CCCI to help startups gain access to market

• Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/business/2017/11/24/ccci-help-startups-gain-access-market-576554
• Saturday, November 25, 2017

By Jeandie O. Galolo

WITH the launch of the newest mentorship program for tech-based startups, the local business community has pledged to help technopreneurs gain market access.

In a press conference yesterday for Startup Island PH at the Golden Prince Hotel in Cebu City, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Melanie Ng said that the 800-member chamber, largely composed of the brick-and-mortar businesses, will help link the local tech-based startups to the market.

“For a business to grow, there has to be a need so that the particular business will grow,” Ng said. “Our role here is to provide access to market and connect them to the right market and the right business opportunities,” she continued.

Through the Startup Island PH mentoring program, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), CCCI, and Vince Loremia of Kallfly and Jann Hiolen of Sellax, will select 15 startups to undergo 10 weeks of mentorship starting February.

The first of its kind, the mentorship program aims to give startups the opportunity to scale up their businesses through learning and exchanging of ideas with mentors and successful business owners around the country, provide access to market to large enterprises and venture capitalists, and nurture and cultivate future mentors that will benefit the entire ecosystem.

Hiolen said the program is mainly targeted to maturing startups with the potential to penetrate the mainstream market. Major criteria include at least 10,000 unique users for B2C (business-to-consumer) startups and at least P100,000 in revenue since the establishment of the B2B (business-to-business) startup.

Unlike the traditional mentorship programs, Loremia said mentors cannot give advice. Rather, they can only ask questions and let startups think for themselves.

Possible mentors are Jojo Flores of Silicon Valley-based Plug N’ Play, Nix Nolledo of Xurpas, Carlo Calimon of Startup Village, and Manny Ayala of Endeavour Philippines.

Meanwhile, potential mentors from Cebu are Eddie Ybañez of MiCab, Dave Overton of Symph, and Wesley Chionbian of Mynimo, among others.

DTI Cebu Director Maria Elena Arbon said she wants more engagement between the tech-based startups and traditional businesses, and see how they benefit from each other.

“Startup Island is not to replicate Silicon Valley. We want to focus on what we have right now, and how we can help (startup businesses) locally,” added Loremia.

Silicon Valley is a region on the San Francisco Peninsula in California that has become home to the world’s most successful techology companies, including Apple, Facebook, and Google.