In a high-stakes, 60-second pitch format, student entrepreneurs from the University of the Philippines, De La Salle University, and Ateneo de Manila University converged for the Big 3 Startup Showdown, a hackathon spotlighting next-gen tech innovation. Held at Maya’s Launchpad HQ, the event showcased rapid-fire startup pitches before a panel of industry leaders from Maya, Google Philippines, mWell, and Gobi Core.
From dozens of entries, three standout ventures took top honors and ₱30,000 each:
- LittleBranch – A centralized platform for discovering kids’ activities across the Philippines
- Quasar – The country’s first AI-driven, end-to-end loan approval automation platform
- Venyu – A digital hub for booking over 1,000 sports venues across Metro Manila
The event, backed by fintech leader Maya, positions these startups for global exposure at the 2025 Geeks on a Beach tech conference. Maya chief product officer Mitch Padua emphasized the role of young changemakers: “They’re not just coding apps—they’re crafting solutions to real problems.”
Organized with academic support from Profs. Bowei Gai (La Salle), Jose Emmanuel Reverente (UP), and Joseph Benjamin Ilagan (ADMU), the initiative aimed to bridge education and entrepreneurship. “This isn’t just about winning—it’s about unlocking real-world opportunities,” said Gai.
Beyond prizes, the event fostered collaboration among the Philippines’ top universities and connected students to real-world investors, highlighting a growing culture of purpose-driven tech entrepreneurship among Filipino youth.
