In a bid to propel the local startup ecosystem forward, the Philippines government has been pushing policies and reforms that makes doing business in the country a breeze. This has been majorly successful, signaled by the strong improvement in Manila's Ecosystem valued at USD 2.1 billion from USD 584 million. In a similar fashion, the total early-stage funding has increased significantly from USD 101 million the previous year to USD 292 million. Undoubtedly, the startup ecosystem in the Philippines has started taking off, and it has become more appealing for founders than ever. If you're into taking opportunities, you might find yourself in need of an incubator or accelerator services to get started in your startup journey in the Philippines.
With that said, in this article, we have compiled a comprehensive list of the Philippines' startup incubators and accelerators. They have been subdivided into applicability for startups in their 'ideation', 'launch', or 'growth' stages, so whichever stage you're in, you would be able to find a program that suits you!
➡️ Download the full list of Startup Accelerators and Incubators Worldwide!
Topics Covered:
What is the Difference Between a Startup Incubator and Accelerator?
Full List of Startup Accelerators and Incubators in the Philippines
Launch Stage Startup Incubators and Accelerators in the Philippines
Growth Stage Accelerators in the Philippines
Closing Thoughts on Joining a Startup Incubator or Accelerator in the Philippines
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A STARTUP INCUBATOR AND ACCELERATOR?
Before we get started, there are a few things you need to know about startup incubators and accelerators. Though they serve similar purposes, they have different traits that make them more suitable for one startup than another.
Incubators work the same way as the apparatus that care for and nurture babies. It provides a productive environment for young startups or founders to get their idea off the ground. As such, they are usually more flexible; the duration of which a startup can stay in an incubation program can last from months to years. The goal is to nurture the startup, spark innovation, and get them through the discovery phase. This involves mentorship and networking with the local community where incubatees can spend their time bouncing ideas off each other in a coworking environment, a common offering and a big part of the experience. However, they don't usually provide capital and tend to be a fee-based or non-profit business model. As such, it is more suitable for founders and startups who are still working on refining their ideas and business plan.
Unlike incubators, accelerators are usually held over a short and fixed period of time. The goal is to accelerate startups' growth through condensed learning sessions and intensive mentoring, typically done in a few weeks time. It is usually cohort-based, so you'll go through a stricter selection process and once accepted, you'll be working alongside other startups. The typical requirement is for your company to already have a team and have an MVP or early traction. Some accelerators also provide seed capital in exchange for equity and will help connect you with potential investors for follow-up rounds. This usually happens in a 'Demo Day' at the end of the program, an event where you can showcase and pitch your business to investors, venture capitalists, and other investment firms. As such, it is suitable for startups that already have a validated idea, are ready to scale, and require the guidance and funding to do so.
In the end, both accelerators and incubators provide a supportive environment for startups to flourish. Leveraging any would be beneficial for your startup, as you'll find yourself with the support, network, knowledge, and access to funding that may be hard to come by on your own. Now, there are also hybrid institutions that combine both accelerator and incubator features. So read on to find out more about each accelerator and incubator to find one that suits you best!
FULL LIST OF STARTUP INCUBATORS AND ACCELERATORS IN THE PHILIPPINES
Ideation Stage Startup Incubators in the Philippines
The complete list of ideation phase startup incubators in the Philippines:
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: 6 months
Space for Ingenious is a competition jointly held by KMC Solutions and Impact Hub Manila to fund and support impact-driven, innovative, and business-driven ideas or pre-launch startups. If you're selected, the incubator involves a blended virtual incubation and pre-accelerator impact masterclasses with coaching and mentorship to help you launch, grow, and scale your ideas into investment-ready businesses. Furthermore, you'll receive funding for initial business compliance requirements, legal, and fundamental operations for pilot implementation, as well one-year free coworking space and virtual address partnership.
The competition is open to teams of 2-5 members of legal age (21 and above), with at least 1 member of the team that has proven domain expertise, has relevant technology engineers that can transform solution ideas to prototype or alpha stage, and a business entity registered in the Philippines.
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder, Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: No
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: -
Impact Hub Manila is part of Impact Hub Global, the largest and most renowned global network of entrepreneurs in the world with over 16,000 members across 120+ countries. As an innovation hub, they provide shared workspaces, training programs, consulting services, event platform, and networking to a local as well as a global community of entrepreneurs.
In the Philippines, they set themselves up as an incubation hub focusing on purpose-driven entrepreneurs and ventures impacting the lives of Filipinos. Although you have to pay for a membership, you'll gain access to their large and wide global community, curated events, tailored business support, and learning sessions with distinguished mentors, investors and industry leaders to grow your knowledge and network.
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder, Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: No
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: -
Build by a team of mentors, founders, and investors, Brainsparks will help founders to build the foundation, mindset, and principles for sustainable growth. The incubator is designed to help you develop the skills and access resources to turn your idea into reality. They will provide 1-on-1 mentorship and workshops held by experts to guide you in various fields. You'll also get coaching from experienced and focused managers, specialists, and entrepreneurs to help you manage your business. Finally, you'll get assistance in key areas such as legal, finance, marketing, and talent acquisition. The incubator itself is based at Bitspace, a dynamic and fast-paced shared working environment, so you can work alongside and get involved with other brilliant and supportive minds in the community.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: -
TOMASInno Center is the official technology business incubator of the University of Santo Tomas, the oldest existing university in Asia. They provide customized incubation and mentoring programs for Thomasian students. The program covers the A to Z of startup-building, in the areas of branding and marketing, pitching, prototyping, business planning, and commercialization. As a TOMASInnovator, you'll enjoy a comfortable environment to work on your ideas and gain access to their network of students, researchers, academic staff, and alumni of the Thomasian community. Some of the companies they have incubated are AquaGenTech, Alitaptap, Go Pain Free, Crème Coffea, Mycoverse, and Robotractor.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: -
Animo Labs is a technology business incubator and Fab Lab of De La Salle University, designed to assist, coach, and train incubatees to commercialize research projects, inventions, and creative ideas. As part of their incubator, you'll receive coaching to build your work plan, business models, and prototypes, learn the tools and methodologies for business-building, assess your entrepreneurial and teamwork capabilities, find investors and funding, and perform client pilot testing.
Animo Labs will also connect you to technical consultants, partners, investment advisors, and a talent pool of students, faculty, researchers, experts and resources within the university. You'll be working in their coworking space with special lab facilities such as nanotech, 3D printer robotics, and 24x7 servers.
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder, Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: -
Encephalon is the technology business incubator of Holy Angel University, a facility for incubation and intellectual property generation of startups. The incubator provides a coworking space that promotes innovation and entrepreneurship and supports the commercialization of technology-based startups. They provide a range of services, resources, and facilities to support ventures at their development stage, such as innovation and technopreneurship consultation and mentoring, patent search using Derwent Innovation Software, and access to 3D printers and scanners for prototype parts and enclosures.
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: 3 months
Block Dojo is a UK-based Venture Builder that launched in the Philippines on October 2023 to support the growth of ideas to the MVP/clickable prototype stage with an edge in blockchain. In 2022, Block Dojo had 24% of all UK blockchain funding rounds (Beauhurst).
Block Dojo PH envisions a Philippines that can provide ASEAN and the rest of the world tech businesses that solve real-world problems. We support this through forming a unique network of support to mature founders with an accelerated innovation process, mentors and funding. Through countless guided iterations, founders get a sense of their unique strengths that allow them to drive businesses to success no matter what the situation.
Launch Stage Startup Incubators and Accelerators in the Philippines
The complete list of launch phase startup incubators and startup accelerators in the Philippines:
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Agriculture & Fisheries, Affordable Healthcare, Education & Employment, Climate Crisis
Duration: 18 - 36 months
Villgro Philippines is an early-stage incubator committed to supporting impactful enterprises that are transforming the lives of the poor and marginalized in the Philippines. They look for innovative solutions that address critical social and environmental issues in the focus sectors of agriculture, health, education, and climate crisis, although any ventures with other social initiatives are also welcome to join.
They provide customized support you need to scale your business - from strategic advisory, testing and validating business models, tailored funding, hands-on mentorship, networking, and investment-readiness programs. They will keep you inspired and guide you towards the right capital and market partners, help you navigate key challenges, and assist you in strategizing your next steps so you can scale your solutions.
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 14 weeks
StartUp Village is a one-stop incubator and accelerator services company that provides programs, training, and network to enable startups to bring their vision to life. Their program, The Gift, is a 14-week training program that will guide startups through the startup cycle - from self-mastery, situation mastery, to enterprise mastery. You will learn about yourself as a person, how to turn opportunities into ideas, and how to start and run your business until it is investment-ready. The goal is to get you to build a disruptive technology that can transform an industry or create a completely new one. The startups they have incubated are PearlPay, Freyo, and Wagtales.
Asian Institute Management - Dado Banatao Incubator
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 1 year
The Asian Institute of Management - Dado Banatao Incubator (AIM-DBI) provides acceleration and incubation programs for startups in the technology sector. Their 1-year startup incubation program for pre to early-stage startups was recognized as the best incubator startup program by the Department of Science and Technology and the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development in 2021.
The program will take startups through 10 development areas - branding, finance, legal, technology, management, data science, people, intellectual property, investment readiness, and sustainability.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 6 months
Cerebro Labs is a business incubator and accelerator for pre-seed and early-stage tech startups from within and outside of the Philippines. To join the accelerator, you'll first have to pass through their 6-week incubation program, where you'll learn how to create an innovative and disruptive value proposition and business model. Graduated startups can then join the accelerator, where you'll get access to seminars, workshops, mentoring, and events to help you launch your business and accelerate your business growth. At the end of the program, you'll have the opportunity to pitch your product or services to gain funding from real investors on a Demo Day. The top graduates in their portfolio are Admit, Container Living PH, and Omnibus.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: -
Not an accelerator or incubator per-se, Launch Garage is a tech innovation hub where founders, visionaries, changemakers, disruptors, and investors meet. Founded in 2012, it is a prime space that encourages collaboration to co-create and produce innovative solutions. It is the avenue where ideas, knowledge, support, and acceleration cross paths. With a large community of mentors and founders and an open collaboration spirit, this is also where local startups are born, and where global players can engage with the local ecosystem.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 2 months
Cognity Labs is a virtual accelerator program that connects local founders with experts from Silicon Valley. They run a virtual accelerator program for early-stage companies that are pre-seed and at post-MVP stage, and provide them with the best practices and resources from the global hub for technology and innovation. You'll receive guidance to get your startup through idea validation, to MVP, to launch. This includes learning about user research, product foundations, data, strategy, people, and fundraising. Although they don't provide funding, they'll introduce you to potential investors and match you with potential advisors. The program is free of charge, but they do require a 3% advisory share of startups.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 3 months
Google for Startups is a virtual accelerator program that is open to Seed to Series A startups that are using tech to solve Southeast Asia's biggest challenges. Held by Google, you'll gain assistance to solve specific technical issues using their valuable resources. You'll be paired with relevant experts from Google and receive the best network and technologies to solve any problems that your startup is facing. This includes access to Google's AI/ML, Android, Play, and Web experts and technologies. Startup alumni of their accelerators are Shoplinks, Riliv, Advance, Top CV, and Hactiv8.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Social Enterprise
Duration: -
Social enterprise x incubation = impact, that's the formula that xChange champions to bring about positive change in the Philippines. They run an incubator program for both for-profit and non-profit ventures with the mission to solve challenges and create value for marginalized communities in the Philippines. You'll get tailored mentorship and support through their expertise in enterprise management and finance so you can grow and scale sustainably. Some of the social enterprises they have incubated are Ashoka, Bogosphere, Evee, Ore, and Rags2Riches.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: 1 year
IdeaSpace Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering founders and accelerating startups using technology to solve emerging market issues. They offer various programs, including an accelerator to develop and scale early-stage tech startups. The accelerator program involves a pre-acceleration program where founders will go through mentoring and goal-setting to achieve critical milestones before entering the acceleration program.
On the accelerator, you'll go through more coaching to further strengthen and refine your business idea, product or service, financials, and team to build a sustainable business. To guide you through the process, you'll receive tailored 1:1 sessions with experts and join workshops about various business areas. You'll also receive funding and get introductions to their network of corporate partners, investors, and strategic partners, so you'll be ready to launch and grow at the end of the program.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: -
QBO Innovation Hub is a sector agnostic, multi-stage startup platform that provides the connection, resources, skills, and assistance to help Filipino startups grow. Selected startups can join their incubation program where you'll learn from a series of workshops and lectures conducted by experts in various business areas. You'll also receive training and customized mentorship to make sure your business takes off successfully.
Aside from incubation, they also offer a range of programs and services such as business introduction classes, networking events, consultation services, specialized workshops, and feedback and mentorship sessions. You can also get matched with an investor or join investor pitch sessions where you can showcase your business to angel investors, venture capitalists, and corporations to get funding or strategic partnership. To gain access to these programs, you can join their QMMUNITY as a startup for free.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Duration: -
BEECALL stands for Bicol Entrepreneurship and Empowerment Center for Accelerating Local Livelihood. They are a technology business incubator that provides mentorship and support services for Bicolano entrepreneurs and startups. Partnered with the Asian Institute of Management - Dado Banatao Incubator (AIM-DBI), their incubation program will prepare and accelerate the development of early-stage startups through mentoring and learning sessions in core business areas. They also offer physical facilities such as coworking spaces, innovation labs, meeting rooms, and other event spaces for your startup needs.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Urban Technology
Duration: -
UPSCALE Innovation Hub is a startup learning environment launched by the University of the Philippines in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD). They offer 3 different programs to progress startups, which are: 1) UP Enterprise, an accelerator program for pre-revenue tech startups, 2) Ignite Innovation Labs, a product development program for industry collaborations, and 3) EntreLEAD, a program to help tech startups gain traction and scale through initial investment. They have incubated plenty of startups, such as ItemHound, MyRemitHub, Plato, Farm Watch, One Watt, and more.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Urban Technology
Duration: 4 months
If you're an urban entrepreneur solving challenges in your city, this is the program for you. Urban Accelerator by Utopia aims to help founders build a sustainable and ethical urban startup that can make life better for many. Following their framework, you'll identify the problem, the brand, the solution, the business model, the market, and the people facing your business. As such, at the end of the program, you should have a solid foundation in all areas of your business and gain a better fundraising position.
Outside the framework, they'll also work with you and your team to address the top 3 priorities of your startup, so you can get tailored support for your needs. You'll also get connected to their local and global network of accelerators and potential investors. To join the program, your startup needs to have at least a prototype and revenue.
Who is it for: Early stage startup
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Industry Agnostic
Founder's Launchpad is an industry-agnostic accelerator for early-stage tech startups, offering funding, resources, and expert guidance to help high-potential businesses launch and scale. Based in Metro Manila, Founder's Launchpad provides co-living and co-working spaces during the program, creating a collaborative environment that brings together startups from across the Philippines for shared growth and innovation.
Growth Stage Accelerators in the Philippines
The complete list of growth stage accelerators in the Philippines:
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Rolling Sectors
Duration: 6-12 months
The Villgro Innovation Accelerator program is designed to fast-track your business to scale. It is aimed at businesses that have been operational for two years at minimum, have validated their business model, and have an early customer base. The program will focus on building your go-to-market strategy and investment readiness, so you will gain a good understanding of financial management, financial models and forecasting, compliance checks, governance practice, cash flow and investment needs.
The accelerator will involve people from specific sub-sector or themes to assist you within various focus areas and connect you with relevant key market partners. After graduating from the program, they will also assist you in securing follow-on funding from their capital partners.
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder, Early startup with a team, Mature startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Duration: 4 months
Founder Institute is a startup platform that runs global accelerator programs for startups at various stages. Starting from FI Core, founders at the idea and pre-seed stages will receive real-world business-building training tailored to your business needs. Depending if your company just have an idea, is testing a prototype/MVP, or has real customers with some revenue, your startup can go into the 'Launch' or 'Growth' track.
The 'Launch' track will focus more on idea validation, team building, and go-to-market strategy, where you can expect to gain a fully validated business idea, refined product, and a solid team to progress forward. Meanwhile, on the 'Growth track', you will focus on getting initial traction and preparing for funding, so you can expect to accomplish significant KPI growth, a fully-validated product, a team roadmap, and a pitch deck that is ready to be showcased to investors.
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Social Enterprise
Duration: 6 months
For startups that are advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the Philippines, the Social Impact Accelerator is the program specifically designed to build their capacity and grow social enterprises. The program involves mentoring, masterclasses, and workshops by industry experts to help you refine your business models, implement growth strategies, and prepare for investments. You'll also receive impact and smart-gender training so you can measure and deepen your impact, and technical assistance to strengthen your business foundations. At the end of the program, selected founders will also have the opportunity to be awarded a contract of up to PHP 140,000 and access follow-on funding.
Closing Thoughts on Joining a Startup Accelerator or Incubator in the Philippines
With the numerous amount of startups popping up in the Philippines, it's no guarantee that they can survive. After all, it's not just about starting up, but maintaining and growing a sustainable business. Hence, it is all the more crucial for founders or startups to engage in an incubator or accelerator. In this article, we have introduced you to 22 startup incubators and accelerators available in the Philippines. They will help you round out your ideas and make sure that they can turn into viable and lasting ventures. So, get your laptop open and start typing out your applications, it's time for your startup to progress forward!
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