intelligence in physical workspaces using connected devices that recognize and respond to human presence and input.

First Runner-Up was the Metro Manila-based start-up Mylo Speech Buddy, who was awarded PHP 200,000 in cash and 150,000 in Google Credits. Their winning entry into the challenge was an innovative subscription-based Speech Development System designed to support kids with speech delays and children on the Autism Spectrum. It seeks to address the lack of access to speech therapists for kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and delayed speech. The team is comprised of parents who have personal experience raising children with ASD coupled with extensive expertise in content development for preschool and special education.

Another Manila-based start-up, VISON Technologies Corporation, snatched the second runner-up, taking home PHP 150,000 in cash and 100,000 in Google Credits. They are a university-spawned start-up of computer scientists and researchers focused on developing vision-based solutions to boost data-driven decision-making across industries. Their flagship technology, TITAN, has been used to process video footage and automate the counting, classifying, and analyzing of car movements on one major highway in Singapore, which facilitated a study to install wind turbines to harness renewable energy. VISON Tech is dedicated to co-creating innovative solutions and nurturing impactful partnerships with their partners and clients by assessing the complexity of their problems to recommend appropriate AI models to meet their needs.

With the success of this year’s PLDT and Smart Start-up Innovation Challenge, powered by Amdocs, Cisco, Huawei Technologies Phils. Inc., Nokia, Google Cloud, Samsung, ZTE Corporation, Digital In-building Systems Inc., and Kital Philippines Corporation, at PH Digicon 2023, plans for future annual editions were announced during the awarding, with a commitment to fully supporting and boosting the business of Philippines start-ups for years to come.

PH Digicon 2023: VISION is powered by Amdocs, Cisco, Huawei Technologies Phils. Inc., Nokia, Google Cloud, Samsung, ZTE Corporation, Avolution Inc., Fortinet, Soprano Design, CSG, Dell Technologies Philippines, Ericsson Telecommunications, Inc., and Maya Philippines, Inc.