Mindanao TECH PLANTER 2026

ABOUT

Purpose

Mindanao TECH PLANTER 2026 Demo Day is a pitching competition joined exclusively by selected innovative teams of Mindanao-based researchers and/or deep technology startups with a passion to bring change and impact to the Island Region and to the World. However, the pitching competition itself is just one aspect of the whole initiative, as Leave a Nest also pushes the collaboration between ventures and big companies to create new businesses after the Demo Day.

The TECH PLANTER program has been running in Japan since 2014. With the national TECH PLANTER in the Philippines being on its 10th annual implementation this 2026, the Mindanao TECH PLANTER 2026 program continues with its 2nd annual implementation this 2026!

Target

Pre-startup researchers in the different science and technology fields, even if they only have the idea so far.
Early stage startups, research teams or individuals in real tech field.
Mature startups or SMEs seeking collaborators, even if they are close to mass production or PMF establishment.
Visionaries that aim to change the world and/or their own country to a better place using science- and technology-based seeds.
Those who are interested in the Japanese market or collaboration with Japanese corporations.

Categories of the TECH

Bio, Eco, Med, Food, Agri, Marine, Deep

Application Period

2026/6/1(Mon)-2026/7/17(Fri)

Judging Criteria

A panel of judges consisting of Leave a Nest and its program partners will evaluate each of the following items.

01NOVELTY
02PRACTICABILITY
03IMPACT TO
THE WORLD
04PASSION

Awards

Grand Winner: Php 30,000
Leave a Nest Award
and Corporate Awards (monetary and non-monetary)
*Monetary amount will be announced

SCHEDULE

6/1[MON]: Entry open

Please register from here and fill out the web form to apply.

We also hold Physical and/or Virtual Information Sessions at each university partner, consortium or occasionally on an individual-basis to encourage your full registration to tell you how to prepare documents. Please feel free to contact us for more information.

7/10[FRI]: Application Deadline & 1st Selection

After our closing the application window, a selection committee consisting of Leave a Nest and its partners will review the applications.

Applicants may be asked to submit additional information about their team, technology, passion, and future vision via web form. All applicants will be notified of the results of the screening process.

In addition, online individual interviews will be held for those who wish to participate in the presentation review.

8月中旬: Announcement of Finalists

Selected Finalists will be announced in the middle of August.

For applicants who pass the selection, multiple online sessions will be held with the selected Finalists to prepare their pitch presentations for the final Mindanao TECH PLANTER DEMO DAY Pitch Event.

In addition, it is possible to set up interviews with partner companies for the purpose of business consultation and to develop collaboration projects after the DEMO DAY event.

9/26[SAT]: Mindanao TECH PLANTER 2026 DEMO DAY

The 9 Finalist teams and selected teams that passed our selection and undergone our interview sessions will be judged on their presentations during the on-site DEMO DAY event by the invited panel of judges and partners

Oct: Post-Demo Day Supporting Period

Even after the DEMO DAY, the contact point between teams and Leave a Nest remains open, allowing discussions to develop their business.

We are responding to a wide range of start-up issues, from incorporation to prototype development, financing, and R&D. In addition, collaboration between teams and partner companies is becoming more popular in this period to support business development, regardless if within the country or inter-country partnerships and collaboration.

ASSET

ASSET01Leave a Nest Communicator
ASSET02Japanese Partner Companies
ASSET03Local Partners

SUPPORT

SUPPORT01Organizing the vision your business
SUPPORT02Brushing up your Presentation
SUPPORT03Opportunities for collaboration with Japanese corporates
SUPPORT04Support for R&D and Prototype Development
SUPPORT05Support for Knowledge and IP Strategies
SUPPORT06Investment and Support for Finance

DEMO DAY

Name of the DEMO DAY

Mindanao TECH PLANTER 2026

Place

University of Immaculate Conception - Bajada Campus, Davao City

Date & Time

2026/9/26 (Sat)13:00-18:00 in Philippine Time

Application Period

2026/6/1(Mon)-2026/7/17(Fri)

Eligible Participants

Invited Mindanao-based Deep Tech Startups and Research Teams

Organizer

Leave a Nest Philippines

Timeline @Philippine Time

12:30～13:00: Registration
13:00～13:30: Opening Ceremony
13:30～16:30: Finalist Pitching Presentations
16:30～17:20: Poster Session (Closed-Door Judge Deliberations ongoing)
17:20～18:00: Awarding Ceremony & Official Photo Session

JUDGE

Chief judge
Managing Director, Leave a Nest Philippines
Engr. Ronezza Delos Santos

Engr. Ronezza “Ezza” Delos Santos is a licensed Chemical Engineer who graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman. After getting inspired in her internship for Leave a Nest’s TECH PLANTER in the Philippines 2021, she took the challenge to be one of the pioneer members of the company’s Philippine subsidiary. She became one of the Directors of Leave a Nest Philippines in March 2023 and is currently pursuing her Masters Degree in Environment and Natural Resources Management at the UP Open University. Driven with her passion to unleash the potential of the Philippines and Filipinos for the advancement of the country, she continues to explore collaborations between different stakeholders in different regions through Leave a Nest.
Assistant Regional Director for R&D for Development and Innovation Division (ReDID), Department of Science and Technology Region XI

Dr. Nathan Ray Alim

Dr. Nathan Ray A. Alim is the Assistant Regional Director for R&D for Development and Innovation Division (ReDID) at the Department of Science and Technology Region XI. A licensed chemist with expertise in pharmaceutical chemistry, asymmetric synthesis, and analytical techniques, he earned his degrees from Ateneo de Davao University and Kumamoto University, Japan. He has held teaching and research roles at Ateneo de Davao University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and the De La Salle University. Dr. Alim leads initiatives in green mining, grassroots innovation, water filtration, and renewable energy. Formerly a DOST Science Fellow, he integrates science education with innovation, advancing regional development through practical and sustainable technologies under the R&D for Development and Innovation Division of the DOST XI.
Chairperson, IDEAS Davao
Mr. Richard Day

Mr. Richard Day is the Chairperson of IDEAS Davao and President of Upgrade Innolab, a nonprofit incubator helping Filipino entrepreneurs build scalable ventures. Under his leadership, Upgrade was recognized as the Outstanding Incubator in Region XI and DOST-PCIEERD’s National Global Startup Incubator of 2024. He is Co-Founder of Experience Science, an edtech company advancing immersive STEM learning. Richard serves as Project Leader and Lead Consultant of Upgrade Education PH. Previously, he was Technology Officer of UMasenso Hub and led Hult Prize incubation initiatives. He also led acceleration for Davao coffee enterprises and heads Circulab Acceleration, supporting circular economy businesses with seed funding up to Php 1.3 million.
Chairman, SF Group of Companies
Mr. Dom L. Subang

Mr. Dom Subang leads Agridom, a precision-service company delivering drone crop spraying, satellite analytics, and on-farm training empowering Filipino farmers to work faster and more profitably without owning equipment. Under his leadership, Agridom has grown from a pilot project into a nationwide platform boosting yields and embedding regenerative practices across thousands of hectares.

Agridom anchors the SF Group of Companies, whose brands—Farmtech Agriland, DJAS Servitrade, Sunfood Marketing, Agridom Academy, and Aerobot Distributions form a complete agritech ecosystem. His farmer-first approach drives real income gains and a more resilient Philippine food system.
Managing Director & Group CEO, IGNYSIA Co., Ltd.
Mr. Toyohisa Yamada

Born in October 1979, Mr. Toyohisa Yamada earned a Master of Engineering from the Department of Chemical System Engineering at the Graduate School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo. Having developed a strong interest in energy issues from an early age, he conducted research on fuel cells and combustion during his university years. He joined IGNYSIA Co., Ltd. (previously known as Yamada Shokai Co., Ltd.), a gas engineering and construction company, in 2004. In May 2022, he became President and Executive Director. Leveraging the power of engineering, he is committed to enhancing resilience across four key sectors: energy, infrastructure, agriculture, forestry and fisheries, and the living environment.
Program Manager for Mindanao, Wadhwani Foundation

Ms. Mary Rose Ofianga

Ms. Mary Rose Ofianga, a Master in Management, is a recognized leader in innovation and entrepreneurship in Mindanao. She has organized multiple Startup Weekends in Davao, launched the first Social Innovation Camp for Health in the Philippines, and led the Davao startup ecosystem mapping. As Program Manager of the Wadhwani Foundation Entrepreneurship Program, she supports student ventures across Southern Philippines. Mary Rose also represents the country globally as a UN IGF MAG member and Asia Representative for Women in Internet Governance, advocating for inclusive innovation and digital empowerment.