Davao Startup Week 2026 aims to link Mindanao founders with investors beyond the region

Davao City will host Davao Startup Week 2026 from November 17 to 20, a festival meant to help Mindanao startups reach investors and mentors outside the region, Mindanao Times reported.

Organizers say the region has many startups and a steady stream of university spinoffs, but founders often lack easy access to outside funding and guidance. The event, themed "Founders of the Future: Backing Builders from Davao to the World," is organized by IDEAS Davao and Upgrade Innolab Incorporated and co-hosted by the Davao City government and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Organizers are targeting more than 2,000 participants across over 20 events, and are inviting investors and founders from Manila, the Visayas-Mindanao area and abroad. They said the week will feature at least 50 startups and innovation-driven MSMEs, more than 50 structured business-to-business and investor-founder meetings, and 10 or more masterclasses. Government agencies are also expected to meet to align regional innovation policy.

Richard R. Day, president of Upgrade Innolab and the festival's convener, described the event as "a strategic opportunity to position Davao and Mindanao as one of the leading innovation corridors in the Philippines." He said bringing together founders, investors, government, academia and communities could help speed up enterprise growth and create quality jobs, and called on partners in government, industry and civil society to collaborate and co-invest in the initiative.

According to the report, Davao is regarded as one of the country's stronger startup hubs, with firms in agritech, the blue economy, e-commerce, logistics, healthtech and creative industries. Campus incubators producing deep-tech spinoffs include UP Mindanao's TBI, Ateneo de Davao's ADDventures, the University of Mindanao's UMasenso Hub, the UIC Marian Incubator and USeP AGilab. Developer communities such as Google Developer Group Davao, Davaoeñas in Tech and the SPACE cybersecurity group are also active, while coworking spaces are concentrated in Bajada, Poblacion and Damosa IT Park.

For visiting founders and investors, organizers are pitching access to regional funds, corporate innovation teams and a cost-competitive talent pool, along with nearby attractions such as diving off Samal Island and ecotourism around Mt. Apo.

The festival is supported by DTI XI, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Mindanao Development Authority and university business incubators. Registration, schedules and hotel details are available through @davaostartupweek on social media.