MANILA, PHILIPPINES– Social Impact Incubation network Impact Hub Manila closes Impact Hackathon Online 2020 with its culminating event 2050fest on August 25, 2020 crowning ECES-1 as the Grand Winner. Impact Hackathon, which commenced from August 17 to 21, is part of Impact 2050, a multi-year program designed to equip, enable, and empower innovative individuals who want to affect change through technology, and catalyze home grown impact-driven startups by 2050. This 2020, Impact Hackathon focused on helping the country reboot its economy given the ongoing health crisis – COVID 19 – through digital solutions.
After months of planning and days of running the hackathon, innovators, aspiring changemakers and entrepreneurs gathered in one virtual room to witness the crowning of the Impact Hackathon 2020 Grand Winner. Culminating in the event dubbed 2050Fest, the event programme kicked off with back-to-back panel discussions on the hackathon verticals with speakers from the startup, private and government sectors. The six (6) verticals include Agriculture, Good Governance, Climate Change, FinTech, Health, and Education.
To end the 2050fest, both the Vice President of the Philippines Leni Robredo and Senator Francis Pangilinan gave inspirational words to all the finalists. VP Leni Robredo ended by emphasizing the importance of private-public collaboration “Magkarugtong ang problema kaya magkarugtong din ang solusyon kaya tayo’y mag-ambagan at magtulungan. Collaboration with the private and public sector is vital as we would not succeed without the help of our private partners. To this year’s winners and who would receive funding and incubation, I hope you remain sensitive to collaboration.”
Senator Francis Pangilinan ended by sharing to all participants the importance of the agricultural sector as well as building collaborative solutions to the other verticals of Impact Hackathon 2020 by saying “While you are making your solutions and while I was working on legislative policies, it was food from the Filipino farmer that has been sustaining us during this pandemic. I am looking forward to all the solutions that you have built and working with those especially, from the agriculture vertical. The only way we can move forward is to be able to collaborate with all sectors in hopes of building solutions that impact the lives of all Filipinos, especially those that need the most support.”
Impact Hackathon Winners
Believing that collaboration and unity plays a big part in the success of helping the Philippines reboot its economy as it dives deep into a brink of recession. Impact Hackathon crowns nine (9) winners:
Vertical Winners
They will each be receiving one year incubation from Impact Hub Manila and membership to IHM, Php 35 000 in cash, and Php 5 000 worth of Lalamove credits.
● Agriculture: CaveMen
● Good Governance: Gone With The Win
● Climate Change: Green Team
● FinTech: Bayan Cash
● Health: Collective Clinic
● Education: ECES-1
Each of the top three winners will be receiving incubation from Impact Hub Manila and membership to IHM.
● Grand Winner: ECES-1
Kumu matched IHM’s grand prize of Php 100 000 totalling the grand prize to Php 200 000 in cash. Thus, the winner will be receiving Php 200 000 and Php 30 000 worth of Lalamove credits. They will also be receiving five (5) Php 4 000 worth of Smart prepaid load, five (5) Smart Pocket Wifis, five (5) JBL Speakers, and five (5) JBL earphones.
● 1st Runner-Up: Agro Modern
The 1st Runner-Up will be receiving Php 50 000 and Php 20 000 worth of Lalamove credits. They will also be receiving five (5) 3 000 worth of Smart prepaid load, five (5) wireless powerbanks, and five (5) JBL earphones.
● 2nd Runners-Up: Collective Clinic and CaveMen
The two 2nd Runners-Up will each be receiving Php 35 000 and Php 10 000 worth of Lalamove credits. They will also be receiving five (5) Php 2 000 worth of Smart prepaid load and five (5) JBL earphones.
Aside from the cash prizes, winners of Impact Hackathon Online 2020 get to be part of the Impact Hub Manila Incubation Program where IHM and its partners will provide them with more valuable rewards such by way of seed funding, workspace perks, expert coaching and a wide network that will enable them to scale up.
Impact Hub Manila and its partners: the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Quezon City Local Government Unit, the Office of Senator Kiko Pangilinan, the Asian Development Bank, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Philippines, PLDT, Smart, Multisys Technologies Corporation, Insular Life, Technicorum Holding Pte Ltd., Aexon, True Digital, Unifinity, Salesforce, iProcure, Lalamove, KMC, Kumu, and other community partners will be onboard during the incubation period, ensuring continued support and mentoring the winning teams to identify how their solutions can create lasting impact and be useful to local conditions.
