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PHILIPPINES

TECH PLANTER in the Philippines 2026

Discovering and nurturing Real Tech seeds
and entrepreneurs in the Philippines
ABOUT
Purpose
The TECH PLANTER in the Philippines 2026 is a pitching competition joined by teams of researchers and/or deep technology startups with a passion to bring change and impact 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.

This program has been running in Japan since 2014, and it will be the 10th year to implement it in the Philippines 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, Life (Med), Food, Agri, Marine, Deep
Application Period
2025/12/16(Tue)-2026/3/13(Fri)
Judging Criteria
A panel of judges consisting of Leave a Nest and its partners will evaluate each of the following items.
  1. 01NOVELTY
  2. 02PRACTICABILITY
  3. 03IMPACT TO
    THE WORLD
  4. 04PASSION
Awards
Grand Winner: Php 50,000
Leave a Nest Award
and more Corporate Awards (monetary and non-monetary)
(Monetary amount TBA)
SCHEDULE
11/20[THU]

Entry open

Please register from here and fill out the web form to apply.
We also hold information sessions at each university and on an individual to encourage your full registration to tell you how to prepare documents. Please feel free to contact us for more information.

3/13[FRI]

Application deadline & 1st selection

After our closing the application window, a panel of judges consisting of Leave a Nest and its partners will review the applications.
Applicants will be asked to submit information about their team, technology, passion, and future vision via web form.
All applicants will be notified of the results of the screening process and will receive feedback on their applications.
In addition, online individual interviews will be held for those who wish to participate in the presentation review.

Apr

Announcement of finalists

Selected Finalists will be announced in the middle of April.
For applicants who pass the selection, interviews will be held to brush up their presentations for the final DEMO DAY.
In addition, it is possible to set up interviews with partner companies for the purpose of business consultation and to develop collaboration projects.

5/30[SAT]

TECH PLAN DEMO DAY in the Philippines

The 9 finalist teams that passed our selection will be judged on their presentations.

May-

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.

PARTNER
Global Partners
Local Partners
Strategic Partners
ASSET
  1. ASSET01Leave a Nest Communicator
  2. ASSET02Japanese Partner Companies
  3. ASSET03Local Philippine Indsutry, Government, Academia, and Startup Partners
  4. ASSET04Leave a Nest Investment Arms and other funding agencies
  5. ASSET05Super Factory Group
SUPPORT
  1. SUPPORT01Organizing the vision your business
  2. SUPPORT02Brushing up your presentation
  3. SUPPORT03Opportunities for collaboration with Japanese corporates and R&D partners
  4. SUPPORT04Support for R&D and Prototype Development
  5. SUPPORT05Support for Knowledge and IP Strategies
  6. SUPPORT06Investment and support for finance
DEMO DAY
Name of the DEMO DAY
TECH PLANTER in the Philippines 2026
Place
Auditorium, 21st Floor, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Building, University of Santo Tomas, España Boulevard, Sampaloc, Manila City
Date & Time
2026/5/30 (Sat)13:00-18:00 in Philippine Time
Application Period
2025/12/16(Tue)-2026/3/13(Fri)
Eligible Participants
Deep Tech Startups and Research Teams
Organizer
Leave a Nest Philippines
Timeline
@Philippine Time
13:00～14:00
Opening Ceremony
14:00～16:50
Finalist Presentations
16:50～17:50
Judging, Lightning Talks & Poster presentation
17:50～18:30
Awarding & Closing Ceremony
JUDGE
  • Dr. Yevgeny Aster Dulla
    Chief judge
    Director, Leave a Nest Philippines, Inc.,
    Human Development Division, Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. Japan
    Dr. Yevgeny Aster Dulla
    Yev was born and raised in Iloilo City, Philippines. He graduated with a degree in BS Chemistry from the University of the Philippines – Visayas, after which he worked as an instructor at the University of the Philippines – Manila. He came to Japan in 2013 to pursue graduate studies where he acquired his Masters in Health Life Sciences and PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences. In 2020, he joined Leave a Nest Co., Ltd. and is currently under the Human Development Division, and is part of the Kansai/Osaka office, as well as the Group Creation Division. He is also a Balik Scientist Awardee for 2020~2021, and is a co-founder and the Managing Director for Leave a Nest’s Philippine office, their newest subsidiary.
  • Atty. Javier P. Flores
    Partner, The Law Office of Flores & Ofrin
    Atty. Javier P. Flores
    Atty. Flores was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1999. He obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science in 1994 and a Bachelor’s Degree in Law in 1998, both from the University of the Philippines. He is heavily into litigation and corporate law practice as well as intellectual property law. He has successfully litigated cases involving construction disputes before the Construction Industry Arbitration Commission; intra-corporate disputes under the Interim Rules of Intra-Corporate Controversies; and proceedings before the regular courts involving injunctive relief, property, and family law. He has developed expertise in projects involving power, ecological solid waste management, and real estate development. He is the Corporate Secretary of various companies and industry associations including the Philippine Travel Agencies Association Inc. and the Filipinas Copyright Licensing Society.
  • Ms. Dara Ever Juan
    Head, Innovations Lab & Ecosystem Partnerships (Innolab), PLDT Inc.
    Ms. Dara Ever Juan
    Dara is the Head of PLDT Innovations Lab and Ecosystem Partnerships or Innolab, focused on co-creating and co-innovating breakthrough solutions with innovators. Dara inculcates a culture of innovation in PLDT Group by designing and organizing open innovation activities such as MVP Geek Olympics (an MVP group-wide hackathon) and PLDT & Smart Startup Innovation Challenge to create a sustainable collaborative environment. She manages PLDT’s co-working laboratory in Makati where solutions testing, prototyping and client POCs happen. She acts as an advocate to drive collaboration and community initiatives and execute a roll-out strategy for potential business opportunities with startups in PLDT Enterprise. She is also an alumna of Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Professional Fellow for Economic Empowerment.
  • Ms. April V. Ong Vaño
    Head of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)
    Quest Ventures
    Ms. April V. Ong Vaño
    At Quest Ventures, April works closely with startups to accelerate their growth through a combination of acceleration services and programmes. In the Philippines, April has worked with the private sector and government agencies in policy development, innovation programs and startup ecosystem development support. Currently based in Cebu, she plays an active role in regional startup innovation initiatives including the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Startup Ecosystem Alliance and Fiestartup. April is an SDG advocate and champion for women empowerment, education and environmental sustainability.
  • Mr. Saturnino H. Mejia
    General Manager, National Development Company
    Mr. Saturnino H. Mejia
    Saturnino H. Mejia is General Manager of the National Development Company (NDC). A seasoned public sector leader, Mr. Mejia brings over 30 years of expertise in investments and public-private partnerships. He previously spearheaded NDC’s Special Projects Group, driving major industrial, infrastructure, and renewable energy initiatives. Currently, he champions local innovation by overseeing the Marikina Enterprise Center, a landmark I-Hub facility designed to provide infrastructure, mentorship, and corporate acceleration support to Philippine startups. He leads NDC in managing the Startup Venture Fund, bridging equity funding with ecosystem growth. Mr. Mejia holds degrees from Saitama University and Ateneo de Manila University.
  • Mr. Ryo Inori
    Business Creation Department, Tech Innovation Business Headquarters, Focus Systems Corporation
    Mr. Ryo Inori
    Ryo Inori joined Focus Systems Corporation in 2015. He is responsible for the sales of information security products such as data encryption for the financial industry, as well as content security products such as copyright protection for still and moving digital data. He has been promoting information security products such as data encryption for the financial industry, as well as content security products such as copyright protection for digital data of still and moving images. He is also engaged in the promotion of services in the manufacturing and medical industries. Currently, in parallel with his product sales activities, he is also working with startup companies and university research laboratories.
  • Mr. Fumihiro Matsuoka
    New Business Exploration Section, TERAL Inc.
    Mr. Fumihiro Matsuoka
    Joined Teral Inc. in 2023 and has since been engaged in pump development and design, including fluid and structural design for new products as well as various performance tests. Assumed the current position in 2025. Currently promotes internal and external collaboration to create new businesses and expand into emerging markets beyond the industrial and building sectors in which Teral has traditionally been strong.

  • Mr. Henry Tao
    UntroD Capital Asia Pte. Ltd.,Executive Director
    Mr. Henry Tao
    Henry joined UntroD Capital Asia in 2023 and was appointed Director in 2025. He currently leads investments across Southeast Asia, Japan, and global markets, with a focus on backing and supporting high-growth founders in frontier technology sectors including AI. Before joining UntroD Capital Asia, Henry worked with Bayer AG across Germany, the United States, and Singapore, where he focused on early- and growth-stage investments in the industrial and agri-tech sectors. He went on to earn an MBA from Harvard Business School.
FINALIST
  • Kaizen Aquacultures Inc.
    Hector Abes
    Tilapia Artificial Incubator – Philippine 2Billion supply gap of tilapia fingerlings

    Theme:
    Tilapia Artificial Incubator – Philippine 2Billion supply gap of tilapia fingerlings

  • Greens & Claws
    Cecilia Tale
    Smart aquaculture powered by IoT and a sustainable recirculating water system turning waste into valuable resources

    Theme:
    Smart aquaculture powered by IoT and a sustainable recirculating water system turning waste into valuable resources

  • Tila-ok Poultry Management System
    Lloyd D. Esparagoza
    Use of Technology to increase Chicken production

    Theme:
    Use of Technology to increase Chicken production

  • GH-GaZ (Lithos M)
    Eleanor Olegario
    Turning waste biogas into accessible clean energy through locally sourced purification technology

    Theme:
    Turning waste biogas into accessible clean energy through locally sourced purification technology

  • SOL-H2CORE
    Abigail Guia Claire A. Ortiz
    SOLid-State H2 Containment and Optimized Reserve for Energy – For a safer H2 storage

    Theme:
    SOLid-State H2 Containment and Optimized Reserve for Energy – For a safer H2 storage

  • Karnot Energy Solutions, Inc.
    Stuart Cox
    iJosō Defrost Module for CO₂ Refrigeration and Cold Chain Condensing Units

    Theme:
    iJosō Defrost Module for CO₂ Refrigeration and Cold Chain Condensing Units

  • NS4W Manufacturing Corporation
    Wynken Myrrh Gelito
    Glasscrete, glass pollution in communities far from recycling plants for glass waste

    Theme:
    Glasscrete, glass pollution in communities far from recycling plants for glass waste

  • AVAMOS μSORB Innovators
    Jaden Reilly Joguilon
    Addresses increasing wastewater pollution using green mussel shell and bamboo leaf waste

    Theme:
    Addresses increasing wastewater pollution using green mussel shell and bamboo leaf waste

  • TAM-IS BioSolutions
    Charles Justin Gan
    A microbial solution targeting low sugar yield in sugarcane

    Theme:
    A microbial solution targeting low sugar yield in sugarcane

LIGHTNING TALK
Team Theme Representative
Aquavolt Harnessing rainwater to provide decentralized power and water solutions for household resilience Lara Yvianne Sabado
Canophex Forest Canopy Detection for Automated Seed Implantation Using PhilSA for Reforestation Journey Ruth Javines
Wika, a11y Accessibility Infrastructure for People with Hearing and/or Visual Disabilities Roland Benzon
Padayon IoShroom: IoT-Integrated Smart Mushroom Monitoring System Mycah Isabel Raymundo
PiliSeed Empowering smallholder farmers with affordable, data-driven crop decisions through offline, solar-powered smart agriculture Ian Kenneth M. Agustin
OXILAB Bananaxidant: Controls oxidation and microbial spoilage in fruits and vegetables Carl Macias
NEWS
A Decade of Innovation: TECH PLANTER in the Philippines opens its 10th Year of Deep Tech Excellence!
2026/01/05 A Decade of Innovation: TECH PLANTER in the Philippines opens its 10th Year of Deep Tech Excellence!
  • Philippines
  • ニュース
Visayas Champions Innovation once again: EKS-CACAO Proclaimed as the Grand Winner of the Visayas TECH PLANTER Demo Day 2025!
2025/10/02 Visayas Champions Innovation once again: EKS-CACAO Proclaimed as the Grand Winner of the Visayas TECH PLANTER Demo Day 2025!
  • Philippines
  • Visayas TECH PLANTER
BIKI Shines Bright: Grand Winner of TECH PLAN DEMO DAY Asia Final 2025
2025/08/25 BIKI Shines Bright: Grand Winner of TECH PLAN DEMO DAY Asia Final 2025
  • Asia Final
  • English News
  • Indonesia
  • Malaysia
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Thailand
  • Vietnam
  • ニュース
TECH PLAN DEMO DAY ASIA FINAL 2025 SET TO TAKE PLACE THIS SATURDAY!
2025/08/21 TECH PLAN DEMO DAY ASIA FINAL 2025 SET TO TAKE PLACE THIS SATURDAY!
  • Asia Final
  • English News
  • Indonesia
  • Malaysia
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Thailand
  • Vietnam
PHILIPPINES5/30
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