The Department of Science and Technology-Information and Communications

Technology Office (DOST-ICT Office) and the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA)
launched the first ever Philippine Startup Challenge (PSC) to promote ITpreneurship in the
country.
Philippine Startup Challenge, a nationwide startup competition catered towards college
students, aims to inspire the youth to jumpstart innovative technology ideas that can address
relevant issues in the society today. The competition also aims to promote the spirit of
entrepreneurship among students.
Preceding the launch of the national competition, DOST-ICT Office and PSIA also
conducted a series of startup bootcamps among IT and computer sciences teachers to equip them
with the basic methods and principles of building a startup.
Bootcamps were held last July in key regional locations throughout the country including
Cebu, Legazpi, Davao, Baguio, and Metro Manila. Faculty participants of the bootcamps in these
cities were encouraged to mentor students who are interested in joining PSC.
Teams composing of four (4) members (3 students and 1 faculty adviser) are invited to
join the competition with their software or internet-based entries until September 5. To be
eligible for application, the faculty adviser of the team must have attended at least one (1)
preparatory bootcamp conducted in their city.
The entries will go through two phases of selection process. Top 20 teams from the
overall number of entries will receive coaching sessions and will be given a chance to pitch their
startup ideas to a panel of respected judges from the startup incubator, accelerator, and
investment sector.
Winning teams will be chosen at the end of the year and they will have the chance to
receive mentoring and guidance from experts in the technology startup community.
The startup challenge was also conceptualized as a way to tap the potential of the
Philippines to be a startup hub as the fastest growing economy in Asia.

According to Monchito Ibrahim of the DOST-ICT Office Majority of local software

startups are born during their early years in college and continue to grow right after graduation
The same trend goes for all startups all over the word wherein most entrepreneurs of this
generation started at a relatively young age. We and PSIA conceptualized the PSC with the
objective of encouraging our students to come up with innovative startup ideas as early as
possible.
PSIA President Joey Gurango mentioned that The PSC is part of our objective to
develop at least fifty (50) startup companies by the end of 2014 and develop ten (10) globally
recognized startups earning a total of one (1) million US Dollars in revenue by 2016.
PSC is made possible with the support of the Philippine Society of IT Educators (PSITE)
and the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines (NICP) and with the collaboration of
IBM, Ideaspace Foundation Inc., Microsoft and the Vibal Group

PamantasanngLungsodngMaynila
University of the City of Manila
Gen. Luna, Intramuros, Manila
College of Engineering and Technology
Computer Engineering Department
BS CpE 4 / 1st Semester
S.Y. 2015 2016

Software Engineering
CpE413-1

DOST Competition (Philippine Start-up

Challenge)

Meneses, Joshua Rhys E.

BS CpE 4
201210443
Engr. Norman Delos Reyes