With its continuous efforts in driving digital transformation to improve businesses in the Philippines, Sprout Solutions proudly announces its top 10 finalists for the upcoming Impact ’23: The Philippine B2B SaaS Challenge.
The leading homegrown business-to-business (B2B) Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company and human resource tech leader in the country, in partnership with early-stage investment firm Kaya Founders, aims to discover new visionary entrepreneurs to lead the era of digital transformation.
Impact ’23: The PH B2B SaaS Challenge is a startup accelerator program designed to unveil the next wave of innovative B2B solutions from local and international early-stage startups. Jointly organized by Sprout and Kaya Founders, the program is made possible by sponsors Amazon Web Services (AWS), Brankas and Beeline, and in partnership with Asia CEO Events.
“These past few weeks, we were able to explore and discover a lot of great entrepreneurs who share outstanding visions and innovative ideas for their businesses in various industries. Out of the 38 exceptional candidates who applied, we are glad to welcome on board our 10 selected participants to join us for the Impact ’23 program,” shared Kaya Founders Managing General Partner Paulo Campos.
“We look forward to collaborating with these remarkable startups towards accelerating their game-changing solutions. We are inspired and motivated by the work that these startups are doing and are honored to have the opportunity to showcase their efforts. We are thrilled to see the continued impact that SaaS technology will have in the Philippines in the years to come,” he added.
The top 10 participants were carefully selected by Sprout Solutions along with Kaya Founders based on the applicant’s eligibility and exceptional vision of their B2B solutions.
The 10 selected candidates, in no particular order, are: Happy Benefits, a platform for employee benefits; Umwelt Peopletech Solutions Private Limited, a people analytics & employee engagement platform; Smile API, a provider of user-authorized employment and income data; Olivia Technology Group, Inc., which offers solutions that automates expense tracking thru AI; Twala, a next-generation e-signature platform; Britana, which builds enterprise-grade business applications for small and medium businesses; Aiah, an AI solutions and marketplace provider; Meron, a resource-sharing platform for small and medium enterprises; MeetBit, an automated scheduling software; and Betterteem, an AI-powered workplace app.
These early-stage startups have all displayed tremendous potential in helping streamline the employee lifecycle, remove barriers to different financial transactions, and make key business processes more efficient.
The finalists join an eight-week accelerator program that started Jan. 16, 2023. The program will be conducted by top mentors from Sprout and Kaya, as well as B2B SaaS experts who will cover different topics each week. All will undergo intensive preparation on Product and Business Ideation, Programming, Marketing, Regulations and Legal, Pitching, Fundraising, and Refining Pitch and Prototype.
“After a stringent short-listing process, we are very happy and satisfied with our top 10. They represent the best of the best from the early stage B2B startup community,” Sprout Solutions CEO and Co-Founder Patrick Gentry said.
After the eight-week program, the candidates will present their plans to a panel of judges during a Demo day on March 17 at the KMC One Ayala Tower, where three winners will be selected to present during SaasCon PH. The top three winners will be selected based on the following criteria: problem identification, innovation, product-problem fit, team fit, and motivational fit.
The three winning startups will also present their solutions at the upcoming SaaScon PH on March 28. SaaScon PH aims to be the premier industry event of the year that discusses the future of SaaS in the hopes of eventually revolutionizing the digital processes of companies in various industries through advanced technology, particularly in the Philippines. All top 10 finalists will also have their own booths at the event.
Furthermore, the grand winner will have the opportunity to receive up to $100,000 in equity investment from Kaya Founders and up to $25,000 AWS Credits. They will also be automatically included in the Sprout Ecosystem and have access to over 1,000 client organizations, plus a KMC office support package/co-working facilities. Finally, they will have dedicated marketing launch support through Sprout digital, social and events channels.
“We are very excited and hopeful to see the positive impact of the next generation of B2B startups in the ever-changing demands of the market here in the Philippines through this Impact ’23 challenge and SaaScon PH,” Mr. Gentry said.
The upcoming SaaScon PH on March 28, 2023 will be held at the Manila Marriott Hotel. To know more about the Impact ’23 Challenge and SaaScon PH, visit saaschallenge.ph.
